Ah Christmas, that delightful season of pine-scented air fresheners, “why yes I love socks”, and Typo’s controversial range of Christmas ornaments. For most of us, Christmas is a fairly vanilla, tinselly affair. We spend time with our family and friends, we eat a wonderfully large amount of food, we exchange gifts. And don’t get me wrong – I love Christmas, but a good part of that love comes from knowing a few of the more dubious, bizarre, and (dare I say?) ooky spooky stories surrounding the festive season.
Having recently realized the extent to which Santa Claus has become a symbol for Western consumerism perpetuated by a wealthy white man with a problematic labour-force, I am refusing to make a case for SC as a cryptid. HOWEVER, this just leaves more space to introduce you to a far more intriguing cast of Christmas cryptids…
For those new to the Wellington City Libraries Cryptozoological Society, a cryptid is an animal or entity whose existence hasn’t been conclusively proven (to give you an example, the prom king and queen of cryptids would definitely be Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster).
Krampus
The Anti-Santa himself, Krampus (from the German krampen, meaning ‘claw’) is a popular figure in festive European mythology. Depicted as an anthropomorphic half-goat/half-demon, Krampus decided that coal simply wasn’t enough to discourage misbehaviour, and – according to legend – punishes bad children by either a) beating them with sticks and switches, b) dragging them to hell, or c) eating them. Feel free to tag yourself.
Jólakötturinn
The Jólakötturinn (pronounced ‘yola-ka-turin’), or Yule Cat, originates from Icelandic legend, and is another rather ominous figure in the ranks of supernatural beings judging your behaviour. Unlike Krampus, however, Jólakötturinn has a very specific rhetoric for measuring naughty/nice: Have you been given new clothes this Christmas? If so, you’re safe. If not, then you risk being eaten by the house-sized Yule Cat.
In accordance with Icelandic tradition, children who finish their chores in time for Christmas are given new clothing as a reward. Jólakötturinn, peering through the windows on Christmas night and seeing new clothes, may deduce that the child is good. No new clothes = indisputable immorality of child = get eaten by an enormous supernatural cat.
The Yule Lads
First of all, a moment of appreciation for the name ‘The Yule Lads’. I did not make that up.
Originating from the same mythology as the Jólakötturinn (the Yule Lads’ parents are actually the proud owners of the Yule Cat), the Yule Lads are a group of 13 trolls, each of whom has a distinct name and personality, which refers to their favourite way of causing mischief. Special mention to Pottaskefill (Pot-Scraper) for coming to steal everyone’s left-overs. Over the 13 nights leading up to Christmas, the Yule Lads take turns visiting households, leaving candy in the shoes of good children, and rotting potatoes in the shoes of bad children.
The Fiordland Moose
I’ve discussed the Fiordland Moose previously, but I figured they deserve an honourable mention for being the closest thing Aotearoa has to a mythical reindeer. To summarise, several moose were released into Fiordland in 1910. The sporadic sightings and evidence found in the past 112 years have been enough to keep people wondering if these elusive moose are still out there. With enough public pressure, maybe we can bully the moose out of hiding and convince them to start leaving candy in our shoes at Christmas.
And because this is not, in fact, just a place for me to rant about cryptids – come down to your local library to check out our collection of Christmas cryptozoology and festive folklore!
Cryptid Club / Andersen, Sarah
” Do you hate social gatherings? Dodge cameras? Enjoy staying up just a little too late at night? You might have more in common with your local cryptid than you think! Enter the world of Cryptid Club, a look inside the adventures of elusive creatures ranging from Mothman to the Loch Ness Monster. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
The mystery chronicles : more real-life X-files / Nickell, Joe
“After thirty years of paranormal investigation, acclaimed author and detective Joe Nickell opens his mystery files once again to reveal the truth behind supposedly inexplicable occurrences. Continuing what his popular Real Life X-Files started, Nickell’s new casebook examines the Shroud of Turin, the Mothman enigma, crop circles, alien abductions, and numerous other perplexing mysteries.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Monsters : a bestiary of the bizarre / Dell, Christopher
“From myth to manga, an artistic visual history of the human mind through an imaginative collection of fantastical monsters from around the world.” (Catalogue)
On monsters : an unnatural history of our worst fears / Asma, Stephen T
“”A comprehensive modern-day bestiary.”–The New Yorker” (Catalogue)
Mythical monsters : mad, mischievious, mysterious creatures / Smith, Lauren
“Have you ever met a yeti, or seen Nessie hiding below the surface? There’s no proof that these creatures exist, but just in case, we’ve collected the stories of some of the biggest, baddest and oddest monsters in the world.” (Catalogue)
Unnatural creatures
“Unnatural Creatures is a collection of short stories about the fantastical things that exist only in our minds […] Magical creatures from the werewolf, to the sunbird, to beings never before classified will thrill, delight, and quite possibly unnerve you in tales by E. Nesbit, Diana Wynne Jones, Gahan Wilson, and other literary luminaries. (Adapted from Catalogue)
Norse mythology / Gaiman, Neil
“Neil Gaiman stays true to the myths in envisioning the major Norse pantheon: Odin, the highest of the high, wise, daring, and cunning; Thor, Odin’s son, incredibly strong yet not the wisest of gods; and Loki, son of a giant, blood brother to Odin, and a trickster and unsurpassable manipulator.” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Ghosts of Christmas past
“A present contains a monstrous secret. An uninvited guest haunts a Christmas party. A shadow slips across the floor by firelight. A festive entertainment ends in darkness and screams. Who knows what haunts the night at the dark point of the year? ” (Adapted from Catalogue)The mothman prophecies / Keel, John A
“This true account of the aliens who invaded the town of Point Pleasant, West Virginia […] For thirteen months Point Pleasant was plagued by a dark terror that culminated in a major disaster. Unearthly noises and ghostly lights in the sky gave way to mutilated animals, winged monsters, weird flying machines and worst of all, the fearsomely demonic “Bird” – the Mothman. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
Chill tidings : dark tales of the Christmas season
“The gifts are unwrapped, the feast has been consumed and the fire is well fed – but the ghosts are still hungry. The ghosts are at the door. Welcome to the second new collection of dark Christmas stories in the Tales of the Weird series, ushering in a fresh host of nightmarish phantoms and otherworldly intruders bent on joining or ruining the most wonderful time of the year. ” (Adapted from Catalogue)
