in various regions of the world, especially austria it is believed that krampus accompanies st. nicholas during the christmas season, warning and punishing bad children, in contrast to st. nicholas, who gives gifts to good children.
the word krampus originates from the old high german word for claw {krampen}. in the alpine regions, krampus is represented by an incubus like creature. traditionally, young men dress up as the krampus in the first two weeks of december, particularly on the evening of december 5th, and roam the streets frightening children and women with rusty chains and bells birching, corporal punishment with a birch rod by krampus, especially of young girls. images of krampus usually show him with a basket on his back used to carry away bad children and dump them into the pits of hell.
in oberstdorf, in the alpine southwestern part of bavaria, the tradition of der wilde mann 'the wild man' is kept alive. he is like krampus, but has no horns, is dressed in fur, and frightens children and adults with rusty chains and bells, but is not an assistant of saint nicholas.
