Throughout history, Krampus has been seen as the dark and sinister counterpart to old Saint Nicholas. This horned, hoofed, half-human, half-goat creature is known for taking charge of the naughty list, and punishing those that don’t behave. But is Krampus one of a kind? For years, legends of a similar Goatman have popped up all over the world, from South America to New Zealand, leading many to wonder – does this Christmas legend have roots in the supernatural… and might he exist after all?

Austrian Post Card from 1910 with Krampus depiction. Courtesy of Britannica.com

Austrian Postcard from the 20th century. Courtesy of Sacred Matters Magazine

Krampus Card from early 20th century. Courtesy of History.com

Depiction of Krampus Run. Courtesy of History.com

Austria’s Krampus Parade. Photo by Sean Gallup/ Staff/ Getty Images. Courtesy of Trip Savvy.

Depiction of New Zealand’s Goatman. Courtesy of Feels Like Home Bro Facebook Page

Depiction of the Goatman like the one spotted in Marylan. Courtesy of Cryptid Wiki and AllThatsInteresting.com.
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- Krampus (website.)
- Meet Krampus, the Christmas Devil Who Punishes Naughty Children. (website)
- The Austrian Tradition of the Krampus. (website)
- Who is Krampus, and what does he have to do with Christmas? (website)
- The Origin of Krampus, Europe’s Evil Twist on Santa. (website)
- Reddit: Has anyone here ever seen Krampus or a humanoid/creature with a similar appearance?
- The Goatman. (blog post)
- The Legend of the Goat Man. (website)
- Maryland Goatman: The Real Legend of the Old Line State. (website)
- Inside the Terrifying Legends Of the Goatman That’s Been Seen In Maryland and Texas For Decades. (website)
- Hel. (website)
- Reddit: Is Krampus the son of Hel?
- Krampus is NOT the “Son of Hel.” (blog post)
- The history of Christian missions. (website)
- Mardi Gras. (website)
- Krampus Kon. (website)
- WASHINGTON KRAMPUS COLLECTIVE! (Facebook group.)
- Krampus Celebrations in the United States. (blog post)
- Bloomington Krampus. (Facebook group)
- The old Nordic tradition (asatro) today. (website)
- First human-pig chimeras created, sparking hopes for transportable organs – and debate. (online news article)
- How Ghost Stories Became a Christmas Tradition in Victorian England.) (website)
- Winter solstice. (website)
- Reddit: BrucieBe (user comment history)
- Desert Road is a rather remote drive of NZ. (website)
- The old religion. (website)
- Vikings. (website)
- Rooted in Pagan celebrations, German Christmas has many rituals. (online article)
- The midwinter majesty of the Mary Lwyd. (online article)
- The cryptid zoo: coelacanth. (website)
- Extinct fossil fish coelacanth found alive in Madagascar. (online article)