Knecht Ruprecht
Knecht Ruprecht, Companion of
Father Christmas, is also known as "Servant Ruprecht", "Farmhand Ruprecht", "Pelzebock", "Pelznickel" ("Nicholas in furs"), "Zwarten Pieten" or "Zwarte Peter", "Black Peter", and "Schmutzli Samichlaus" in
Switzerland, sometimes associated with Saint Rupert. Other names include "Rumpelklas", "Bellzebub", "Hans Muff", "Drapp", and "Buzebergt" in the neighborhood of
Augsburg.
Mythos
\nHis is a character found throughout Germanic peoples and cultures. In Bavaria Saint Nikolaus is accompanied by "Klaubauf", a shaggy monster with horns. In Austria the horned creature is covered with bells and dragging chains, and is called "Krampus". In Styria it is servant "Bartel". The term "Krampus" is relatively synonymous with devil.
Appearance
\nOften the subject of winter poems and tales, Ruprecht travels with Santa Claus or his various equivalents, carrying with him a rod (sometimes a stick, bundle of switches or whip, and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. He is sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a soot-blackened face and unruly black hair.
Tales
\nIn some of the tales the children would be summoned to the door to perform tricks, such as a dance or singing a song to impress upon Santa and Ruprecht that they were indeed good children. Those who performed badly would be beaten soundly by Servant Ruprecht, and those who performed well were given a gift or some treats. Those who preformed badly enough or had committed other misdeeds throughout the year were put into Ruprecht's sack and taken away, variously to Ruprecht’s home in the black forest, or to be tossed into a river. In other versions the children must be asleep, and would either awake to find their shoes filled with sweets, coal, or in some cases a stick. Over time, other customs developed: parents giving kids who misbehaved a stick instead of treats and saying that it was a warning from Nikolaus that, "unless you improve by Christmas day, Nikolaus' black servant Ruprecht would come and beat you with the stick and you wouldn't get any Christmas gifts." Often there would be variations to the particulars idiosyncratic to the individual families.
Historical Accounts
\nIn some regions, the local priest was informed by the parents about their children's behavior and would then personally visit the homes in the traditional Christian garment and threaten them with rod-beatings. In parts of Austria, Krampusse, whom local tradition says are Nikolaus's helpers (typically children of poor families), roamed the streets during the festival. They wore masks and dragged chains behind them, even occasionally hurling them towards children in their way. These Krampusläufe (Krampus runs) still exist, although perhaps less violent than in the past.
Modern Perspective
\nHeiliger Abend, or Christmas Eve thus became known as the time when children were best behaved, and the tales of Ruprecht gave a balance to the winter festivals which might seem disquieting to some, but which were not especially grim or atypical of customs of times past. The story is still quite popular throughout the German speaking world.
Excerpt of Poem
\n:::"haste the Sack with you?"\n:::I spoke: "the Sack, that is here;\n:::because apples, nut and almond core\n:::eat pious children gladly."
- "haste the rod also with you?"\n:::I spoke: "the rod, it is here;\n:::but for the children, only the bad,\n:::those it meets them right, upon their part."
- (translated excerpt of 'Farmhand Ruprecht' by Theodor Storm)
External links
\n*http://www.luckymojo.com/esoteric/religion/satanism/teuffel.txt
\n*http://www.kienitz.de/html/body_ged-01.htm.htm
\n*http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/nikohelp.htm
