I'm curious about this
new "Krampus" movie. I hope it will be what I expect.
At least something
fresh for Christmas not again a sirupy red-green-white story about the nothing…
~Hohohowihatethose
And krampuses are
living creatures in many European folklore, at first in Styria [Austria]. In the Hungarian folklore they showed up in the
end of the XIXth century. We also call them krampusz
but here they are mostly two female horned devils [typical line up…] whom help
the Hungarian Santa, the Mikulás
[came from the Slovakian version Mikuláš, we mean onto Saint Nicholas] or Télapó [the Hungarian kind 'Ded
Moroz', Slavic fictional character
similar to Father Christmas]. While the Mikulás brings presents for good
children, the krapuses bring virgács/silver
branches with unopened walnuts to beat and take away the bad ones… ~Hmmm it could be a perfect part-time job for me…
This is my favourite, like a twisted Cupid Haha
[Photos from mtv.co.hu, io9.com, escapistmagazine.com]
Hungarian postcards from the WWI era
[Photos from nagyhaboru.blog.hu]
Before 1900, instead
of the good old fat Mikulás we had a children terrifying
Santa-mixed-with-the-pagan-horned-one or Odin-like dark creature, Miklós/Nicholas with a long chain in his hands… [another kind of educational
goal] But this folk tradition lived only in the countryside
villages as usually most of the weird traditions...
So when the krampuses
appeared in our folklore, the village tradition also changed and that
drastic horned Santa with the chain dissapeared…
December 6 is the day
when Mikulás comes with those devilish girls, not 24 or 25. In the Hungarian folk
tradition the little Jesus brings the decorated tree and the presents not
Santa. However this whole 'Mikulás tradition' had been changed many times and
many ways because of the various political eras along the XXth century… Sounds
stupid, huh? But since my childhood the tradition is more or less still the
same. Children put their shiny boots in the window at the evening of 6 and the
next day they will find small presents and chocolates if they were good along
the year… if they were not, they could start praying… Haha
Now, it's not the
case with animals of course… My messy bunny, who likes to get into mischief from time to time,
always have something tasty anyway… Am I pampering her? Haha
There was a cute book
I loved very much in my childhood about two elderly childless couple
whom are living in a small house in a garden suburb of Buda [Budapest] with two
naughty cats [a grumpy and refined black and a stupid white] and a fumbling dog [Hungarian
vizsla]. The cats and the dog are always fighting and pestering each other on
very funny ways. At 6th December the cats tell to the dog to put a boot in the
window, because Mikulás will bring something tasty for him. That poor dog
happily put the owner’s boot in the window and go to sleep to dream about the
various presents he will get… meanwhile the two naughty cats catch the Mikulás
at that night to tell him, that chocolates are bad for the childrens' teeth,
why doesn't he bring some sausages and bacons instead. The Mikulás likes the
idea and quickly buys cold cuts in the nearby butcher's. So he put in the dog's
boot bacon and others. The cats waits for the Mikulás to pass to take out the
cold cuts from the boot to hold a big cat party at the attic…
Sometimes the
original J.Pukki comes to Hungary as well, in Veszprém too, although I never saw
him. I met with the Mikulás [who was an annoying old man from this town…] only
once. I was about 5 or 6 years old when my father brought me to the local kid
center to meet the Mikulás. When it
was my turn the Old Fat Man asked me to sing something for everyone. Problem.
I loved to sing but not in public. So I was just honest to say him "I don't
want to". Then he said loudly: "Disobedient children can't have chocolate." [???]
So I said: "Ok, I have got at home anyway, bye." [I meant "F♥♥♥
you" in child language…] Then my
father silently brought me home… So this was the first and last occasion I met
with "him"… and enough for a lifetime for me… After this I think krampuses are
more fun to meet. Haha
Good Day!/Szép Napot! ✌
