The Karakoncolos

In day 9 of The 12 Days of Frightmass I bring you an Eastern European being known as The Karakoncolos.

The Karakoncolos can be found in legends across Turkey, Bulgaria, Serbia and Macedonia. While each country has a varying story its description remains relatively the same, in that, the Karakoncolos is a tall hairy creature described as a cross between a Devil and Bigfoot.

In general the Karakoncolos is a troublesome and evil creature but it is also harmless, appearing during the coldest days of the year.

Different countries describe different stories so here are a few of them:

Turkey

On the streets: The Karakoncolos in Turkey is described as lurking in the shadows standing on street corners waiting for a passer-by. When a person walks past it would ask you a riddle. If you were lucky enough for your answer to contain the word ‘black’ you would be free to go on your way. However, if your answer did not it would strike you dead with a single blow.
By your house: A Karakoncolos could also hover round your house, particularly your door. Whilst here it would disguise its voice pretending to be someone you know, it could be someone from your family or a good friend, to trick you into coming outside. Once outside you would be placed in a trance where you would be left alone in the elements.

Serbia

Take you for a ride: In Serbia it is believed that both ghosts and spirits can wonder the Earth during the 12 days of Christmas. If you were to come across a Karakoncolos during these days they would jump on your back where you would be forced to carry round, retreating only at dawn, leaving you exhausted
Sneak into houses: They could also sneak into your house lingering behind doorways of children’s bedrooms waiting for a child to walk through. Once a child did, the Karakoncolos would grab the child by the neck dragging the child away to be eaten.

Bulgaria

There is a name variant here, calling them the Karakondjul. They are said to wonder at night but you could scare one away by avoiding eye contact.

Unknown Country

One final story of the Karakoncolos is that if you invite one into your home it feels compelled to copy you. If you were to set fire to a piece of thread or silk, it will mistake it’s fur for thread and set itself on fire.

Le Pere Fouettard

In day 8 of The 12 Days of Frightmsss, I bring you Le Pere Fouettard. A eastern French folklore being who’s story is not as scary as the other behaviour enforcers like Krampus.

Roughly translating to ‘father whip’, Le Pere Fouettard has a number of stories associated with him but one is most prominent.

His story goes that he was once a butcher, who along with the help of his wife, lured three boys into his shop where he killed them. It’s said that St Nicholas discovered what he did and resurrected the boys. The butcher was ashamed of his actions and as a punishment St Nicholas made him work alongside him, he was to forever be his assistant to atone for his sins.

I personally question why it was only the butcher who was made to assist St Nicholas as his wife was also involved, but I guess she wasn’t the person who actually killed the boys.

While this version of the story is most circulated there are variations to the story. For example, one version states that the three boys were well off and were captured while they were on their way to a religious boarding school rather than walking in to the butcher shop. Another version states the butcher craved eating children, which is why he killed them. A third alternative, argues that the butcher repented to St Nicholas which is why he was made to be one of his assistants going forward.

Whichever version is correct, the butcher joined forces with St Nicholas becoming Le Pere Fouettard. He became a figure who issues punishment to children, in contrast to St Nicholas who gives presents on St Nicholas’ Day (6th January). His punishment could involve physically beating a naughty child with a whip.

The more I look into these Christmas folklore beings the more I think they are specifically designed to get children to behave in life.

Hans Trapp

In day 7 of The 12 Days of Frightmass I introduce you to the Hans Trapp, another folklore being who can be described as an anti-Santa who punishes bad children.

The Hans Trapp can be found in folklore in the Alsace and Lorraine regions of France. Described as a scarecrow or boogyman this creature visits children before Christmas, similar to Krampus, except for one notable thing he tries to encourage children to mend their ways.

The Hans Trapp is said to be based on a real person, with some stories giving his name as Hans Von Troth a knight was was exiled and excommunicated from the Catholic Church.

In around the 15th Century one German knight was rich and greedy with lands across the French and German boarder. Locals said he was a satan worshipper and deemed a nuisance by both villagers and the church. One day he was involved in a land dispute with a local Abbott where he had the Wieslauter river blocked, preventing water reaching the nearby town.

The Abbott complained resulting in the blockage being removed, this caused flooding to Weissenburg to the extent that its economy was destroyed. Following this the Abbott complained to the Pope resulting in Von Troth being excommunicated. His land and money were taken and he was exiled, living in a forest. Some stories say he found shelter in the mountains of Geisberg in Bavaria (Germany) creating a make shift shack from sticks.

While living in the forest he began to loose his mind, dreaming of revenge.

Dressed as a scarecrow he attacked a ten year old boy who was passing through the forest, he killed the young boy with a sharpened stick and roasted the boy in small pieces but before he could eat the boy he was struck by lighting and killed. Some say this was God’s doing.

Over the years his has gotten mixed up in myth and after the Hans Trapps’ death he was created as a warning to childten to behave in life.

In modern tales he goes to houses dressed as a scarecrow where he scares children drooling over their flesh.

The Yule Cat

We are now half way through the 12 Days of Frightmass and today I bring you the Jólakötturinn, or The Yule Cat if Icelandic is not your strong point.

The Yule Cat stems from Icelandic folklore, residing in a cave up in the mountains with it’s owners Grýla, Leppalúði and The Yule Lads (you can read about Grýla and The Yule Lads in days 4 and 5 of The 12 Days of Frightmass posts).

The Yule Cat is described as being a huge vicious monster, so tall in height that it towers over houses. In general this cat lurks about the snowy countryside during the Christmas season in search of food, that food being people. More specifically, those who have not received new clothing to wear before Christmas Eve.

I like to think this is why you always seem to get some form of clothes as a Christmas gift, whether a pair of socks or new pyjamas.

I’ve read that stories around The Yule Cat come from the Dark Ages, however there have only been written accounts since the 19th Century and is similar to the other beings associated with Christmas throughout Europe. In that, it is a creature used to enforce good behaviour.

It was once customary that if you finished work on time before Christmas you would be given clothing, however if you did not finish on time you would not and would have to face The Yule Cat. By work, this could be anything from your actual job or simply household chores. This getting work done on time is used as a way to encourage children to work hard, if they did they would receive a piece of clothing for Christmas and therefore be spared from The Yule Cat.

Some stories state that the cat would eat the person who did not receive clothing but there are alternative tales, for example some state that the cat will eat a persons food or only eating children on Christmas Eve.

Whichever story has the right answer, The Yule Cat is still to this day discussed as looking through windows on Christmas Eve to check if you have or have not received clothing as a present. I don’t know about you but I am glad that I own curtains and so don’t have to worry about seeing the cat through my window.

The Yule Lads

In day 5 of the 12 days of Frightmass, I have decided to talk about another one of Iceland’s folklore beings The Yule Lads he or to give them their Icelandic name Jólasveinar.

There are 12 Yule Lads in total, each have their own name and personality (a bit like the seven dwarfs). As with the other beings discussed in this series they to are used as a way to scare children into behaving. Modern stories depict these lads as being good and a little mischievous in a cheeky way, however older folklore stories paint a different picture in that their antics were ones to be feared.

Older tales state that each of the lads would descend down the mountains from their cave (where they live with their mother Grýla, father Leppalúði and their pet The Yule Cat. They would proceed to enter nearby towns and cause mischief on the days leading up to Christmas Day. They were deemed trouble makers, who would steal and harass people. In fact in 1746, stories about The Yule Lads were banned because they were deemed too tormenting. Over the years The Yule Lads got mixed up with Julenisse (Santa) and became gift givers.

The Yule Lads are known by the following names:

Sheep-Cote Clod: He tries to suckle yews in farmers sheds.
Gully Gawk: He steals the foam from buckets of cow’s milk.
Stubby: He is the shortest and steals food from frying pans.
Spoon Licker: Yes you guessed it, he licks spoons.
Pot Scraper/Pot Licker: Again it’s as it sounds, he licks pots clean.
Bowl Licker: Not quite as it sounds, he steals bowls of food.
Door Slammer: Another name as it sounds, he slams doors.
Skyr Gobbler: He eats yoghurt.
Sausage Swiper: He eats stolen sausages.
Window Peeper: He creeps up to windows, stealing stuff from the inside ledge).
Door Sniffer: He has a huge nose which he uses to find baked goods.
Candle Beggar: Another name as it sounds, he steals candles.

Children will leave a shoe in their bedroom window on the 13 days before Christmas, each night one of The Yule Lads leaves a gift for all well behaving children. If you were not so well behaved, you would recieve the gift of a rotten tomato. Instead of having to behave all year round, gifts are dependent on how a child has behaved that day.

Today The Yule Lads are more a fun part of Christmas for children, rather than a feared being.

Join me tomorrow when we look into The Yule Lads’ cave pet The Yule Cat, who may explain why we receive clothing based gifts at Christmas time.

Gryla

In day 3 of the 12 Days of Frightmass, we will be looking at the Icelandic giantess Grýla.

Stemming from Icelandic folklore, Grýla lives in the Icelandic Hinterlands with her family. She lives in a cave with her husband Leppalúði, her sons The Yule Lads and their pet The Yule Cat which we will look into later in the series.

Stories describe her as being a giant, an ugly ogre, having back nails, goat like horns and having hooves. Some stories describe her as a Christmas witch, with 13 tales and eyes in the back of her head. Whatever her appearance she is deemed repulsive.

Grýla has been associated with Christmas since around the 19th Century, however there is some evidence that this association may have been earlier in 17th century.

She is used as a way to encourage bad children to behave.

Her story goes that on an evening she wanders out of her cave and down the mountains entering nearby towns looking for a meal. She sniffs around the town in search of misbehaving children. When she finds one she asks the childs parents for their child. After she takes the child, she places them in a sack she carries taking them away to her cave where she cooks them in a cauldren to make naughty children stew. Her favourite food.

Modern tales give a way to thwart her plans, which is simply to give her food or chase her away. Today she is seen all over Reykjavík, where you can even climb into her cauldron for a quick photo. Let’s just hope the cauldron’s not lit.

Belsnickel

In day 3 of my 12 Days of Frightmass, we will be looking at Belsnickel.

Belsnickel comes from Southwestern Germany, particularly regions along the Rhine, Saarland and Odenworld areas of Baden (Würtemberg).

The name Belsnickel stems from two words, ‘Bels’ meaning fur and ‘nickel’ for St Nicholas. There is another word referenced by some which is ‘belzen’ which means to wallop. There are of course other names Beslnickel goes by including:

Kristinkle
Beltznickle
Pelsnichol

But the most common used word seems to be Belsnickel.

Belsnickel is described as loud, with long tangled hair, scraggy beard, wearing torn and tattered clothing, and carrying birch switches. Some stories state he wears a fur cloak and hat, while others say he wears foliage and antlers (as well as other natural based decorations). Other tales state he wears a mask, is dressed in black and carries a black bag, arguably reflecting his dark side.

Belsnickel is a mix of both St Nicholas and Krampus and is argued by some to be the first Christmas character to distinguish between good and bad children. He is both a gift giver and a punisher, causing children to either love or fear him.

The story of Belsnickel goes that he appears to children on the night before Christmas, asking children whether they have been good or bad over the past year. If you are good you would receive nice gifts such as sweets, cakes, nuts and toys. However, if you were bad he would hit you with the birch switches he carries.

In older stories, he is seen to be more similar to Krampus in that he would drag bad children away into a forest to pay for their bad behaviour. Basically, he would take children away never to be seen again.

More modern tales depict him as having a nicer side, where children are able to redeem themselves by doing a dance, tricks, singing or simply tell poetry to appease him.

Today stories around Belsnickel are meant to be humourous and to scare misbehaving children, they’re not designed to be terrifying to the listener.

Frau Perchta

In day 2 of the 12 Days of Frightmass I introduce you to Frau Perchta.

She is another Christmas being from Germany and Austria, but while she has similarities to Krampus she sparks fear in her own unique way.

Frau Perchta is described as a terrifying witch who issues punishment to children who have been bad throughout the year. She is tall with a beaked nose, often dressed in rags carrying a cane. Stories have depicted her as having two faces, which seems to reflect her differing behaviours.

While she is seen overall as a punisher, stories go that if you have been good a piece of silver would be placed in your shoe on the Epiphany. However, she was not known for her generosity. If you had been bad throughout the year as punishment for your bad deeds, she would split open your belly removing your organs and replace them with pebbles and straw.

Like Krampus she is not someone you would want to meet.

12 Days of Frightmas!

IT’S CHRISTMAS!!!

Yes it’s that time of year again where Santa Clause has checked his list to see who’s been naughty or nice, but while Santa simply brings coal to the bad children did you know there are other beings famous this time of year some of which are really nasty?

Well there are. As we have now entered the 12 Days of Christmas I’ve decided to write about 12 Christmas creatures, some of which have a rather horrible side to them.

Let’s start with one you might already be familiar with: Krampus.

Krampus tales come from the German speaking Alpine regions, such as Germany and Austria. Krampus is discussed as being a sort of demon, almost devil like in appearance.

Descriptions depict Krampus as having dark hair, long horns, fangs, a tongue so large it goes down to his chest, with a goat like beard. Some stories depict him as having one human foot and one cloven foot.

But while descriptions of Krampus vary, one trend stays the same. That is, he is an Anti-Santa or Santa’s evil brother if you will.

In a nutshell, while Santa brings good children gifts Krampus issues the punishments to bad children. Krampus would either lay bundles of sticks for the bad child instead of presents if he was feeling a little nice, or he would toss the bad child into a sack and carry them away.

It is for the this reason why Krampus is feared. While he could take the children away he would then do one of four things. He would either:

Throw the child into a stream.
Take the child to hell.
Take the child to his lair.
Eat the child.

The Krampus stories that exist were so bad that Krampus was once banned in Austria.

Today there are ‘Krampusnacht’ celebrations were people dress up as Krampus wandering through villages and playfully beat passersby. It’s all meant as fun rather than a night to be feared.

Welcome to Paranormal Archives!

Hello, and welcome to Paranormal Archives. I’m Bethany Rose a 20 something year old women from Northumberland (England).

I come from a part of England steeped in history and covered in castles. I think it’s due to this that I really enjoy learning about history and ghost tales. I think if you live near any old castle you tend to hear a few creepy tales.

Because of this fascination, I wanted to write about some local ghost tales and legends but also look further a field at stories from across the world.

So if you like reading about ghosts and things, then this is the place to be!

Thanks for reading.