Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1913-12-25
Ancestry Of Santa
XV is Santa Claus age?
~ The jolly. roistering, pot
bellied. ever young old fell

is Santa Claus age?
~ The jolly. r%oistering. pot
bellied. ever young old fell
low that we know has made
his appearance ON earth in so many
gulses that the secret Of his first CON-
ing threatens to remain forever yelled
in the midst of antiquity. No one can
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 many q 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 i'll America. is the Dutch
pet name for st. Nicholas. The name
Kriss kringle. by which he is known
in England. is a corruption Of Christ
Kindlein or the Christ Child. But the
festivities that distinguish Christmas
existed long before Christianity, and a
jolly god Of good cheer appears as the
personifcation 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.
urnalia of the Romans, the Twelve
Nights of the old No"semen and of the
Teutons all celebrated the coming of
the winter solstice. People her 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 disreputable Silenus, the
chief Of the Satyrs and the god Of
drunkards. In the Saturnalia it 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tians to be easily superseded.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 it's at
tendant Publications still remained
smoldering under the ashes of the
past. 1t burst into new fame when
the past was too far back to be looked
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 dignifed
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
upon as eSl .ciaIly that of the young.
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 beer least felt.
st. Nicholas. according to the hagi-
ologist. vas a bishop Of Myra. who
fourished early In the fourth century.
He is the patron OF children and
schoolhoyS
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
a dying myth.
In southern Germany and Austria Il
youth CARRIED as st. Nicholas and &C.
troop Of devils in hideous masquerade.
with %blackened faces and clanking
chains. on Dec. S (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
In his train.
In many places the bugbear over
shadows in Importance both the Christ
Child and st. Nicholas. He appears
under different names and in different
guises. In Lower Austria be is the
frightful Krampus. with his clanking
chains and horrible DEVILS mask. who.
Notwithstanding his gilded nuts and
apples. gingerbread and toys. which
he carries in his basket. is the terror
of the nursery. In Hanover. Holstein
and Mecklenburg he is known as Clas
In Silesia his name is Joseph.
Sometimes the bugbear was a female.
In Lower Austria she was called the
Budelfrau. In Suabia 1t was the
Berchtel who chnstised children. that
did not spin diligently. with rods. but
rewarded the Industrious with dried
pears. apples and nuts.
The female bogy survives especially
In Russia and In Italy. In the former
place she Is known as the Raboushka.
In the latter as the Befana, Befana Is
a corruption OF E%Diphania or Epipha'
ny. for 1t IN on Epiphany. Jan, q. that
the Italians make presents to their
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