Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "knecht-ruprecht"
KNECHT RUPRECHT
Nowadays, everyone seems to be familiar with Krampus, the hairy, demonic looking bad cop to Saint Nicholas’ good cop that goes about stealing and punishing naughty children on December 5th (Krampusnacht or “Krampus Night”), but did you know there were other companions who worked the same racket?
Enter Knecht Ruprecht, a small, bearded dwarf from the folklore of Germany, who accompanies St. Nicholas on December 6th, Saint Nicholas’ Day (naturally enough). He is shown usually with a stick or switch; sometimes with a hood and a limp. Oftentimes he has a ring of bells around his waist, a dire warning of his impending arrival. His figure can sometimes be dirty with soot from going down chimneys (hmm…doesn’t that sound familiar?!). In either event, his methods were usually the same – being the team heavy, he would ask a child if he/she knew their prayers. If they didn’t, the lucky youngsters would be the beneficiaries of a whack from his stick or a clubbing with a bag, along with a “gift” of coal (Can you picture Charlie Brown here with his “I got a rock!” Halloween lament?). He might even grab the offending child and steal him/her away for “personalized” attention, which might even include being stuffed in a bag and hurled into a freezing river!
If the child had been good and could recite their prayers, they would instead receive some fruit or other treats as a reward...whew!
St. Nicholas had disavowed the wealth of his family, becoming a priest. The monies he inherited from his family he gave away to the needy, and was known to have been loving and kind to all, but most especially to children. When he passed on December 6th, 325 AD, manna (similar to the substance God rained down to the Israelites in their escape from Egyptian bondage) supposedly appeared on his grave, a miracle which confirmed his sainthood.
Ruprecht (and interestingly enough, the name is also another word for Devil), has a much darker origin when compared to his holy companion. One legend states an innkeeper killed three children and stuffed their remains inside a barrel. When St. Nicholas became aware, he brought the children back to life…and the innkeeper was forced into eternal bondage as Saint Nicholas’ assistant as penance for his crime.
So make sure to be good all year and know your prayers, or else you’ll be getting some unwanted attention from this particular little holiday helper!
Enter Knecht Ruprecht, a small, bearded dwarf from the folklore of Germany, who accompanies St. Nicholas on December 6th, Saint Nicholas’ Day (naturally enough). He is shown usually with a stick or switch; sometimes with a hood and a limp. Oftentimes he has a ring of bells around his waist, a dire warning of his impending arrival. His figure can sometimes be dirty with soot from going down chimneys (hmm…doesn’t that sound familiar?!). In either event, his methods were usually the same – being the team heavy, he would ask a child if he/she knew their prayers. If they didn’t, the lucky youngsters would be the beneficiaries of a whack from his stick or a clubbing with a bag, along with a “gift” of coal (Can you picture Charlie Brown here with his “I got a rock!” Halloween lament?). He might even grab the offending child and steal him/her away for “personalized” attention, which might even include being stuffed in a bag and hurled into a freezing river!
If the child had been good and could recite their prayers, they would instead receive some fruit or other treats as a reward...whew!
St. Nicholas had disavowed the wealth of his family, becoming a priest. The monies he inherited from his family he gave away to the needy, and was known to have been loving and kind to all, but most especially to children. When he passed on December 6th, 325 AD, manna (similar to the substance God rained down to the Israelites in their escape from Egyptian bondage) supposedly appeared on his grave, a miracle which confirmed his sainthood.
Ruprecht (and interestingly enough, the name is also another word for Devil), has a much darker origin when compared to his holy companion. One legend states an innkeeper killed three children and stuffed their remains inside a barrel. When St. Nicholas became aware, he brought the children back to life…and the innkeeper was forced into eternal bondage as Saint Nicholas’ assistant as penance for his crime.
So make sure to be good all year and know your prayers, or else you’ll be getting some unwanted attention from this particular little holiday helper!
