'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse... And then the clock strikes thirteen and you wake to hear a thud downstairs. Investigating, you discover that your home has been invaded by two red-cloaked, and bearded, strangers. Before you know what is happening, Krampus the Christmas Devil has abducted Santa Claus, and it's up to you to save Saint Nick before Christmas Day dawns and the cruel, birch-wielding, goat-leggéd one usurps the generous gift-giver's position, taking his place forever. He knows if you've been good or bad, so be good for goodness sake... Throughout the course of the adventure, YOU decide which path to take, which risks to brave, and even which of the strange creatures you will meet along the way to engage in battle. Success is by no means certain and you may well fail to complete the adventure at your first attempt. However, with experience, skill, and maybe even a little luck, each new attempt should bring you closer to your ultimate goal. But whether you succeed in your quest will be down to the choices YOU make.
It's two days before Christmas and a quiet Rhode Island town is about to be visited by a number of unexpected guests-including a pair of very different Krampuses. Are they there to protect the innocent, or to exact revenge for a long-forgotten tragedy? Some curses fade over time, while others grow stronger. In this homage to Dickens's A Christmas Carol, a young boy named Christoph and his friends must find some way to atone for a wrong committed a generation before they were born. Praise for The Night Before Krampus: "A wicked good story that will appeal to readers of all ages. Destined to become a Christmas classic-excuse me, a Krampus classic!" - Rodman Philbrick, Newbery Honor Author "Peter Johnson's The Night Before Krampus takes readers through the twisting streets of the other side of Christmas. Will Christoph beat his family's curse and solve the mystery? Or will the Wolf, also known as Revenge, live up to his name? Part mystery, part myth, this book will scare the Dickens out of readers, while at the same time make them want to wish each other a 'Merry Krampus.'" - Kelly Easton, Golden Kite Award Winner Praise for Peter Johnson's Other Books What Happened: "What Happened is the most gorgeously written YA novel of 2007" - Booklist, Starred Review The Amazing Adventures of John Smith, Jr. AKA Houdini: "Poignant and downright hilarious, delivered in a voice that's wonderfully authentic." - Kirkus Reviews, "Best Book," Starred Review Out of Eden: "It's the inexplicability of cruelty that makes this horrifying page-turner so effective." - Kirkus Reviews
The Krampus, a folkloric devil associated with St. Nicholas in Alpine Austria and Germany, has been embraced by the American counterculture and is lately skewing mainstream. The new Christmas he seems to embody is ironically closer to an ancient understanding of the holiday as a perilous, haunted season. In the Krampus' world, witches rule Christmas, and saints can sometimes kill.
After years of being sidelined, Krampus decides to take over Christmas by delivering coal to every kid in the world. But a child that he meets along way, may change his mind.
Step into the dark roots of Christmas past where the Krampus punishes the bad boys and girls. Christmas time is truly the darkest and creepiest time of the year filled with devilish creatures lurking in the shadows waiting to get us. Best known is the Krampus who has been the subject of films and songs. There was a time in the late 1800s when people sent Krampus cards, not holiday greetings. There are other violent and dangerous monsters from all over northern climes who have been hunting naughty children for centuries. From shapeshifters to mountain trolls, to elves, to heavy-handed cohorts of Saint Nicholas, the Christmas holiday has been filled with ghosts and monsters ready to dole out punishment to those who need it. The Fright Before Christmas will delve into the folklore of Krampus and his friends with the elf-like Tomten and the goblinesque Karakoncolas. The Belsnickel is ready to hit us with his switch of sticks and Gryla may drag you back to her mountain lair. And watch out for the Yule Cat ready to pounce! These are just a few of the yuletide beasties coming for us in The Fright Before Christmas in the hope they can save us from ourselves. The folklore roots of Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) is examined in a different, darker light. The Winter Solstice is a time to be afraid. It's the shortest day of the year. The longest night. In some parts of the world, the sun doesn't rise at all. It's dark, and we have to wonder if the sun will ever come back at all. Christmas has always been creepy and with The Fright Before Christmas you'll see the other side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays. Be good or the Krampus will get you!
Film plays a vital role in the celebration of Christmas. For decades, it has taught audiences about what the celebration of the season looks like – from the decorations to the costumes and to the expected snowy weather – as well as mirrors our own festivities back to us. Films like It’s a Wonderful Life and Home Alone have come to play key roles in real-life domestic celebrations: watching such titles has become, for many families, every bit as important as tree-trimming and leaving cookies out for Santa. These films have exported the American take on the holiday far and wide and helped us conjure an image of the perfect holiday. Rather than settling the ‘what is a Christmas film?’ debate – indeed, Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are discussed within – Analyzing Christmas in Film: Santa to the Supernatural focuses on the how Christmas is presented on the deluge of occasions when it appears. While most Christmas films are secular, religion makes many cameos, appearing through Nativity references, storylines involving spiritual rebirth, the framing of Santa as a Christ-like figure and the all-importance of family, be it the Holy family or just those gathered around the dining table. Also explored are popular narratives involving battles with stress and melancholy, single parents and Christmas martyrs, visits from ghosts and angels, big cities and small towns, break-ups and make-ups and the ticking clock of mortality. Nearly 1000 films are analyzed in this volume to determine what the portrayal of Christmas reveals about culture, society and faith as well as sex roles, consumerism, aesthetics and aspiration.
Illuminating the Dark Side’s Spirits, Fiends, Devils, and Demons. Throughout human history, we have been obsessed with the dark opposites of God and angels, light, and mercy. Whether it is our religious and sacred texts, folklore and myths of old, legends, fairy tales, novels, or the movies and television shows of today, the dark entities enthrall us, terrify us, and remind us of the dualities of life. But where did they originate? Are they real? Does every religion or region of the world include them? Exploring over two dozen religious traditions, myths, folkloric and spiritual traditions, the world of the supernatural, and the demons, the Devil, and fallen angels in today’s pop culture, Demons, the Devil, and Fallen Angels is a comprehensive resource of the many faces of the devil, his minions, ominous deities, and the darker side of nature and ourselves. From ancient demon worship to modern Satanism, the bloody era of the Inquisitions and later witch burnings to the Satanic Panic of the late-twentieth century, and secret occult societies to Hitler's involvement with demonology, this book covers it all! You'll learn about the key figures in history associated with demons and the Devil, the worshiping of the dark forces, and the lives of Aleister Crowle, John Dee, and Anton LaVey, as well as well-known figures who were alleged Satanists, some of whom may surprise you! Also featured are dozens of examples of links between demons/fallen angels and aliens, cryptids, apparitions and poltergeists, and IDEs (interdimensional entities). Were the demons of the Bible possibly ancient alien visitors? Are alien abductions and poltergeists really demons in disguise? Is Slender Man a modern day demonic entity ... or totally fake? This fascinating look at Satan, evil spirits, and their 10,000-year history has 120 photographs, drawings, and illustrations to bring the portraits of over 200 demons and fallen angels to shivering life. Demons, the Devil, and Fallen Angels also includes a helpful bibliography and an extensive index, adding to its usefulness. It is a comprehensive, clear, and objective look at a subject that fills most people with fear and dread. Yet the presence of dark angels continues to remain a part of our human experience, our popular culture, and our spiritual understandings. Come and explore the shadowy side of existence and its integral part of our nature.
Christmas Eve is never a good time to have the sheriff come by after dark, and after Gretchen protests her innocence, it’s up to her to clean up Edgewater’s Krampus plague. Demonic cleanup is witch business, after all. Baffled at the swarm of pint-sized Christmas tricksters, Gretchen must find out who is behind the summoning so she can banish the horde. The town is a mess, families are hiding in the local tavern, and Gretchen is freezing her backside off as she tries fruitlessly to come up with a plan. But if she doesn’t fix the krampus problem, she will have ruined Christmas in the eyes of the townsfolk. And all she’d wanted was a quiet night in. An old friend, a new friend, and a magical solution of epic proportions will save the day. The question is whether the village will be grateful or livid at the colossal damage bill come morning.
