Welcome back to Weird Wanderings! Since the end of the year is just around the corner, let’s delve into some wintertime creepiness, shall we? And honestly, what’s creepier than beasts that go bump in the night? How about festive beasts that go bump in the night?
In keeping with the season, these four holiday monsters will ensure your December is more than a little eerie. Lay in a heavy supply of eggnog; it’s going to be a scary Christmas night!
Christmas Spiders
Ever wonder why you put tinsel on the tree? Well, the Ukrainian folklore of the Christmas Spider offers up one theory. As the story goes, a widow and her children tended to a pine tree, hoping for a good holiday despite their lack of wealth. However, they had no money for decorations, so they went to bed on Christmas eve with a bare tree. When they awoke the next morning, they discovered the tree covered in cobwebs. The morning light illuminated the tree, and instantly, the cobwebs turned to gold and silver, hence the tradition of tinsel! Want to get in on the fun? Hang a decorative Christmas spider on your tree this year! Maybe you’ll wake up the next morning with extra tinsel. Probably not, but here’s to hoping!
The Yule Cat
Okay, now that we’ve had a happy monster story, let’s move on to the creepy ones. The Yule Cat is, at the very least, not the friendliest feline you’ll meet. Skip the catnip, because this Icelandic beastie is not eager to purr and curl up at your feet in front of a roaring fire. Also known as Jólakötturinn, this snarling critter stalks the cold of Christmas nights, searching for people who received no new clothes for the holidays. Seriously. According to folklore, if you’ve done a good job the rest of the year and worked hard, you’ll earn at least one new outfit under the tree. If not, you’re doomed to a terrifying Yule Cat demise. So clutch those new socks or that ugly sweater, because in a world with Yule Cats on the prowl, those stocking stuffers might just save your life!
Mari Lwyd
From South Wales comes the tradition of Mari Lwyd. While not a monster in the strictest sense, “The Gray Mare” is an effigy of sorts that is carried from door to door while groups go wassailing. Once the group arrives at a house, they sing to the owners requesting to come in, and the owners have to sing back, denying them. The pattern continues with sung verse until the homeowner might relent and let the group, Mari in tow, inside for treats.
To create your very own Mari Lwyd, attach a horse skull on the end of a stick and cover the whole thing in a white sheet. Really. These are old time traditions. They couldn’t go to the local Wal-Mart for supplies, so they did the best with what they had lying around. Which were apparently horse skulls. (Weird Wanderer note: you might not want to create your own Mari Lwyd and go wassailing with it, unless you hate your neighbors.)
The Krampus
The humdinger of all holiday monsters, the Krampus is one intense customer. These days, the Krampus is basking in fame, making appearances everywhere from popular merchandise to the silver screen, so you probably don’t need much introduction, but just in case: the Krampus is a foil to Santa Claus. Instead of admonishing bad children with coal, he stuffs them in his burlap sack and whisks them away to eat them. Though Krampusnacht has already passed us by (it’s on December 5th each year), that doesn’t mean it’s too late to celebrate this year. So brush the dust off your ceremonial Krampus staff, and enjoy the rest of the holiday season. And remember: this will all go a lot easier if you’re nice instead of naughty…
Happy haunting, and happy holidays!
Images of Mari Lwyd and Krampus are courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Remaining images copyright of Weird Wanderings.