Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1913-12-26
Ancestry of Santa
uYHAT is Santa Claus' age:

N.Y." lt jon tbiNtti MS. ipt-
q bellipd. ever young old fol
low that we know has made
his appearance on earth in so many
guises thar the secret of his first com
ing threatens to remain forever yelled
In the midst of antiquity. No one can
say with any certainty just when he
historic men. for merry old Santa in
one form or another delighted chill
dren's hearts in many 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 Kringle. by which he is known
in England. Is Il corruption OF Christ
Kiudlen. or the Christ Child. But the
festivities that distinguish Christmas
existed long before Christianity. and
Jolly god of good cheer appears as the
persOnification of the period from the
earlier pagan times. Now the Santa
Claus of today is simply that old jolly
god sobered 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 solstice 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 Bacchus. but the aged.
CHEEKY and disreAutable Silenus. the
chief Of the Satyrs and the god Of
drunkards. In the Saturnalia 1t was
Saturn: In the Germanic feasts it was
Thor. both long bearded and white
haired gods like Silenus.
Now. although the central figure Of
the Christian festival is the child God.
the Christ Kindlein. the influence Of
long pagan custom was too strong
within the breasts Of the early Chris
tians to be easily superseded. The ira
dition of hoary age as the true repre-
sentative Of the dying year and its at
tendant Qualifications still remained
smoldering under the ashes of the
past. 1t burst into new fame when
the past was too far back to be NOoked
upon with the fear and antagonism OF
the church and there seemed no longer
any danger OF a relapse into paganism.
At first. however. the more dignitied
representative was chosen as more In
keeping with the occasion. Saturn
was unconsciously rebaptized as st
Nicholas. the name of the saint whose
festival occurs in December and who
as the patron Of young people Is espe-
cially fitted for the patronage of the
festival which has come to be looked
At first St Nicholas did not supersede
the Christ Child. but accompanied him
in his Christmas travels. as. indeed. he
still does in certain rural neighbOr-
hoods of Europe where the modern
spirit has been least felt.
st. Nicholas. according to the hagi-
ologist. was a bishop of Myra. who
Hourished early in the fourth century.
He is the patron Of children and
schoolboys.
1t 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
robustness and frivolity which becomes
/ dying myth.
| In southern Germany and Austria u
youth CARRIED as St Nicholas and &C.
companied by two angels and whole
/ troop Of devils In hideous masquerade.
with biackened faces and clanking
chains. on Dec (St Nicholas festal
day. makes a 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 bugbear over
Child and st. Nicholas. He appears
under different names and in different
guises In Lower Austria he Is the
frightful KrampuS. with his clanking
chains and horrible DEVILS mask. who.
Notwithstanding his gildPd nuts and
apples. gingerbread and toys. which
he carries in his basket is the terror
of the nursery. ln Hanover. Holstein
and Mecklenburg he is known as Clas.
In Silesia his name Is Joseph.
Sometimes the hughear was female.
In Lower Austria she was called the
Bndelfrau In Suahia il was the
| Rerchte who chnstised children that
did nor spin diligently. with rods. hut
rewarded the Industrious with dried
pears. apples and nuts
The female bcCy survives especially
In Russia and in Italy In the former
place she Is known rs the Ra bouShka.
IN the latter as the Befana. Befana is
a corruption Of Epiphania or Epipha
ny for II i OIL Epiphany Jan. 6. that
The Italians MAXI. presents to their
children IN characterization of the gifts
given hy the tL.ee wise uen tc Christ
on that 'aie