Krampus rides again!

Half-goat, half-demon and 100% horrific — it is the horned monster of the night, Krampus.

He’s the antithesis of Saint Nicholas, and he rides with chain and bell in hand lashing about with a bundle of sticks to punish misbehaved children. The punishments of wicked children vary from kidnapping to whipping and cannibalism, but the history of Krampus wasn’t always nightmarish.

The historical influences and manifestations of Krampus predates that of Saint Nicholas himself, but the history behind Krampus is alluded to. According to historians and folklore, Krampus could be identified as the horned god of the witches or the son of the Norse god of the underworld, Hel. The influences of which are profound characteristics of Krampus himself, and parallel toward Christianity’s devil.

The practice of masked devils and Pagan practices contribute to the establishment of the Krampus figure. These traditions of masked devils occurred in early Germany during the 16th century, long before the celebration of Christmas. Krampus’ creation added a counterpart to Saint Nicholas, highlighting the contrast between good and evil figures.

By creating counterparts, the different celebrations of holidays became Krampus Night, followed by Saint Nicholas Day. On Dec. 5 — the night before Saint Nicholas Day — Krampus arrived in town with the holiday known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. Krampus Night stirred fear and intimidation within children, incentivizing them to behave well.

The celebration of Krampus has been suppressed for years by the Catholic Church and fascists in World War II, according to nationalgeographic.com. This added to the fading of the Krampus figure in public prominence.

The fallout added changes within traditions of how Krampus Night is celebrated, along with Krampus himself. The pop-culture attitude of celebrating the holidays and Christmas has changed and allowed for non-traditional ways to celebrate, including the emergence of suppressed holidays.

Within European countries like Austria, celebrations of Krampusnacht have been tamed. Chocolates shaped as horns and demon figures have become popular. Celebrations with drunk men dress as devils and they proceed in taking over the streets and chasing “wicked” people, are all done in fun.

Today, adding to the entertainment factor, a horror film produced in Hollywood called “Krampus” was released Dec. 4, 2015. Comic book fans know of the series written by Michael Dougherty about the horned demon.