Companions of Saint Nicholas
 

The Companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany St. Nicolas in many European traditions. The most recognized companion, especially outside of Europe, is Knecht Ruprecht, which translates as Farmhand Ruprecht or Servant Ruprecht. Other companions include Krampus, which is particularly popular in Austria, Bavaria and Hungary.

Often the subject of winter poems and tales, the Companions travel with St. Nicholas or his various equivalents (Father Christmas, Santa Claus), carrying with them a rod (sometimes a stick, bundle of switches or a whip, and in modern times often a broom) and a sack. They are sometimes dressed in black rags, bearing a black face and unruly black hair.

Krampus

Krampus is variously depicted as horned, shaggy, bestial, or demonic. In many depictions Krampus looks like popular images of the Devil, complete with red skin, cloven hooves, and short horns.

Today, Schladming, a town in Styria, over 1200 "Krampus" gather from all over Austria wearing goat-hair costumes and carved masks, carrying bundles of sticks used as switches, and swinging cowbells to warn of their approach. They roam the streets of this typically quiet town and frighten people with their masks.

Perchten

In some parts of Austria people always minded their ancient customs and good old traditions. Especially in the countless mountain villages spread all over Salzburg, which are difficult to access, some of these quite old customs and traditions have survived through the centuries until today. One of them is the originally heathenish custom of the Perchten.

Perchten

Legend has it that during cold winter nights plenty of ghosts and demons roam the streets. The origins of this belief can probably be traced to various Germanic traditions based on female divinity. In the view of our ancestors Ms. Perchta was a demonic creator, half god, half man, who appears at the end of the old year / beginning of the New Year, accompanied by various evil figures. She watched over her people and protected them against bad demons.

In the 16th century her name was also given to the evil creatures accompanying her. During the 17th and 18th century the Catholic Church tried to ban the heathenish Perchten customs, but with little success: in the 19th century the Perchtenläufe (Procession/ pandemonium of the Perchten through the villages) became popular again. During the centuries, Perchtenläufe took place all over the mountain valleys of Salzburg, but although the customs are nowadays popular again, the original customs only survived in Gastein, Altenmarkt and St. Johann. Nowadays, it is still common that young men wrapped in grim, fearsome and awful masks move from house to house to banish bad demons and ghosts. The masks which Perchten wear are made of wood and resemble wild animals such as wolves, bears, eagles,…. They all have enormous fangs and various horns to spike damned souls.

The horse tail is also a symbol of Perchten – they are used for punishment. The big bells they wear on their back are very noisy and can be heard for some distance.