Step into the dark roots of Christmas past where the Krampus punishes
the bad boys and girls.
Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year
filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us.
Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs.
There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not
holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from
all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for
centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to
heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been
filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those
who need it.
The Fright Before Christmas will delve into the folklore of
Krampus and his friends with the elf-like tomten and the goblinesque
Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of
sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out
for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide
beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope
they can save us from ourselves.
The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the
Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light.
The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It's the shortest day of the
year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn't
rise at all. It's dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come
back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with The
Fright Before Christmas you'll see the other side. This is a
book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.
Be good or the Krampus will get you!
