#CompanionsOfChristmas 8: #Belsnickel! Belsnickel was a hermit in Germany’s large and wild Black Forest, a fur trapper who wanted nothing more than to be left alone, but he lived near the entrance of a cave that children from a nearby village liked to explore. 1/
#CompanionsOfChristmas 7: Mari Lwyd! #MariLwyd was a gray mare belonging to Taliesin, a poet hailed as “chief of the bards” in sixth century Wales. Taliesin frequently called on Awen, the Welsh muse, for inspiration... 1/
#CompanionsOfChristmas #4: The Krampus! The Krampus was a rural giftgiver who would deliver presents to good Alpine children and stuff the naughty ones into his basket and take them back to his lair, where they would be forced to spend the next year making toys for good kids. 1/
#CompanionsOfChristmas 3: Piet! Piet is Santa’s chief lieutenant, in charge of managing operations at the North Pole. When Piet met Santa, he was a young castle page on the eve of being made squire, but his lord was a wicked knight who had contrived to capture the saint. 1/
#CompanionsOfChristmas 2: Mrs Claus! Mrs. Claus was once better known by her given name, Alba. She was the nymph of the silver fir tree, a captain in the retinue of the goddess Artemis, and she first met Saint Nicolas when he came to do battle with her Lady. 1/
I started a collection of Christmas characters last year, and I'm gonna add to it this year), posting one per day through the 23rd. #CompanionsOfChristmas 1: Santa Claus, or Saint Nicolas (“Santa” means “Saint,” and “Claus” is short for “Niklaus/Nicolas)! 1/
