Supernatural Friday: It's That Time of Year When You Might Be Dragged to Hell!

Christmas is not just a time of joy, gifts, and goodwill, it’s also a season of dark myths and legends. 

In the olden days gone by in Finland, they believed in Joulupukki. That word means Yule buck. 

In December, pagan people had big festivals to ward off the Joulupukki. These spirits of darkness wore goat skins and horns. In the beginning this creature didn't give presents but demanded them. It was an ugly creature and frightened children. It is unclear how this personality was transformed into the benevolent Father Christmas. Nowadays the only remaining feature is the name. The process was probably a continuous amalgamation of many old folk customs and beliefs from varied sources. One can speak of a Christmas pageant tradition consisting of many personages with roles partly Christian, partly pagan: A white-bearded saint, the Devil, demons, and house gnomes. Nowadays the Joulupukki of Finland resembles the American Santa Claus. While most gift givers around the world deliver their presents in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping, children in Finland get to see Joulupukki in the act of delivering the presents.

 

This reminds me of Black Peter and the Krampus, both being Santa’s “evil twin.” In many areas of the world, it is said that St. Nicholas has a companion. This companion is Krampus, though another version is Black Peter, or Zarte Piet or Zwarte Piet. Black Peter is associated with the Netherlands and has dark skin. Krampus isn't a man though. He has horns, goat hair, hooves, and claws. Just like a demon. His job is to accompany St. Nicholas and to warn and punish bad children. He is said to carry a basket on his back where he will place the bad children and take them to Hell to be tossed into the pit. It puts a frightening twist on “have you been naughty or nice!”

 

Krampus originates from Krampen--meaning claw. Krampus is the dark companion of St. Nicholas, the traditional European winter gift-bringer. This fiendish being is usually seen as a classic devil with horns, cloven hooves and monstrous tongue. Unlike American children who get coal if they’re bad, instead the Krampus beats them savagely for their misdeeds and then drag them down to hell. Born of a pre-Christian, Alpine Pagan tradition, he is identified by matted-black hair, along tongue that snakes out of his maw, and cloven hooves. He also sports a large wicker basket on his back, filled to the brim with thorny, unbreakable birch sticks for those beatings he delivers. He always comes with St. Nick who brings presents, but before the gifts are handed out, those who are bad is given what they "deserve" by him. Also, taking part in this Krampus legend, are young men that dress up in goat skins and masks they spent two weeks making and on December 5th, head out to scare all, and carry out "birching," mainly on young girls. Krampus makes the Grinch before his heart went several sizes bigger look good!

Supernatural Friday: Do Ghosts Haunt Air Conditioned Houses More in Summer?

The past couple of days, humidity has hit Virginia. What has me thinking, do spirits or monsters feel the humidity like we humans do?

I mean, spirits were once living beings who passed away from our plain of existence. Supposedly, you no longer need to eat, drink, or have any other mortal body functions. Do they still feel, even if it's a sort of memory? I always asked that question during a paranormal investigation when we the investigators are either sweating due to extreme heat or freezing from the winter chill. I haven't gotten an answer to that question yet.

What about Bigfoot or a lake monster, or even the Mothman? Because he's called the Jersey Devil, does that means if New Jersey's weather is in the 100s, he's fine, because we equate devil with Hell? And Hell means hot--right? Maybe he is waiting for Hell to freeze over.

I know that the Sasquatch has to feel the heat, with all that fur/hair covering its body. As for the lake or sea serpent, it can duck beneath the surface to keep cool--unless the water levels start dropping. So the next time you decide to over-water your lawn this summer, think about that poor lake monster who might die due to water levels lowering in its environment.

I'm not even going to talk about aliens or UFOs, even though I think the Mothman is an alien more than anything paranormal. Like any tourist to somewhere else, they'll just have to do their research on what sort of clothing they should pack in their suitcases!

Next time, you relax in your AC or stay indoors in your heated house during the winter, think about all those phantoms, monsters and extinct beasties that have to suffer the weather too.

Supernatural Friday: Original Poem: What the Hell Are Demons Anyway?

(An original poem of mine I wrote and own, so please share the link to others and not the poem itself.) 

What the Hell Are Demons Anyway?

By

Pamela K. Kinney

Demonic, devil, dem…what the heck!

It’s all the same,

Or is it?

Is it about demons?

Or devils?

So many decisions

So many names and translations.

Daemon or fiend?

Dark angel or fallen angel.

Unclean spirit or diamond?

Ancient Greek word daimōn denotes a spirit or divine power,

No connotations of evil or malevolence.

But with Lucifer and Satan comes pure evilness

Demons are the new black.

Or red, with horns and pitchforks!

Whatever you think,

Those bad boys and girls are here

To terrorize us,

Give us nightmares,

And we’re not talking about horses here!

Demons, devil, fallen angel,

It’s all on the tip of the tongue

And maybe the stuff of Hell.

 

Supernatural Friday: Gruss vom Krampus!

Christmas is not just a time of joy, gifts, and goodwill, it’s also a season of dark myths and legends. In the olden days in Finland, they believed in Joulupukki. That word means Yule buck.

In December, pagan people had big festivals to ward off the Joulupukki. These spirits of darkness wore goat skins and horns. In the beginning this creature didn't give presents but demanded them. It was an ugly creature and frightened children. It is unclear how this personality was transformed into the benevolent Father Christmas. Nowadays the only remaining feature is the name. The process was probably a continuous amalgamation of many old folk customs and beliefs from varied sources. One can speak of a Christmas pageant tradition consisting of many personages with roles partly Christian, partly pagan: A white-bearded saint, the Devil, demons, and house gnomes. Nowadays the Joulupukki of Finland resembles the American Santa Claus. While most gift givers around the world deliver their presents in the middle of the night while everyone is sleeping, children in Finland get to see Joulupukki in the act of delivering the presents.

 

This reminds me of Black Peter and the Krampus, both being Santa’s “evil twin.” In many areas of the world, it is said that St. Nicholas has a companion. This companion is Krampus, though another version is Black Peter, or Zarte Piet or Zwarte Piet. Black Peter is associated with the Netherlands and has dark skin. Krampus isn't a man though. He has horns, goat hair, hooves, and claws. Just like a demon. His job is to accompany St. Nicholas and to warn and punish bad children. He is said to carry a basket on his back where he will place the bad children and take them to Hell to be tossed into the pit. It puts a frightening twist on “have you been naughty or nice!”

 

Krampus originates from Krampen--meaning claw. He is is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology. Krampus is the dark companion of St. Nicholas, the traditional European winter gift-bringer. According to folklore, Krampus purportedly shows up in towns the night before December 6, known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. December 6 also happens to be Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, when German children look outside their door to see if the shoe or boot they'd left out the night before contains either presents (a reward for good behavior) or a rod (bad behavior).

 

This fiendish being is usually seen as a classic devil with horns, cloven hooves and monstrous tongue. Unlike American children who get coal if they’re bad, instead the Krampus beats them savagely for their misdeeds and then drag them down to hell. Born of a pre-Christian, Alpine Pagan tradition, he is identified by matted-black hair, along tongue that snakes out of his maw, and cloven hooves. He also sports a large wicker basket on his back, filled to the brim with thorny, unbreakable birch sticks for those beatings he delivers. He always comes with St. Nick who brings presents, but before the gifts are handed out, those who are bad is given what they "deserve" by him. 

 

A more modern take on the tradition in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic involves drunken men dressed as devils, who take over the streets for a Krampuslauf. This is a Krampus run, where people are chased through the streets by the "devils."With marathons where people run from zombies, this might the next new holiday marathon. After all there is the Tacky Lights Run began in Richmond as of last year.  So why not runners bolting from Krampus devils with switches?

There would be young men that dress up in goat skins and masks they spent two weeks making and on December 5th, head out to scare all, and carry out "birching," mainly on young girls. Krampus makes the Grinch before his heart went several sizes bigger look good!

National Geographic Magazine posted on their website about why this

pagan tradition is coming back.  That “Such impulses may be about assuming "a dual personality.” Beast side to modern human self.

The Catholic Church forbade the raucous celebrations. Then fascists in World War II Europe found Krampus despicable because it was considered a creation of the Social Democrats.

Krampus is making a comeback now, due to the "bah, humbug" attitude in pop culture. Krampus walks—like the RVA Krampusnacht  to be held tomorrow night in Richmond that I will have to miss as being out of town— and Krampus parties are coming back with a vengeance.  Some can be found here: Krampus.com

Austria is commercializing the harsh persona of Krampus, selling chocolates, figurines, and collectible horns.  There are Krampus ugly sweaters, sweatshirts, postcards and more that on can purchase of their favorite Yuletide demon. Looks like Krampus is fast on his way to becoming commercialized.