SANTA CLAUS
Today's Santa is a folk figure with multicultural roots. He embodies
characteristics of Saturn (Roman agricultural god), Cronos (Greek god,
also known as Father Time), the Holly King (Celtic god of the dying
year), Father Ice/Grandfather Frost (Russian winter god), Odin/Wotan
(Scandinavian/Teutonic All-Father who rides the sky on an eight-legged
horse), Frey (Norse fertility god), the Tomte (a Norse Land Spirit known
for giving gifts to children at this time of year), and Thor (Norse sky
god who rides the sky in a chariot drawn by goats). Julbock or Julbukk,
the Yule goat, from Sweden and Norway, had his beginnings as carrier for
the god Thor. Now he carries the Yule elf when he makes his rounds to
deliver presents and receive his offering of porridge.
When Early Christians co-opted the Yule holiday, they replaced the
ancient Holly King with religious figures like St. Nicholas, who was
said to live in Myra (Turkey) in about 300 A.D. Born an only child of a
wealthy family, he was orphaned at an early age when both parents died
of the plague. He grew up in a monastery and at the age of 17 became one
of the youngest priests ever. Many stories are told of his generosity as
he gave his wealth away in the form of gifts to those in need,
especially children. Legends tell of him either dropping bags of gold
down chimneys or throwing the bags through the windows where they landed
in the stockings hung from the fireplace to dry. Some years later
Nicholas became a bishop--hence the bishop's hat or miter, long flowing
gown, white beard and red cape.
When the Reformation took place, the new Protestants no longer desired
St. Nicholas as their gift-giver as he was too closely tied to the
Catholic Church. Therefore, each country or region developed their own
gift-giver. In France he was known as Pare Noel. In England he was
Father Christmas (always depicted with sprigs of holly, ivy, or
mistletoe). Germany knew him as Weihnachtsmann (Christmas man). When the
communists took over in Russia and outlawed Christianity, the Russians
began to call him Grandfather Frost, who wore blue instead of the
traditional red. To the Dutch, he was Sinterklaas (which eventually was
mispronounced in America and became Santa Claus). La Befana, a kindly
witch, rides a broomstick down the chimney to deliver toys into the
stockings of Italian children. These Santas were arrayed in every colour
of the rainbow--sometimes even in black. But they all had long white
beards and carried gifts for the children.
All of these Santas, however, never stray far from his earliest beginnings as god of the waning year.
As witches, we reclaim Santa's Pagan heritage.
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