Learn More About The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas in October
Debi Moore
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Krampus is finally coming into his own as a well-known Christmas legend, but if you’d like to learn more about where the legend started and the meaning behind it, then Feral House’s upcoming October 11th release of The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil by Al Ridenour should definitely be on your radar.
If you grew up in a city rich in Germanic culture or have been watching some newer Christmas horror releases, you should already be familiar with Krampus. The dark opposite of Santa Claus, this holiday demon was long the bogeyman threat of many parents. “Be good, or Santa will send Krampus to snatch you!” was often heard by many a naughty child. Even the threat of “getting a lump of coal in your stocking” is rooted in the legendary Krampus. But who is he really?
Author Al Ridenour’s research has taken him to the Austrian Alps and the Bavarian countryside, working with cultural anthropologists and village elders to learn the true history and meaning of this demonic fixture. More than any other horror movie monster or mean assistant to Santa Claus, Krampus’ dark history reveals new meanings to our holiday celebrations.
Ridenour, a noted expert on the Krampus, presents new research along with starkly beautiful photos of Krampus masks, costumes, and art throughout history. Ridenour has lectured on Krampus at the Goethe Institutes in Los Angeles. He became somewhat of an internet phenomenon himself due to the hilarious hijinks he coordinated with the controversial Cacophony Society.
Synopsis:
With the appearance of the demonic Christmas character Krampus in contemporary Hollywood movies, television shows, advertisements, and greeting cards, medieval folklore has now been revisited in American culture. Krampus-related events and parades occur both in North America and Europe, and they are an ever-growing phenomenon.
Though the Krampus figure has once again become iconic, not much can be found about its history and meaning, thus calling for a book like Al Ridenour’s The Krampus: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil (pre-order from Amazon). With Krampus’s wild, graphic history, Feral House has hired the award-winning designer Sean Tejaratchi to take on Ridenour’s book about this ever-so-curious figure.
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