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SpikeJones67 — Krampus - The Yule Lord

#children #christmas #devil #faun #hooves #horns #krampus #pan #satyr #yule #lordoftherings #pagan #paganmythology
Published: 2014-11-14 18:49:20 +0000 UTC; Views: 9830; Favourites: 131; Downloads: 0
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Description So. This was my first piece of art created almost entirely in Manga Studio (as opposed to Photoshop, which is what I usually use). I was originally only going to line him in MS and then color him in Photoshop, but I love Manga Studio's Watercolor brushes, I can blend without switching tools and it doesn't lag as much as Photoshop does. It doesn't have the layer styles though, so the glow around his body and the letters, as well as the text were done in Photoshop. 

I first fell in love with the Krampus legend when I read Brom's "Krampus." He wrote his own twist on the legend and gave Krampus a personality. You're probably familiar with Brom's creepy paintings, but if you haven't read his stories, you really should. He's an excellent writer as well. 

So… if you're not familiar with Krampus, let me tell you about this awesome fucker right here. Krampus, sometimes called the Christmas Devil, is older than Jesus. That's right, he's a pre-Christian, Alpine Pagan tradition and has been described as a "boozy goat-horned menace that whips naughty children around Europe." He's typically got matted black hair, a tongue to make Gene Simmons (or your girlfriend) jealous, big devil horns, a cloven hoof or two…. and probably a corkscrew cock that's barbed like a housecat's. (After all, it's also said that he can (and will) sex your woman better than you can.) He has chains and sometimes bells that he rattles, and a big bundle of thorny birch sticks that he uses to beat those naughty kiddies with… and sometimes plump young ladies, making him possibly one of the oldest kinksters out there. He's also got a big ass sack or wicker basket he carries on his back and uses to take naughty children off to Hel… or to his lair to eat them, depending on which version of the legend you're reading. 

His name comes from the German word krampen, which means "claw," (or "giddy child murderer.") Europeans have been exchanging greeting cards featuring Krampus since the 1800s. Sometimes introduced with Gruß vom Krampus (Greetings from the Krampus), the cards usually have humorous rhymes and poems and sometimes feature Krampus looming menacingly over children or spanking buxom women. He's is Hel's son, and if you didn't know, the giantess Hel is Loki's daughter, the ruler of the underworld… which makes Krampus Loki's Grandson and Fenrir's nephew. He's actually buddies with St. Nicholas and they have this good cop, bad cop thing going on.  It's rather simple: If you're good, St. Nick will give you gifts. If you're bad, he doesn't leave you a lump of coal in your stocking, that's part of the typical American habit of making badass Eurpoean legends more palatable to us pussy ass Americans. (Seriously, have you read the original Little Mermaid?) In Austria and Germany, if you're a bad kid, Santa lets Krampus beat the shit out of you with his bundle of switches and carry you off in his basket. So I guess that kind of makes Krampus one of Santa's helpers. 

According to folklore, Krampus purportedly shows up in towns the night before December 6, known as Krampusnacht, or Krampus Night. December 6 also happens to be Nikolaustag, or St. Nicholas Day, when German children look outside their door to see if the shoe they left out the night before contains either presents (a reward for good behavior) or a rod (for bad behavior).

A more modern take on the tradition in Austria, Germany, Hungary, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic involves drunken men dressed as devils, who take over the streets for a Krampuslauf—a Krampus Run of sorts, when people are chased through the streets by the "devils."

Personally, I think Krampus sounds a lot more fun than Santa Claus. This year, I've been a very naughty girl and I'm waiting for Krampus to come spank me. 



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Comments: 19

leniboi [2022-10-26 20:32:10 +0000 UTC]

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Randomalistic [2018-06-02 02:51:04 +0000 UTC]

Do all satans appear in anime-style

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MissSerbianJelena [2016-12-29 21:18:12 +0000 UTC]

cool job

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WhiteWolfLady1 [2014-12-31 08:24:54 +0000 UTC]

This is awesome!

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SpikeJones67 In reply to WhiteWolfLady1 [2015-01-01 08:10:15 +0000 UTC]

Aww thanks lady! I was (mostly) pretty pleased with this one myself. I might even get it tattooed on me. 

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LodeinArt [2014-12-18 16:04:11 +0000 UTC]

What a beautiful Krampus!!!  

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SpikeJones67 In reply to LodeinArt [2014-12-18 17:36:15 +0000 UTC]

Why thank you!

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Wolf-Enigma [2014-12-02 03:16:58 +0000 UTC]

Vonderbar! I also love Brom's "Krampus: The Yule Lord". I try to read it every Holiday season. It almost always puts me in the Christmas mood more than any Christmas carol can. 

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SpikeJones67 In reply to Wolf-Enigma [2014-12-03 21:25:29 +0000 UTC]

Aw man I hate Christmas carols… I may make a holiday tradition of reading Krampus as well.

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stjimmyrocks [2014-11-15 02:44:06 +0000 UTC]

Krampus!! awesome. I read a comic about him, but it was kinda odd..I like this version better

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SpikeJones67 In reply to stjimmyrocks [2014-11-15 05:40:01 +0000 UTC]

Thank you! A comic sounds cool… was it online somewhere? Do you have a link? I'd like to check it out, if you remember where you read it. And you should really read Brom's book if you're into novels at all, that's what first got me into the Krampus mythos. I read it once when it first came out, and just reread it again as inspiration for this piece. 

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stjimmyrocks In reply to SpikeJones67 [2014-11-16 03:51:20 +0000 UTC]

I don't think it's online but here's the comic: imagecomics.com/comics/release…

Just looked up the book--damn that looks awesome! What I really like though are German fairy tales and things--many are pretty terrifying, so, naturally, I got hooked
and the Little Mermaid--yes, I've read it--it's incredibly sad but soo much better than the Disney thing lol

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QUEENPSYCHOROCKET [2014-11-15 02:00:48 +0000 UTC]

That'z funny I know that tale very cool idea. There is a lot of old trippy art associated with that legend, rockin job

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SpikeJones67 In reply to QUEENPSYCHOROCKET [2014-11-15 02:19:00 +0000 UTC]

I have a book full of reprints of the old postcards, I love all that old art. Thanks for the comment!

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QUEENPSYCHOROCKET In reply to SpikeJones67 [2014-11-15 16:08:16 +0000 UTC]

I dig all of that stuff too. Some people have no clue what our history iz and how important even vintage "postcardz" are in telling where our traditionz come from. Christmaz waz a German tradition and we in the statez only adopted it after seeing the English start the tradition at Buckingham palace... +

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DeadCobra [2014-11-15 00:27:01 +0000 UTC]

Very great

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SpikeJones67 In reply to DeadCobra [2014-11-15 02:17:59 +0000 UTC]

Thanks man!

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PirateStann [2014-11-14 19:11:52 +0000 UTC]

Sexy!

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SpikeJones67 In reply to PirateStann [2014-11-15 02:17:48 +0000 UTC]

Thanks!

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