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The Saint's Companion

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Well, you folks all know I love myths and folklore… So, Christmas Folklore, of course, is included. I was tempted to draw La Befana, but instead drew this.

You see, one bit of Christmas lore that I kind of wish was more prevalent here in the states is that of Santa’s companion, and I’m not talking about a helper elf. No, in lore, this companion served a darker purpose… he was the one who judged you. He was the one who left you coal, and told Santa to pass you by. And sometimes, he did worse.

The companion of Santa Claus goes by many names, and many guises, just the same as jolly ol’ Saint Nick himself. The first I’d heard of such beings was in a story I’d read from Haiti, about a giant called Uncle Gunnysack. While he didn’t work with Santa, he would kidnap and eat children who misbehaved and stayed out too late throughout the year.

In France, the Saint’s companion goes by Le Père Fouettard, and not only would he give you coal, but if you were particularly naughty, he’d flog you with switches. At one time, he was a wicked innkeeper who killed and ate wealthy children so he might rob them. Now, enter Saint Nicholas who gave the children the gift of returning them to life. The innkeeper, as punishment, is now forced to assist Saint Nicholas every year.

In Germany, there were many such figures. For instance, there was Belsnickel, a man who wore fur and left coal and switches in stockings. Another name he went by was Knecht Ruprecht, a shadowy, staff-bearing figure who would beat children with a bag of ashes should they not be able to pray adequately.

Iceland, unlike many other cultures, has female figure. Called Gryla, while not a companion of Saint Nicholas per se, she does act at the same time as he. Gryla is a troll or ogress who usually lives in a cave with the black Yule Cat, but searches out naughty children to eat on Christmas eve.

Another figure known for kidnapping or beating naughty children is found in the Netherlands. While more mischievous than scary, Black Peter is a devil who was captured by, and thus forced to become the servant of, Saint Nicholas.

This, however, is very similar to the story of Krampus, who, unlike Black Peter, is sometimes quite fearsome. A companion demon of Saint Nicholas, in some stories Krampus will steal away the presents left for unworthy children, and, should the child be especially bad, he will kidnap them with the intent of devouring them. However, in others, he will replace the gifts with a virgac, a bundle of golden switches for the parents of the naughty child to punish them with.

The list of names goes on and on, but the creature in this image isn’t intended to be any of these in particular. Rather, he’s a mix of all of them, with a little extra tossed in. My interpretation of The Companion is pretty much Krampus, but with a few of my own tweaks thrown in. He takes the form of a dark-hued holiday demon, his horns rendered harmless by a halo of pine boughs, though his teeth and claws are still free to use, should a child be particularly naughty. For those who were not so bad, he carries switches, to leave behind for the parents to use, and coal, for those who were only a little naughty. A creature old beyond age, and a lover of the cold and dark, The Companion is furred to keep him warm, and he wears a sprig of holly, in support of the Holly King. The chains at the top of his staff jingle as he walks, and since he has no reign over adults, he uses the mistletoe dangling from said chains to inspire more amorous activities (since he does represent the naughty side of the holiday, and old greeting cards featuring Krampus had suggestive imagery now and again). And of course, he takes his fashion sense from the saint himself, decked out in red with white fur trim.

And that is my take on The Saint’s Companion.

That aside, though… well, it is Christmas Eve, folks. And you’ve gotta ask yourselves… have you been Naughty? Or Nice? I pray you’ve been nice… Otherwise Uncle Gunnysack, Knecht Ruprecht, or Krampus may pay you a visit while you sleep…

Sweet dreams... and Merry Christmas.
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Mara999's avatar
The funny thing is that Krampus actually IS Santa, at least when you go back far enough to when he and Pan were technically the same entity.