page_title: Companions of Saint Nicholas
section_title: Belsnickel
hierarchical_section_title: Companions of Saint Nicholas / Appearance / Belsnickel
caption_attribution_description: English: Modern day Belsnickel on his way to scare children in his travel attire, December 2012.
context_page_description: The companions of Saint Nicholas are a group of closely related figures who accompany Saint Nicholas throughout the territories formerly in the Holy Roman Empire or the countries that it influenced culturally. These characters act as a foil to the benevolent Christmas gift-bringer, threatening to thrash or abduct disobedient children. Jacob Grimm associated this character with the pre-Christian house spirit which could be benevolent or malicious, but whose mischievous side was emphasized after Christianization. The association of the Christmas gift-bringer with elves has parallels in English and Scandinavian folklore, and is ultimately and remotely connected to the Christmas elf in modern American folklore.
  Names for the "dark" or threatening companion figure include: Knecht Ruprecht in Germany, Krampus in Austria, Bavaria, Croatia, Slovenia, Friuli, Hungary;
  Klaubauf in Bavaria, Austria;
  Bartel in Styria;
  Pelzebock;
  Befana;
  Pelznickel;
  Belzeniggl;
  Belsnickel in the Palatinate;
  Schmutzli in Switzerland;
  Rumpelklas;
  Bellzebub;
  Hans Muff;
  Drapp; and
  Buzebergt in Augsburg.
context_section_description: Belsnickel is a companion of Saint Nicholas in the Palatinate (Pfalz), Germany. Belsnickel is a man wearing fur which covers his entire body, and he sometimes wears a mask with a long tongue. He is a rather scary creature who visits children at Christmas time and delivers socks or shoes full of candy, but if the children were not good, they will find coal and in their stockings instead.
  In parts of the United States in the 19th century, "Pelznickel" traditions were maintained for a time among immigrants at least as far west as the US state of Indiana. Today, remnants of this tradition remain, known as the Belsnickel, especially in Pennsylvania.
  A first-hand 19th-century account of the "Beltznickle" tradition in Allegany County, Maryland, can be found in Brown's Miscellaneous Writings, a collection of essays by Jacob Brown (born 1824).  Writing of a period around 1830, Brown says, "we did not hear of" Santa Claus.  Instead, the tradition called for a visit by a different character altogether:
  He was known as Kriskinkle, Beltznickle and sometimes as the Xmas woman.  Children then not only saw the mysterious person, but felt him or rather his stripes upon their backs with his switch.  The annual visitor would make his appearance some hours after dark, thoroughly disguised, especially the face, which would sometimes be covered with a hideously ugly phiz – generally wore a female garb – hence the name Christmas woman – sometimes it would be a veritable woman but with masculine force and action.  He or she would be equipped with an ample sack about the shoulders filled with cakes, nuts, and fruits, and a long hazel switch which was supposed to have some kind of a charm in it as well as a sting.  One would scatter the goodies upon the floor, and then the scramble would begin by the delighted children, and the other hand would ply the switch upon the backs of the excited youngsters – who would not show a wince, but had it been parental discipline there would have been screams to reach a long distance.
  On the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada, a Christmas tradition known as Belsnickling occurs, where, similar to mummering, people go from house to house within the communities dressed in multiple layers of clothing and with scarves around their faces to conceal their identity. These people are then given food and drinks (usually rum or eggnog) until their identities are guessed, and then they're off to the next house.
caption: Modern day Belsnickel on his way to scare children in his travel attire, December 2012
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