Forget cozy cocoa and wholesome carols—this episode of Loreplay drags Christmas straight into the Alps and leaves it screaming.

In this darkly festive deep dive, host Dayna Pereira unwraps the chilling folklore of Krampus, the horned, chain-rattling nightmare who shows up every December not to deliver gifts—but to dish out consequences. Long before Santa became a jolly capitalist mascot, Krampus was roaming Alpine villages, terrorizing children, beating the naughty with birch rods, stuffing the worst offenders into his sack, and, depending on the legend, dragging them off to hell… or something arguably worse.

This episode explores the brutal folklore behind Krampusnacht, the cultural role of fear in child-rearing, and why European Christmas traditions were historically less “holiday cheer” and more “behave or be taken into the mountains.” We dig into centuries-old stories of children who vanished after misbehaving, the symbolism behind Krampus’ animalistic appearance, and how pagan winter spirits survived Christianization by simply putting on a festive disguise.

Along the way, we examine Krampus’ possible connections to older Alpine figures like Frau Perchta, unpack the rise (and chaos) of modern Krampuslauf celebrations, and ask the most important question of all:
Why was everyone in history so comfortable terrifying children at Christmas?

Dark, creepy, historically grounded—and just unhinged enough to make you grateful your parents only threatened to call Santa—this episode proves once again that the holidays used to be feral.

So light a candle, lock your doors, and remember: Santa watches…
But Krampus acts.

Sources:
National Geographic – The Dark History of Krampus

Smithsonian Magazine – The Alpine Origins of Krampus

Britannica – Krampus: European Folklore

Jacob Grimm – Teutonic Mythology

Alpine Folklore Archives (Austria & Bavaria)

University of Innsbruck Folklore Studies

Hilda Ellis Davidson – Roles of the Northern Goddess

Maria Tatar – The Hard Facts of the Grimms’ Fairy Tales