Jefferson jimplecute. (Jefferson, Tex.) 1907-1926, 1913-12-25
Ancestry of Santa
YHAT In Santa Claus age?
wv The jolly. roistering. pot
bellied, ever young old Eel
low that we know has mad


w bellied, ever young old Eel
low that we know has made
his appearance on earth In so many
guises Tint the secret Of his drst com
in the midst Of antiquity. No one car
say with any certainty just when he
first made his appearance among pre-
historic men. for merry old Santa In
one form or another delighted chill.
dren's hearts In mrny pagan house
hold centuries before the commence
ment OF the Christian era and prior to
any recorded history.
The name Of Santa Claus, by which
he Is known In America, Is the Dutch
pet name for st Nicholas. The name
Kriss kringie. by which he is known
In England. Is corruption OF Christ
Kindleln or the Christ Child. But the
festivities that distinguish Christmas
existed long before Christianity, and q
jolly god Of good cheer appears us the
earlier pagan times Now the Santa
Claus OF today Is simply that old Jolly
god sobercd up. washed and purified.
The Dionysia OF the Greeks. the Sat.
urnalia OF the Romans. the Twelve
Nights OF the old Norsemen and Of the
Teutons all celebrated the coming OF
the winter soIstice People then gave
themselves up to all sorts Of revelry
and excess In the Dionysia the repre-
sentative figure was not the young
DIonysus or Bncchus, but the aged,
CHEEKY and disreputable Silenus. the
chief OF the Satyrs and the god Of
drunkards. In the SaturDalia 1t was
Saturn; In the Germanic feasts It was
Thor. both long bearded and white
haired gods ike Silenus.
Now. although the central figure OF
the Christian festival is the child God.
the Christ Kindlcin. the influence OF
long pagan custom was too strong
tians to be easily superseded. The ira.
dltion Of hoary age as tho true repre-
sentative OF the dying year and its at
tendant Publications still remained
smoldering under the ashes Of the
past 1t burst into new flame when
the past was too far back to be looked
upon with the fear and antagonlsm Of
the church and there seemed no longer
any danger Of relapse into paganism.
At first however. the more dignified
representative was chosen as more In
keeping with the occasion. Saturn
was unconsciously rebaptized as st
Nicholas, the name OF the saint whose
as the patron OF young people is espe-
cially fitted for the patronage OF the
festival which has come to be looked
upon as especially that OF the young
At first 81 Nicholas did not superscde
the Christ Child. but accompanied him
in his Christmas travels. as, indeed. he
still does I'm certain rural neighbor
hoods OF Europe where the modern
spirit has been least felt
st. Nicholas, according 10 the hagi
ologsst. was n bishop OF Myra. who
Hourished early In the fourth century.
He is the patron OF children aud
schoolboys.
II Is strange that everywhere st
Nicholas Is most honored and his feast
day most observed the most pious and
instructed among the common people
know little OF the legend OF the saint
He is treated with that mixture OF Sc
riousness and frivolity which becomes
n dying myth.
In southern Germany and Austria
youth CARRIED as st Nicholas and ac-
companied by two angels and whole
troop Of devils IL hideous masquerade.
with blackened faces md clanklng
chains. on Dec. (St Nicholas festal
day makes round OF certain houses
where the little ones OF the village
have been collected. To the good chill
dren he brings gifts OF nuts and ap-
pies. while the naughty ones are left
To the devices Of the satanic followers
in his train
In many places the hugbear over
shadows In importance both the Christ
Chlld and 81 Nicholas. II. appears
under different names and In different
gulsss In Lower Austria he IL the
frightful Krampus. with his elanking
chains and horrible devils mask. who.
not tbs audlng his gi'ied nuts and
apples. gingerbread and toys. which
he carries In hts basket. is the terror
81 the nursery. In Hanover. IIolstein
aud Mecklenburg he is known as Clas
In Silesia bis nRme IL Joseph
Sometimes the husteer WIS a female
In lower Austria she was called the
BuAeifrau Ia Suaha Il was the
BerehtcI who ,hasfiSea ehiidr.n that
fid not spin diligently. w',h rod. bat
rewarded the industrious with dried
pears. npn'es and puts
The female iugv survives ESPECIALLY
in Russia sad IA italy Ia the former
risrr shr IL known a. %. naionshsa.
~ ttr latter as the nsfaua ti~fana =
e corruption - Fpsphaula ar Epipha
nv fsr ~ = ~n Epiphany. Jan thai
the tihueux make prss~nt~ - their
"a 'teru tu rsmmenerstteu - the si'fs
sivsn rs To- thr-~ 81. sssn - Thri..
e. tsa' fstp