Krampus

Alpine Winter punisher Fear & festivity Twinned with Saint Discipline

Krampus is a horned, shaggy figure who accompanies Saint Nicholas, switching or snatching misbehaving children. Paraded in noisy runs, he channels fear into ritual, balancing reward with warning in the winter season.

Story beats

1) On Krampusnacht (Dec 5), costumed figures roam with bells and chains.
2) Good children receive gifts from Saint Nicholas; Krampus rattles chains at the naughty, threatening to drag them away.
3) Communities host parades (Krampusläufe) where participants playfully chase onlookers.
4) The pair depart, leaving a reinforced moral lesson wrapped in revelry.

Context & symbolism

Krampus blends pre-Christian Alpine spirits with Christian morality tales, externalizing the “stick” to Nicholas’ “carrot.” The revelry defangs fear, turning discipline into communal theater.

Chains, switches, and baskets symbolize restraint and consequence, while the timing near winter solstice marks liminal, chaotic nights.

Motifs

Horns, hooves, chains, and switches
Basket for carrying the disobedient
Noise and masks to ward and warn
Saint-and-demon pairing

Use it in play

Krampus parade goes awry; a real entity slips among costumes.
Saint-like ally needs a Krampus counterpart restored to balance a winter ritual.
Leverage fear as lesson—spare or snatch depending on players’ choices.
Chains become relics that bind chaos spirits if wielded with care.