From Krampus to Carols: Uncovering the Dark History of Christmas

You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen… but do you know Frau Perchta?

What about Grýla and her mischievous Yule Lads? Surely you’ve heard of Krampus and his penchant for stealing naughty children?

You see, Christmas hasn’t always been about twinkling lights and carols sung by the fire. Long before you binge-watched Hallmark movies and stop-motion cartoons, the Yuletide was a time of profound darkness (both literal and metaphorical). It was a time when people clung to ancient traditions, rituals, and superstitions to get them through the longest, coldest nights of the year.

It was also a time for monsters.

Yep, you read that right—monsters. We’re not talking about small, industrious elves or talking polar bears guzzling fizzy drinks either. No, these Christmas monsters were fear personified. They represented humankind’s complicated relationship with Winter itself and the darkness, starvation, and wicked weather that comes with it. Their tales were told by the crackling fire not to bring good cheer but to warn wide-eyed listeners of the dangers that lurked in the unforgiving cold. It should come as no surprise, then, that most of these monstrous creatures and magical ne’er-do-wells hail from some of the coldest, darkest, and (at one point at least) poorest parts of the world. Places like the Alpine regions of Austria, Germany, and Slovenia were too brutal to allow the luxury of comforting stories of sugar plums and reindeer—opting instead for more practical tales that kept their children safe during the darkest time of the year.

Delve further into the folklore of Krampus, Grýla, and their other monstrous friends with Jeff Belanger‘s thrilling folklore collection, The Fright Before Christmas!

Also narrated by Belanger, this audiobook examines Christmas under its many other guises (Yule, the Winter Solstice, Saturnalia) 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 that side. This is a book for everyone who loves a little darkness around the holidays.

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Okay, maybe monsters aren’t your thing? What about ghosts?

Yep, if you thought we’d leave these creepy stories behind once the Dark Ages were over, you are sorely mistaken. In fact, the custom of telling scary stories around Christmas became even more popular during the Industrial Revolution. With the then-modern power of steam finally harnessed, the printing press came into being, creating a cheaper, easier way for the “common person” to access the written word. As more inexpensive and accessible books filled the shelves of local shops, literacy rates among every Victorian skyrocketed, creating a whole new culture of readers and writers.

New career opportunities played a role in keeping this tradition alive as well. Better-paying industrial jobs drew people from more rural communities to the city centers, but they still craved the scary stories they grew up listening to by the fire. Industrialization brought tons of jobs to people who previously had little to no opportunities to work, but it also stoked the fire of uncertainty during this time. Along with the rise of industry and science was the slow but steady fall of Victorian Britain as a global leader which made ghost stories like Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Old Nurse’s Story, Margaret Oliphant’s A Christmas Tale, and, of course, Charles Dickon’s A Christmas Carol popular reading choices among the masses.

Want to keep this ghostly tradition alive? Add these chilling ghost story collections to your TBR to deck your halls with holiday spirit!

We’ve talked about the Dark Ages and the Victorian Era, but what about today? Well, it turns out, we never truly let these darker holiday traditions go.

On the contrary, grisly, dark, and even murderous Christmas stories are still all the rage! You can’t walk through a bookstore or peruse your local library without seeing a seemingly endless collection of morbidly festive holiday reads… and audiobooks are no different. Each year, authors and narrators team up to create twisted tales to thrill the chill right out of their listeners. From cozy mysteries to white-knuckle suspense, Dreamscape Media’s modern holiday listens will keep the dark side of Christmas alive in your heart and headphones!

Add a little yikes to your yuletide with these thrilling holiday listens…