Your Christmas Elf is a Devil: Elves, Fairies, Demons, and Krampus

This tweet went around a few weeks ago, and I giggled and passed it along.

But as much as it did make me laugh, I can't seen to get it out of my head. Then yesterday I saw a thread of (inaccurate) tweets that made me come back to this idea.

In the 1995 movie The Prophecy, Thomas Dagget, the errant priest turned cop says:
Did you ever notice how in the Bible, when ever God needed to punish someone, or make an example, or whenever God needed a killing, He sent an angel? Did you ever wonder what a creature like that must be like? A whole existence spent praising your God, but always with one wing dipped in blood. Would you ever really want to see an angel?

I always think the same of elves. Elves are not good people, they are not cute, they are not sweet, they will not clean your house (that's brownies).

Santa is first identified as "a right jolly old elf" in Clement Clark Moore's 1823 "A Visit from St. Nicholas" poem. Yet his portrayal as an elf is a departure from other elf descriptions and actions dating all the way back to Old English and Old Norse. The dark implications of Santa as elf are often purposely ignored or erased from portrayals and meanings. Quite a few Old English texts are elf-charms, medicinal solutions to how not to die from poisoned elf-darts. The term in Old English is ælf and álfr in Old Norse. The origin of elves is nebulous, but their associations are not. In Old Norse and Old English poetry, they are connected to the Aesir and Vanir gods and often associated with dwarves, giants, and other supernatural creatures. They are not human, and in texts where they appear their actions and powers are often described as unnatural, uncanny even. Even after Christianity became the norm, elves were still an accepted and common figure, and while they could be capricious, occasionally acting on whims that benefited humans, for the most part they are not good, moral figures. As befits their original appearances, they often acted in ways that made sense only to them, serving their own interests. Different texts offered different descriptions and motivations but they were fairly consistently described as not-human, visually recognizable as such, and therefore not "us" and therefore not to be trusted. In the opening of Beowulf, they are named as one of many races of monsters, "unspeakable offspring" that are released and awakened, set loose. They are creatures of evil, denied and who deny God's presence and authority. They are associated with Grendel, tainted with the sin of Cain, murder. 

https://www.heorot.dk/beowulf-rede-text.html

Several Old English texts associate the devil with darkness, where the darkness is understood as the physical manifestation of his sin, the fact that he was unholy, unlit by God's light.Genesis A and B connect the devil to the dark, the cloud, and the smoke: “seomodon swearte,” “geseah deorc gesweorc,” “semian sinnihte,” “sweart under roderum” and “sweartean helle.” Christ and Satan also makes this association, “swarte and sunfulle,” “blace hworfon/scinnan forscepene,” “dimme and deorce,” and “swearte.” Juliana also uses darkness as a physical and spiritual descriptor for the devil, “sweartra synna” and “þegnas of þystrum” (Caedmon, and George Philip Krapp. The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records: A Collective Edition Volume I The Junius manuscript . (New York: Columbia University Press, 1931)). Grendel is associated with perpetual darkness “sinnihte” and covered in mist, “mistige moras.” Christ and Satan also connects this darkness with the concept of miserable or evil spirits “atole gastas” (Caedmon, and George Philip Krapp. The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records: A Collective Edition Volume I The Junius manuscript . (New York: Columbia University Press, 1931) and “werige gastas” (R.D Fulk, Robert E. Bjork, and John D. Niles. Klaeber’s Beowulf and the Fight at Finnsburg. (Buffalo: University of Toronto Press. 2008).  Guthlac A describes the devil as “se werga gǣst,” (George Philip Krapp and Elliott Van Kirk Dobbie. The Anglo-Saxon Poetic Records: A Collective Edition Volume III The Exeter Book. (New York: Columbia University Press, 1931) the cursed spirit. Juliana refers to the devil she encounters as an “unclǣne gǣst.” (Krapp and Dobbie, The Exeter Book). Beowulf describes Grendel as the dark spirit, “se grimma gǣst” and a cursed spirit, “wergan gǣstes” (R.D Fulk et al, Klaeber’s Beowulf ). Elves appear in a variety of genres, and cover a variety of topics, appearing in many Old English manuscripts.

While these descriptions concur on the darkness of evil, both literal and metaphorical, the animal characteristics of the devil, and of elves, appear at roughly the same time. A detail of 66r of The Eadwine Psalter (c. 1155-60) shows demons attacking a psalmist. The figures have dark caps, wings, tails, and pointed ears. Both Alaric Hall and Karen Jolly's work understand these figures as elves.

The Harley 37 (1st half of the 11th century) shows a similar figure and activity just left of center. These figures have no caps, but we can see their wings, and their colored bodies distinguish them visually from the rest of the scene. Not only are the poses similar, but the arrows in the human figures evoke the descriptions of elf-shot, and elf-darts.

Viljoen argues that Beowulf and the other texts in the codex “were part of the so-called “popular culture.” Liuzza argues that representations of the devil, and how he is used in these texts is key to “understanding the worldview of Anglo-Saxon Christians.”  If we take each of these scholars’ work as a whole we can argue that the presentation of the devil in these texts is part of Anglo-Saxon popular beliefs and culture, and we can see the connections between elves and devils, both functioning as folkloric figures, vehicles for the anxieties, desires, and fears of a time.

Alexander Makhov's work argues that the visual rhetoric of the devil, his darkness, his animal nature, is both a reflection of the devil's sinful nature and a warning to everyone else that he is unnatural, against God, shunned. In Continental European devils we see this in the misplacement of eyes and faces on joints, chicken arms or legs placed in odd positions, exaggerated joints, colors, animal traits seemingly randomly tacked on. The English devil is dark in color, with wings, horns, pointed ears, claws, and often a tail.

The Guthlac Roll (c.1000) illustrates the trials and tribulations of Saint Guthlac, whose story is told in the Old English Guthlac A and Guthlac B. The devils torment Guthlac, and try to lure him away from God's light and defend their own land that Guthlac now occupies. Here we see devils who are dark, animal in nature, with pointed ears, tails, horns, and claws. 

We can also read these presentations as anti-Semitic for the caricature of the devils noses. Jews were frequently demonized, literally and visually, in the beginning of the medieval period, for both association with demons, and presented as demonic figures themselves.

We see this same type of figure in the Upper margin of the Exchequer Receipt Roll, Hilary and Easter Terms, 1233.

These visually different representations indicate the purpose of these figures whether or not they are elves or devils. The visual rhetoric of the animalistic, dark, different figure emphasizes his political purpose, marking him as different, not ‘us.’ The English could then define themselves in opposition, they were English because they were not that, with that standing in for whoever the enemy of the time was, bad leaders, politicians, rebels.

The popular belief of devils as dark, and visually different continues throughout the medieval period, most notable on stage. In mystery plays there are two sources for the appearances of devils onstage; their own dialogue descriptions and the REED which details the costumes and props used by devil characters in these plays. “One of the reasons devils endured on stage was that the material base of culture changed very little throughout the time they were popular” (Cox 5). 

Onstage devil characters in their black costumes, hoods, and masks performed their visual difference. In addition to this they also described themselves in contrast to what they used to be – angels not devils, light not dark, which also emphasized their visual difference not just from us but from their former selves. In both we see an emphasis on darkness and visual difference. Medieval popular drama marked the devil as visually different by presenting him as dark, in contrast not only to paler, human skin, but also as representative of dark as in denied of God’s light. Records of Early English Drama note a large number of characters identified as devils, Sathan, Lucifer, and demon (e.g REED Coventry 185, 254, 259). 

The devil is not just identifiable by his color, his darkness, but also by a specific visual difference. The 1433 record of the Mercers’ Pageant for the Feast of Corpus Christi described the devils as having “deulles faces,” associated with the hell mouth their costumes are described as being in “garmentes for iij deuels” (REED York 55) implying that the devils’ costumes and masks/faces are visually different from the other characters. Later 1526 records support this describing “dewell cottes” and “dewell heddes” under the Mercer pageant (REED York 241) implying a visual difference from the costumes ofother actors/characters but also stressing that human characters wore no masks.. The Cambridge records from 1546-7 lists “devils cote deathes cote/blak slops” (REED Cambridge 146) indicating that it was not just the mask but the color black that marked devils. We see this with Belyal the black in The Castle of Perseverance (15^th c.) and forward to Peg’s demonic gentleman dressed all in black in The Late Lancashire Witches (1634).

Devil characters also used blackface to mark themselves as visually different connecting common understandings of devils, evil, darkness, and race. The 1546-7 Cambridge inventory has the Spanish clothed in black like the devils and we can make the logical association that this is meant to demonize the Spanish (REED Cambridge 147). Onstage as in the physical descriptions in popular literature multiple types of enemies re associated with the devil through looks. The hood (cottes) also connects devils to the Death figure (For a comprehensive examination of the iconography of the hood see Alison Kinney’s excellent 2016 publication Hood.)

This visual rhetoric continues throughout the early modern period, the best examples seen on pamphlets that used the image of a dark devil indicated the demonic nature of the person, or group, demonized within the pamphlet. During the English Civil Wars Royalists demonized Republicans and vice versa. London was frequently described as Hell, a consequence of letting demonic influences gain power in England.

The medieval period tended not to demonize fairies, instead they were folkloric figures like brownies, gnomes, and others who were described as more mischievous than demonic figures . 

"In 1584 the demonologist Reginald Scot wrotethat fear of witches had superseded the fear of fairies." In Demonologie (1597) James I dedicates an entire chapter to fairies, both dismissing them as myth and "illusions createdby the devil." Darren Oldridge "argues that English Protestants associated fairies with Satan, but this did not necessarily imply that fairies were reclassified as demons. Rather, they were embedded in a complex of beliefs that connected them with falsehood, Catholicism, and the invisible wiles of the Devil."

In addition to their visual appearance, elves and devils are also linked for their actions and purpose. Elves and devils are both know for using tricks, guile, artifice, in their interactions with humans. Old English texts such as Elene and Juliana as well as later works such as The Shewings of Julian Norwich and The Book of Margery Kempe, describe devils tormenting pure, saintly women, and accomplishing things through fraud, guile, and deceit. A common trope in medieval literature is a shapeshifting figure, fairy or demon, who seduces a young woman.

Elves and devils are generally understood and described only as male, while in the early modern period male fairy figures like Robin Goodfellow are given more authority, but there are female fairies. There is something to be made of the fact that the vehicle for our fears, anxieties, and concerns are male. By the time female fairies appear they have moved past their demonic connections and have been reconstructed as more whimsical nature spirits.

So what to make of Santa Claus defined as an elf? Should we fear his supernatural status? His ability to break into our homes through locks, and past safety measures? Should we wonder what happens if he uses his time travel or flight for ill-use? Are the elves that work under him a happy union or collective or are we sponsoring enslavement? While these may seem like silly questions, it is worth stopping to interrogate the assumptions and beliefs we have about him, what that says about us and our historical and cultural moment. He's often described as having, or being associated with, Christmas magic, and certainly his accomplishments are supernatural in nature. But how and why in 2019 is this not a thing that gives us pause? Millions of people around the world, regardless of religion or ethnicity or culture accept at least the idea, the belief, in a large, white male elf with magical and supernatural powers, as a key figure to the winter holiday season.

In order to understand his characterization as an elf, we need to consider his function and origin and reorient our perspective a bit. Santa Claus is a revision of St. Nicholas, and "Nicholas rose to prominence among the saints because he was the patron of so many groups. By about 1200, explained University of Manitoba historian Gerry Bowler, author of Santa Claus: A Biography, he became known as a patron of children and magical gift bringer because of two great stories from his life."

Phyllis Siefker's Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years is a wonderful look at the figure in context.

http://victorian-era.org/clement-clarke-moore.html/clement-clarke-moore-the-night-before-christmas

https://www.depaulatrading.com/blogs/news/the-legend-of-krampus-youll-wish-you-got-coal

Just as the negative connotations of Santa as elf have been erased, so too has the connection between Santa and Krampus. In recent years, the figure of Krampus has seen a popular revival. He is often described as the anti-Santa, the one who punishes bad children while Santa rewards the good. While part of his popularity can be attributed to the fun idea of horror at Christmas, I think his reappearance and popularity goes deeper.These are not two separate figures but two figures who serve similar purposes. They represent balance and justice, they work together, not apart. One cannot exist without the other. On the calendar it is actually Krampus who visits first with Krampusnacht on 5 December and St. Nicholas' Day on 6 December. The wicked are punished, the good who are left are then rewarded. Yet this pairing has always been artificial. The origins of St. Nicholas, tracing his trajectory is easy but Krampus' origins are harder to pin down than his elf, fairy, devil brethren. "In fact, Krampus' roots have nothing to do with Christmas. Instead, they date back to pre-Germanic paganism in the region." Google "Krampus" and you will encounter a lot of "legend argues..." and "Norse mythology says..." The truth is messier. Folklore is messy. It is the beliefs and stories of a culture, so much of its nature is oral and it can be decades, centuries before oral stories are set down in the written record, where it becomes easier to trace a character or trope. 

But in folklore we also tend to not privilege written over oral narratives, focusing instead on beliefs, variations of tropes, and importance. Keeping this in mind, let's return to how Krampus' origins are most often presented:

Krampus, whose name is derived from the German word krampen, meaning claw, is said to be the son of Hel in Norse mythology. The legendary beast also shares characteristics with other scary, demonic creatures in Greek mythology, including satyrs and fauns.

The key elements that are repeated again and again, no matter the geography or culture of the narrative, is that Krampus is dark and animal in appearance. He is associated with Hel, the goddess of the underworld in the Poetic Edda. Some legends say he is her son. In Norse mythology the underworld is found in the North, full of ice, snow, and cold.

Again we have the ideas of balance and justice. Unlike Christian portrayals of Hell, Norse mythology does not portray the afterlife as punishment per se, but as a natural coda to life on Earth. It is just what comes after, a large geographic place that contains multitudes- heroes go to Valhalla, sefarers who die at sea may go "to the underwater abode of the giantess Ran." When Snorri Sturluson, a Christian historian writing in the thirteenth century" writes down many of these tales, he does shade the underworld as a less than neutral place, describing it more as a reward- Valhalla, and punishment-Hel, system.

We do know that we can start to trace Krampus roughly 1500 years ago, with his association with Santa. We do know that his revival in the last few years can be read as a need, a desire, for balance, a sense of justice. In a world where abusers still make money, are set free, face little to any consequences for their behavior-Woody Allen, Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes,  C.K. Louis, Chris Hardwick, Johnny Depp (sadly the list goes on and on) it's not hard to understand why the presentation that there are clear consequences for evil behaviors, where men are punished, dealt with, face justice, would appeal to audiences.

Each of these figures, elves, fairies, and demons/devils are used throughout literature to represent specific issues. They are used to represent people we fear, or threats we construct.  Their appearance is a visual warning of the danger they represent. As the world seems to make less and less sense, both the idea that there is a system of justice, where the bad guy is easily identifiable, it is perhaps unsurprising that we collectively want a figure that we know is evil and a threat from first sight, who will mete out justice to those who deserve it. A sense of clarity in opposition to false information and gaslighting is a welcome presentation.

But I also think that the reverse is true. We can read erasing Santa's elvish, darker nature, discarding the elements deemed undesirable for selling millions of dollars of plastic crap, as a reflection of what we collectively see wrong int he world around us. Santa is no longer St. Nick who gives to those who are in need, or even Father Christmas, who rewards the good. Now he is a whitewashed (literally) figure who is used to market and reinforce the ever-growing need for more things, bigger things, more expensive things. The figure has become divorced from the meaning and instead has been re-inscribed with a different purpose, like some horrible golem. Rather than act for the good of others, a model of charity and gift-giving, he is now the figure who cons you into buying into a capitalistic fantasy.