December is upon us with its chill breeze and long dark nights; most of the world is fervently preparing for Christmas and embracing the festive season. Each corner of the globe has its own unique and wonderful way of celebrating Christmas, from the German Markets which illuminate the cold dark nights, the Midnight Mass held in churches across the globe to commemorate the birth of Christ, to the brewing of mulled wine to warm up the cold evenings. It is a commonly held belief that Christmas is a Christian festival, which indeed it is for some; however the December winter solstice celebration held all over Europe has its roots set in pre-Christian times. Perhaps more interesting than Christmas customs are the myths and legends surrounding the time of the Winter Solstice and festival of Christmas. Travel and Deal take you on a journey through the ages as we explore some of the most interesting Christmas myths, legends and origins from around the globe.
Pagan Winter Solstice, The Origin of Christmas.
Yuletide was (and still is) a winter festival observed by the Germanic people and people of Northern Europe. Scholars have connected the celebration to the Horned God, The Wild Hunt and the god Odin in Nordic traditions at a time before Christianity had spread to Europe, and the indigenous religions of Europe were largely nature based with pantheons of Gods and Goddesses.
Centuries ago the winter months were a time of famine in Northern Europe and many livestock were slaughtered due to the shortage of grain to feed them, meaning this was a time when fresh meat was plentiful. The Winter Solstice is the day of the year with the shortest hours of daylight, and the longest darkest night, and after this day the days begin to lengthen, marking the end of winter. Yule was a celebration of the rebirth of the Sun and in pre-christian Scandinavia lasted for 12 days, and gave rise to the custom of burning the Yule log (the term in modern days often refers to a log-shaped chocolate cake popular at Christmas!)
One of the most famous celebrations of winter solstice or Yuletide continues to this day, In England. Each year in the ancient sacred stone circle of Stonehenge, thousands of Druids and Pagans come together on the longest night of the year to chant, dance, sing, celebrate and wait for the glorious vibrant English sunrise and the rebirth of the Sun God.
Saturnalia, the ancient Roman predecessor of Christmas.
The ancient Roman celebration of Saturnalia was in honor of the god Saturn, who was an agricultural deity who is said to have ruled over the earth in the ‘Golden Age’, an age when humans enjoyed the rich bounty of the earth in a state of innocence and without labour divisions.
An ancient Roman historian Justinus relates the God Saturn to the first king of the pre-Roman Italians:
The first inhabitants of Italy were the Aborigines, whose king, Saturnus, is said to have been a man of such extraordinary justice, that no one was a slave in his reign, or had any private property, but all things were common to all, and undivided, as one estate for the use of every one; in memory of which way of life, it has been ordered that at the Saturnalia slaves should everywhere sit down with their masters at the entertainments, the rank of all being made equal.”
— Justinus, Epitome of Pompeius Trogus 43.3
In the festivities of Saturnalia, festivities were enjoyed by all and class barriers were not adhered to, as well as role reversal being part of the festivities. Gambling and dice playing, which were usually frowned upon activities, were openly played on Saturnalia by everyone regardless of class background. The giving of gifts was also customary, as was the appointed role of ‘King of the Saturnalia’ (Similar to the medieval Lord of Misrule) the King of the Saturnalia was a figure, appointed by lot during festivities, who’s capricious commands such as ‘Sing Naked!’ or ‘Throw him in cold water’ were obeyed by the other guests at the celebration. The purpose of this figure was to keep alive a spirit of chaos, absurdity and fun.
Gruß vom Krampus!
‘Gruß vom Krampus’ meaning ‘Greetings from the Krampus’ was a frequently seen catchphrase on Christmas cards during the Christmas season in Northern Europe. The antithesis to the well known kindly Santa Claus figure, the Krampus is a mythical creature from the European yuletide traditions, most likely pre-Christian in origin. Krampus is a half man, half beast, often portrayed with a foot of a man, and the other a cloven hoof. While well behaved children would receive presents from Santa, the unruly ones would be at the receiving end of Krampus’s birch-wood switch! Ouch…
The origins of the Krampus were most likely pre-Christian; however it is a myth which has been incorporated into Christmas in many European countries.
While the Krampus myth isn’t so widely propagated in modern times, there continues to be fantastic and fun costumed processions which happen such as the Washingtom Krampusnacht Walk which takes place each year around the 5th December, a family friendly event where performers and dancers sport elaborate Krampus costumes, and all money raised goes to charity organizations… perhaps the Krampus does have a nice side after all!
La Befana, The Good Witch of Christmas
In Italian folklore, Befana is an old woman who delivers gifts to children on the night of Epiphany Eve (January 5th) in a similar way to Santa Claus. Legend has it that Befana rides through the air on a broomstick with a bag full of gifts and sweets, wearing a black shawl and covered in soot; as the enters homes through the chimney shaft. Being a good housekeeper, she is said to sweep the floor after herself before she leaves, to some this symbolizes sweeping away the problems of the previous year.
Perchta
Perchta is another early Santa Claus type figure originating in Austrian Folkflore, and perhaps the most sinister of all the Santa archetypes. The exact origins of Perchta are somewhat unclear; rather there are several possible speculated origins from different European folk tales. According to some sources, Perchta was the female counterpart to ‘Perchtold’ the leader of the Wild Hunt, which was comprised of Elves, Fairies and Demons running around making mischief, and seeing the hunt in passing was thought to be an omen of misfortune.
Legend has it that Perchta, sometimes described as a tall, white robed woman, would visit houses on the 12th night of Christmas (Feast of the Ephiphany) and leave pieces of silver in the shoes of well behaved children. Unruly children, according to the legend, had a fate far more gruesome. Perchta would punish them by gutting them alive and replacing their internal organs with refuse! So if a lump of coal in a stocking wasn’t enough to discourage children from behaving badly, the grim prospect of disembowelment by Perchta would have definitely done the trick…
