Santa's Evil Twins

[greendog]

You know, If you're not a good kid Belsnickel's gonna leave a lump of coal in your stocking...or "Knecht Rupert" will show up with a bundle of switches and and make you wish you'd been a good kid.

When I was little, my German-American Grandmother told us that "Bumpernickel" would come and "repo" our toys if we misbehaved after we'd opened our presents.

Anyone else have experience with Santa's evil twin?

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When I tried to find "Bumpernickel" with a Google search I came up empty handed but I did find all these cool regional German names for Santa and his "evil twins".


MALE: Ale Josef, Ascheklas, Aschenmann, Bartel/Bartl, Beelzebub, Belsnickel, Belsnickle (Amer.), Belznickel, Boozenickel, Bornkindl, Bullerklaas/Bullerklas, Burklaas, Butz, Butzemärtel, Düsseli, Düvel, Hans Muff, Hans Trapp, Heiliger Mann, Kinnjes, Klaasbur, Klapperbock, Klas Bur, Klaubauf, Klaus, Klawes, Klos, Krampus, Leutfresser, Niglo, Nikolo, Pelzebock, Pelzebub, Pelzemärtel, Pelznickel, Pelzpercht, Pelzprecht, Pulterklas, Rauklaas, Rugklaas, Ruhklas, Rumpelklas, Rupsack, Samichlaus, Satniklos, Schimmelreiter, Schmutzli, Schnabuck, Semper, Storrnickel, Strohnickel, Sunner Klaus, Swatter Pitt, Zink Muff, Zinterklos, Zwarte Pitt, Zwarter Piet

FEMALE: Berchte/Berchtel, Budelfrau, Buzebergt, Lutzl, Percht, Pudelfrau, Rauweib, Zamperin

[WannaJumpMyScooter]

1. Bumpernickel is PlaatDeutche, I think

Cause I have relatives that use that term.

[greendog]

2. That makes sense

I believe my Grandfather spoke PlaatDeutche. He grew up close enough to Holland that they had wooden shoes. Not sure what part of Germany my Grandmother's family came from....they settled in southern Indiana.

[dutchdemocrat]

3. Sounds a lot like Dutch Sinterklaas

With Zwarte Pete repo-ing toys or bagging you back to Spain for torture if you're bad.

Sinterklaas being a 400 y/o tradition in NL and the main influence behind Santa Claus.

He was a Spanish saint whose pa was loaded and he gave to the poor.

I'd say the story crossed over to the PlaatDeutche from the Friesians.

EDITED FOR CRAP LAZY SPELLING.

[greendog]

4. Bagging you back to Spain for torture!!!!!

:bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce::bounce:
That's the funniest Christmas thing I've ever heard.

[dutchdemocrat]

5. I'll say

It works a lot better than Santa not letting you have an X-Box because you were 'naughty' not 'nice'.

Right then.

Bag em'. Off to the rack kid.



The biggest problem with the whole holiday in Holland now, which takes place on Dec. 6th, is that Zwarte Piet (Black Pete) is Klass' helper and does the bagging. He was a dark fellow legend has it (most likely Moorish) but it makes the festival politically incorrect and certainly does not make members of the Dutch Kingdom who live in the Antilles very pleased. Basically - the black fellow is the one to be scared of; which is not very good to tell one's children is it? They are changing the festivities gradually, but it's not easy too - after hundreds of years of tradition.

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The basis for the Christian-era Santa Claus is Bishop Nicholas of Smyrna (Izmir), in what is now Turkey. Nicholas lived in the 4th century A.D. He was very rich, generous, and loving toward children. Often he gave joy to poor children by throwing gifts in through their windows.

The Orthodox Church later raised St. Nicholas, miracle worker, to a position of great esteem. It was in his honor that Russia's oldest church, for example, was built. For its part, the Roman Catholic Church honored Nicholas as one who helped children and the poor. St. Nicholas became the patron saint of children and seafarers. His name day is December 6th.

In the Protestant areas of central and northern Germany, St. Nicholas later became known as der Weinachtsmann. In England he came to be called Father Christmas. St. Nicholas made his way to the United States with Dutch immigrants, and began to be referred to as Santa Claus.

More...
http://www.the-north-pole.com/history/

[greendog]

6. I never realized Christmas could be so controversial

I did a search on Zwarte Piet an found this thread...
http://www.expatica.com/source/forum_thread.asp?channel_id=1&thread_id=314