You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen...but do you recall
the most petrifying Christmas figures of all? Not all children fear just
a lump of coal in their stockings. Discover the terrifying Yuletide
fables that have horrified kids for generations.
He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows
if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake. This
lighthearted song is a bit more ominous in the context of other
Christmas traditions. From beasts that threaten to cook children into
stew to sinister crones who snatch little ones from their beds, you
won't find any dancing sugar plums here. Outside of the heartwarming
Christmas tales we all know and love, there are an abundance of
frightening stories to chill all who hear them to the bone. Discover
folklore from all corners of the world, including:
- Krampus (Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, and northern Italy), a demonic
half-goat monster who drags chains and whips bad children with birch
sticks, or stuffs them in his sack to take away
- The Kallikantzari (Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Turkey), goblins who
come out during Advent to cause mischief
- Père Fouettard (France, Belgium, Switzerland), Saint Nicholas' eternal
cannibal manservant who deals with naughty children
- Hans Trapp (Alsace-Lorraine, France), who roams the countryside
disguised as a scarecrow and goes door to door on Christmas looking
for children to feast upon
- Gryla (Iceland), the giant ogre who emerges from her cave on Christmas
to hunt children and cook them into stew
- Mari Lwyd (Wales), a creature with a horse's skull and a long cloak
that is followed by a group of chanting people
- Frau Perchta (Austria and Bavaria), who slits the bellies of bad
children and stuffs them with straw
These tales are sure to leave you wishing for the Grinch. Whether you
are a fan of history and folklore, you love learning about different
cultures, or you just want to give a holiday gift that will bring the
joy of Christmas to that lucky someone (just kidding), The Scary Book
of Christmas Lore is for you. 'Tis the season! Is it beginning look a
lot like Christmas, yet?
