The Life & Adventures of Santa Claus

Plot synopsis:
=== Infancy, youth, and motivation ===
Santa Claus, as a baby, is found in the Forest of Burzee by Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World (a supreme immortal), and placed in the care of the lioness Shiegra; but thereupon adopted by the Wood Nymph, Necile.
Upon reaching young adulthood, Claus is introduced by Ak to human society, wherein he sees war, brutality, poverty, child neglect, and child abuse. Because he cannot reside in Burzee as an adult, he settles in the nearby Laughing Valley of Hohaho, where the immortals regularly assist him, and Necile gives him a little cat named Blinky.
=== Inventing toys ===
In the Laughing Valley, Claus becomes known for kindness toward children. On one occasion, his neighbors' son Weekum visits him; and Claus having made an image of Blinky to pass the time, presents him with the finished carving, calling it a "toy". Soon, the immortals begin assisting him in the production of other carvings: the Ryls coloring the toys with their infinite paint pots (the first toy was not colored). When he makes a clay figure reminiscent of Necile, he proclaims it a "dolly" to evade naming Necile to the children ("doll" results when children shorten the name). Claus presents the first one to Bessie Blithesome, a local noblewoman, after consulting with Necile and the Queen of the Fairies about whether he should give toys to wealthy children.
Later dolls resemble Bessie herself; and later still, counterfeit infant girls.
=== Reasons for certain traditions ===
The Awgwas, evil beings who can turn invisible, steal the toys that Claus is giving to the children, because the toys are preventing the children from misbehaving. This leads to Claus making his journeys by night and descending through chimneys when he is unable to enter the locked doors. The Awgwas nonetheless prevent so many of Claus's deliveries that Ak declares war upon them. With the aid of Asiatic Dragons, Three-Eyed Giants of Tatary, Goozzle-Goblins, and Black Demons from Patalonia, the Awgwas believe their might superior to that of the immortals; but they and their allies are destroyed. Claus is not present for any of the battle. When it is concluded, Ak tells him simply, "The Awgwas have perished".
=== Reindeer, gift exchanges, and Christmas ===
As his journeys continue, Claus is aided by two deer named Glossie and Flossie, who pull his sleigh full of toys. With their aid, he reaches the dominions of the Gnome King, who wants toys for his children, but trades a string of sleigh bells for each toy given by Claus. In restriction of the deer's service to a single day annually, their supervisor Wil Knook decides upon Christmas Eve, two weeks away from the hearing, believing this will mean a year without taking the reindeer from their homes; but the Fairies retrieve the toys the Awgwas stole and bring them to Claus, allowing Claus's first Christmas to proceed in spite of Wil.
=== Santa Claus ===
As Claus continues giving gifts, he earns the title "Santa" ("Saint" in most Romance languages).
=== Christmas trees and stockings ===
Claus sees stockings placed by the fire to dry are a good place for his surprises; but when he finds a family (sometimes taken to be Native Americans, or caricatures of the same) living in a tent with no fireplaces, he places the gifts on the branches of the trees just outside the tent.
=== Immortality ===
When Claus is in his 60s, the Immortals realize he is near the end of his life, and a council, headed by Ak (Master Woodsman of the World), Bo (Master Mariner of the World), and Kern (Master Husbandman of the World) gathers together the Gnome King, the Queen of the Water Spirits, the King of the Wind Demons, the King of the Ryls, the King of the Knooks, the King of the Sound Imps, the King of the Sleep Fays, the Fairy Queen, Queen Zurline of the Wood Nymphs, and the King of the Light Elves with the Princes Flash and Twilight, to decide the fate of Santa Claus. After much debate, he is granted immortality just as the Spirit of Death comes for him.
=== Deputies ===
At the end of the book, the immortal Santa Claus takes on four special deputies: Wisk the Fairy, Peter the Knook, Kilter the Pixie, and Nuter the Ryl. Baum's short follow-up, "A Kidnapped Santa Claus", further develops his relationship with his deputies, who must work in his place when Claus is captured by five Daemons. Later, children's parents and various toy-making companies take part in gift-giving, and Santa Claus withdraws to his valley.

Tags: flashback

Review:
I thought this was a beautiful and surreal stop motion animated film.
I thought it was beautifully done by the Rankin / Bass people- who brought us such classics as Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer, The Little Drummer Boy, Frosty the snow man, among many other holiday specials.
Frank Baum, author of The Wizard of Oz. In fact, though neither movie tells you this, the immortal fairies in this story are the ones who enchanted The Land of Oz to begin with.
If you love beautifully done fantasies and stop motion animation I highly recommend this movie.
I read another review that called this film pagan and frightening- I think this person was looking for reasons to hate it and simply didn't understand the fantastical creatures portrayed.
Best Santa Clause movie ever.
For me this movie has special meaning because I used to watch it with my buddy when we were little.
This is a side of Christmas that is so refreshingly different, bearing absolutely no resemblance to any other Santa story ever written, capturing the Christmas spirit in its own way.This gets a full 10 from me for the stunning art-work of its creation and magical creativity that brought it to life.Go get it!
A little dark at times for very little ones, this stylish take on the Santa story will appeal to older children or little ones accustomed to fantasy and fairy tale themes.
Alive with Faerie folk of all kinds it offers a colorful journey through Santa's life.
Very moving in parts, this story gets to the heart of the Christmas spirit, without getting preachy or religious..
I've always loved the entire premiose of the story, and the characters are brilliant, especially the Commander of the Wind Daemons (The Bat like Creature) and Blinky the Cat..
Frank Baum's story, produced by Rankin Bass, we see how Santa came to be, from his origin an immortal to his dedication to bringing presents and happiness to kids around the globe.
It's a better story than the 'true meaning of Xmas' crud we're used to in Xmas Specials.
Erasing th 'birth of Baby Jesus' angle was also a wise move.I'd never heard of the novel until I saw this special, but it seems kinda similar to The Wizard of Oz. The music by Bernard Hoffer is also notably better than the usual medley of Xmas carols.
This particular telling of the Santa story is based on L.
Frank Baum book of the same title: "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus." The immortals are gathered by the Great Ak to decide whether or not the mortal Santa deserves the honor of becoming immortal (something the immortals can only grant once).
The story is narrated by Ak and recounts how he found the young babe and watched over him as he was raised by some of the nymphs and animals that fell under Ak's jurisdiction.As with any Rankin-Bass stop animation production the creature concepts can be wildly imaginative (and scary...
I am saddened that this particular version does not receive as much airing time, but I am very grateful that we always recorded Christmas specials when I was younger.I recommend this to anyone who enjoys Rankin-Bass holidays escapism and has an imagination that enjoys being stimulated..
CLAYMATION COUNCIL GATHERS TO DECIDE ON IMMORTALITY FOR SANTA CLAUS.
AWESOME CLAYMATION Christmas CLASSIC...a must have for the Christmas holidays .It is unfortunate that the networks no longer show this tale of how Santa Claus becomes the symbol of Christmas.
This tale has gods ,elves,fairies and Santa Claus .
If you like the Lord of the Rings ,Harry Potter and other Rankin and Bass classics , then this will be a welcome addition to your movie collection.I have seen this movie so many times and every time I see something new.
This is the final stop-motion special from Rankin/Bass.
Rankin/Bass had dipped their toe in this already with Rudolph & Frosty's Christmas In July several years before, as well as many traditionally animated cartoons based on The Lord of the Rings.
Frank Baum, the creator of Wizard of Oz.It's a fairly involved plot for a Christmas special.
A council of immortal beings must decide if Santa Claus should be given immortality.
From here, we get the origin of Santa, as told by the Great Ak. To say this is different from the origin of Santa previously released by Rankin/Bass would be an understatement.
This is pretty trippy stuff but also very fun.The stop-motion animation is beautiful, as you would expect from Rankin/Bass.
As with all Rankin-Bass specials, I of course recommend it.
But I would give a special recommendation for this one to people who are fans of fantasy stories but perhaps don't normally watch Rankin-Bass specials..
I've never heard the "raised by faerie folk" story of Santa before.
Best Christmas special yet!.
Somehow, most Christmas related movies and specials seem to be sendemental, campy or some times even sickening sweet.
But "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" is a big relief from those Holiday special clichés.Think of putting together a typical Rankin Bass special, Mythology of the British Isles and Jim Henson's "The Dark Crystal" and you get this movie about a mortal named St. Nicholas and how he came to be.Some people seemed to complain about the film being too dark.
But face it, some things may tend to be *gasps* ARTISTIC, and *gasps* original and *gasps* not sappy or an un-artistic film just made to tell you to shell out your bucks on the crappy merchandise.If you catch this on TV or on any VCR format, or if you love "The Dark Crystal" or Mythological based films, you will love this special.
While this does contain many of the elements of a typical Rankin/Bass animated special, it is by far more bizarre than I could've ever imagined.
To give you an idea of how "out there" this show is, I missed only the first two minutes of the cartoon and I had NO IDEA that it was supposed to be a story about Santa Claus until the last two minutes of the show.
all that you wouldn't expect in a Christmas special.
And what's funny is whenever I try and describe this show to people, they don't believe me at all."No, seriously, the Great Ak then grabs this ax and challenges the demons to fight." "Whatever." "And Santa has this lion and he goes to the arctic with a magician and..." "You're full of it." "I'm not!
Watch it if you are extremely high or you are curious or a Rankin/Bass fan, like me.
Otherwise, your best bet would be to stick to the better Christmas specials..
As a child, this was my favorite Christmas movie.
I was enthralled by the characters and enjoyed the tale of how "Santa Claus" came to be.
Anyone who enjoyed The Wizard of Oz or fantasy stories such as The Hobbit would really enjoy this take on a classic Christmas character..
As a child of the 80s myself, this movie is easily my best Christmas memory.
The fantasy, the unexpectedly dark plot, beautiful imagery...all of these things make this one of the most memorable Christmas movies I could think of.For those of you looking for a classic movie full of love, warmth, cheer, and all of the other TYPICAL feelings associated with a Christmas movie...I would pass this one up.
The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus throws in elements of suspense, fear, sadness, and eventually relief...not commonly associated with a Christmas flick.
Agreed, it IS a bit on the dark side for a holiday movie.
If you want something TRULY indescribable and unforgettable in your movie collection, I'd go for The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus..
Best Holiday Christmas movie.
During all my childhood I wasn't allowed to watch any kind of Holiday movies.
If I am to explain to my kids about Santa, this movie is the best for that.For most holiday movies I seen.This one is the best.
Not only it is full of beauty, colorful, well done for clay animation, the story and characters are great!
Great Holiday Movie......but....
It's rare that I would recommend a bad movie.Throw all your notions about what Christmas was all about, because on this ride, there is nothing but pure anti-fantasy.
OK, I could not stop looking at this while it was on, primarily because it is supposed to be a Christmas themed show....or so I thought.The weirdness compounds at an exponential rate while not really knowing what this was about.
The only reason I mention it is because, not knowing anything about it, looking at it from the perspective of someone who recognizes the "Rudolph" like animation, it takes you by surprise and leaves you saying "Huh?", "What the heck?", and "Oh My God!" so much, that it is actually entertaining.It makes me wonder if there is a Russ Meyer Christmas Special hidden in some garage..
This movie another Rankin Bass classic (In my mind) is for once a dark Rankin Bass film!
Although this is not very popular as say Rudolph, Frosty, The Year Without a Santa Claus, that doesn't mean it's any worse.
I'm sure you'll agree with me once you watch this wonderful masterpiece stop animation..
Another Christmas classic from Rankin' Bass.
I love Rankin' Bass Christmas specials and have done so since childhood.
I love Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin' To Town, The Little Drummer Boy and Nestor The Long-Eared Christmas Donkey, and while The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus is not quite as good it still stands on its own as a Christmas classic.
The stop-motion is gorgeous to look at, the settings are some of the most beautiful and imaginative-looking I've seen and the characters move easily.
The story is imaginatively done and interesting, there are some dark moments(though nowhere near as nightmare-inducing as other films/shows/specials I've come across) but also some moving ones as well.
In conclusion, just as much as I do with other Rankin' Bass Christmas specials I love this.
Frank Baum(that, and the fact that it had "Santa Claus" in the title where the only reasons it got turned there.
I thought it would be like "The Wizard of Oz."), basically "The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus" centers upon a bunch of immortal "faeries" and their powerful leader "The Great Ak" (the Christ-like figure in this Godless story) who sit around discussing whether or not Santa Claus, a mere mortal, should be visited by death after he finished his last sleigh ride for the year...
Who wants to think about Santa Claus dying?
He is black and looks like a mixture between a bat and what I would imagine satan to look like, and when "Great Ak" tells him what might happen to Santa Claus, he raises his claws and hisses.
What's the point of having creepy images like that in something about Santa Claus?
I suppose that might have been done to keep this film from being a run-of-the-mill Christmas special...which it is not, but didn't they realize that kids mind find the story scary?If they don't think it is scary, they might find it dull.
If I didn't get the sudden change, I doubt a five-year-old would...Even though it's creepy and a little dull, I suppose the moral to the story is that the immortals want to help Santa Claus by allowing him to be immortal, and then Death wouldn't have to visit him.
what a thought, and what a weird, bizarre, disturbing excuse for a Christmas special..
This is a very interesting view on Santa Claus.
It would be nice to take the Spirit of Christmas, Saint Nicholas, and the magical world that evolved into Santa Clause and the chain of children's shows and combine them.
This movie is a wonderful break from typical simplistic Christmas shows and hopefully lead the way to a show where parents can again piece the truth entailed in a story.
The best ornament I have for Christmas is a ceramic table piece of Santa kneeling before baby Jesus while in the cradle.
This story actually came from the scribe of the novel version of the Wizard of Oz, and has Santa...who was known then just as Claus, raised by immortal fairy folk, lead by the Great Ak, who looks like Odin of Norse Mythology and has a silver axe that shoots lasers, and cared for by a mountain lion...yeah you just read that right.
The story follows Santa from his adoption into the fairy folks world to his last days as a mortal, where is invents toys...
and he needed to defend himself from the evil Agwas, a band of weird demons who hate children and toys, even though Claus invented them only like 30 years prior.
It is like I said a unique take on the story, and one that has to be watched at least once.
but this must be great to watch high, but it is still one of those Christmas Classics a lot of people enjoy watching..
I think this was one of the last of the Christmas Classics they made.
Basically, Santa is raised by wood elves and wild animals, fights off an ogre army, then has to go to trial for the mantle of immortality so he can continue delivering his gifts.
There are many deaths in this children's cartoon, but do not despair, Santa wins in the end.Highly recommended for: the Great Ak and his clan most deaths in a Rankin/Bass Christmas special Highly Recommended!.
My Favorite Christmas Movie.
I grew up watching this movie every year at Christmas time and continue to look forward to seeing it every year.
This movie has a beautifully done story that shows how "Claus" goes from being a child to a Saint.
There is no actual killing in the war, the "bad guys" are simply turned into flowers through very gentle means, and the remaining ones flee.This is in response to Goon-2's comment on this movie: The bat-like creature, who sits at the table with the other immortals, symbolizes the wind, he is NOT death.
At the very beginning of the movie (with the credits) all of the immortals (each representing a different natural force) are introduced and he is the commander of the wind demons.
I just want to make sure people know he is not representing death, and is interested in saving Claus not killing him.Overall it is an uplifting tale of doing what you can to make the world a better place, and finding creative ways to do so when there are problems..
Rankin/Bass did a great job and they always have very special characters in all of their specials.
The musical score is pretty good and there's a moral in this very dark tale of Santa Claus.
Like Peter Nook and those other immortals that the Great AK talk to during their story of Santa Claus.
It's a bad shame that this special does not air regularly like most of the other Rankin Bass specials.
A very underrated Christmas special and it's such a treasure.
I've always been a fan of Rankin Bass, I grew up watching Rudolph, Santa Claus Is Coming to Town The Year Without a Santa Claus, Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas In July and also their underrated specials like Nestor the Long Eared Christmas Donkey, The First Christmas Snow, Pinocchio's Christmas and Little Drummer Boy and The Little Drummer Boy Book IIThe Life and Adventures Of Santa Claus is a very underrated and overlooked gem to the Rankin Bass fan base.
When this did air on ABC family it was heavily edited and not watchableThe story begins with the great Ak with a council with immortals explaining why Santa deserves the mantel of immortality and not die.
He begins his tale of the life of Santa Claus by explaining how he discovered Claus as a newborn infant abandoned at the edge of the enchanted forest.
Claus grows up in the forest and as a young adult Ak takes him on a journey to show him what humans are like, after witnessing dark scenes like poverty, child abuse, war and hunger Claus decides to live in a village not far and help children.
His talent in bringing joy to children makes him want to travel the world and deliver toys to all children thus becoming Santa.Some evil villains called the Awguas cause trouble for Claus and steal his toys, but his immortal friends get the toys back by destroying the Awguas and their dragon.
After an awesome battle with a dragon between good and evil, the immortals win and Claus gets to finish his journey on delivering toys,As Santa gets older he decides to deliver the presents on Christmas Eve, hence why Claus makes his trip once a year.
As Ak finishes his story, the council agrees to bestow the mantel of immortality for Claus.
Claus gets to be immortal and becomes Santa Claus who continues to deliver gifts to this day.This special again Is very much a part of my childhood and I love it, It's a lot different than the book such as a character called Tingler but it's a nice story about Santa Claus.
Great special10/10 stars.
**DEFINITE SPOILERS AHEAD**This is the story of the youth of the lad who became Santa Claus and how he was adopted by the faerie folk of an unspecified woods and eventually earned the right to be the immortal friend of all children in a suffering world.The story has moments of elegant insight.
Like the better Rankin/Bass specials and the better stories in general, this tale does not shirk from the realities of human pettiness and suffering.But the story is ruined by moments of needless ugliness.
Because of this, despite its wonderful beginning, I consider this and "The Leprechaun's Christmas Gold" to be two of the worst Rankin/Bass specials ever made.