#1157 Kramma’s Place

I’m amazed about how folks occupy time. Like the guy in the news recently who’s suing the World of Warcraft game people. His suit maintains that the video game is harmful and he became dependent on it for, quote: “the little ongoing happiness he can achieve...” Word has it the company is trying to settle by offering him first crack at its new online game, “Get a Life”.
Back in the old days, they knew how to motivate people in life. They invented boogeymen. And in pagan times, when science was dim and dark knowledge covered the fact that it wasn’t knowledge at all, some of the boogeymen could really boogie.
They’re bringing one back in Germany now. He was the old time yin to Santa’s yang, balance of forces being important in early mythology. Nowadays, when kids are presented with the naughty or nice behavioral choice, Santa does both the giving and the punishing. If you’re good, you get toys. If you’re bad, you get a lump of coal.
(Which some early tribes would have killed for in cold northern winters by the way.)
Back in pagan days, Santa gave good kids toys but the bad kids got a different prospect altogether; they were stolen from their home. And the ritual kidnapper was a really cool creature named, you won’t believe this—Krampus. That’s right, like cramps. I can think of a no more horribly scary term for a bad creature. Krampus.
He was also the bad god of going into the swimming hole too soon after eating.
Krampus looks a lot like the devil, red with big fangs and stuff. He comes from the era that eventually inspired the truly grim Grimm Brother’s Fairy tales, where children were hurt, maimed, and eaten a lot.
But I’m amazed at how some terms hold their flavor over time. The “cramp” sound invokes discomfort, crankiness, and anger. Like the cranky grandpa all young children fear. Or the witchy grandma.
Krampus sounds a lot like Grampa. Was his wife Kramma?
So was the whole wolf thing with “to Kramma’s house we’ll go” really an adult metaphor for how horrifying it is to visit relatives during the holidays?
America, ya gotta love it.