A visual and historical account of demonic Christmas character Krampus

The Krampus and the Old, Dark Christmas: Roots and Rebirth of the Folkloric Devil
by Al Ridenour
Feral House
2016, 248 pages, 7.0 x 0.7 x 9.9 inches, Paperback
$16 Buy one on Amazon

The Krampus is one of those enigmatic pieces of history that is often clouded by talk of nonsense and magic, but this book manages to cut through all that and provide a well-researched and historical account of the cultural history of this important and often overlooked part of Christmas history. Author Al Ridenour has weaved a fantastic tale not only about the history of the Krampus throughout various cultures and traditions, but also provides some additional context in the way of other related characters and practices.

I had no idea when I picked-up this book that it would be so well researched. The author literally traveled the globe to gather insight and first-hand information. The book is littered with fantastic full-color images of the cultural variations on the Krampus tradition, along with masks and images of other related celebrations around the world. The Krampus has become more popular than ever through a pop culture rebirth and this book is the perfect way to learn to true history of this fun, albeit grim, piece of history.

– Matt MacNabb

December 23, 2016