Belsnickel
belsnickel also known belschnickel belznickle belznickel pelznikel pelznickel bell sniggle crotchety furclad christmas giftbringer figure folklore palatinate region southwestern germany along rhine saarland odenwald area badenwürttemberg figure also preserved pennsylvania dutch community braziliangerman community belsnickel related companion saint nicholas folklore germanspeaking europe may based older german myth knecht ruprecht servant saint nicholas character northern germany unlike figure belsnickel accompany saint nicholas instead visit alone combine threatening benign aspect tradition divided saint nicholas companion figure belsnickel man wearing fur sometimes mask long tongue typically ragged disheveled wear torn tattered dirty clothes carry switch hand beat naughty child also pocketsful cake candy nut good child firsthand thcentury account beltznickle tradition allegany county maryland found brown miscellaneous writing collection essay jacob brown born writing period around brown say hear santa claus instead tradition called visit different character altogether known kriskinkle beltznickle sometimes christmas woman child saw mysterious person felt rather stripe upon back switch annual visitor would make appearance hour dark thoroughly disguised especially face would sometimes covered hideously ugly phiz generally wore female garb hence name christmas woman sometimes would veritable woman masculine force action would equipped ample sack shoulder filled cake nut fruit long hazel switch supposed kind charm well sting one hand would scatter goody upon floor scramble would begin delighted child hand would ply switch upon back excited youngster would show wince parental discipline would scream reach long distance belsnickel character originated palatinate people immigrated pennsylvania brought german tradition belsnickel known pennsylvania early amongst pennsylvania german belsnickel character visit home prior christmas check behavior child traditional belsnickel showed house – week christmas often created fright always knew exactly child misbehaved would rap door window stick often child would answer question sing type song exchange would toss candy onto floor child jumped quick treat may end getting struck belsnickels switch article british magazine describing pennsylvanian custom refers pelsnichol nicholas fur alluding dress skin said clad make pelsnichol identical krishkinkle general opinion two personage one rewarder good punisher bad according article pelsnichol merely leaf birch rod stocking naughty child two version belsnickel rural urban character described book christmas pennsylvania folk cultural study alfred l shoemaker yoder tradition fell decline toward end nineteenth century seen revival recent year tradition belsnickel brought indiana immigrant palatinate garb could vary one locality another might wear long black brown coat robe held together waist rope fur cap bear skin hat decorated bell branch tradition father older male relative often busy working outside see matter elsewhere house pelznickel belsnickel arrived belsnickling klausentreiben running group young men youth dressed false face fantastic costume belsnickle night eve feast st nicholas st nikolaustag occasion goodnatured boisterousness young men dressed skin fur would move street town village rattling chain bell tradition also exists part newfoundland see mummering nova scotia community brazilian state santa catarina writer letter column time refers illustration pelznickel book english author harriet myrtle little sister german illustrator hj schneider depicts long cloak pointed hood fur round neck long white beard big bag stoudts brewing company adamstown pennsylvania brew seasonal dark lager called belsnickle ottos pub brewery state college pennsylvania brew belsnickle ale antagonist john r neill book scalawagons oz thirtyfifth entry oz series created l frank baum mysterious monstrosity called bellsnickle first appears large bluishgreen object flat buckwheat cake rolling along edge like cartwheel creature arm leg well facial feature wear bell ear explaining least one portion name creature egotism petulance spoiled child author chet williamson published pennsylvania dutch night christmas childrens picture book includes belsnickel pennsylvania dutch version night christmas dwight christmas season nine episode office dwight schrute dress belsnickel spends significant portion episode deciding coworkers impish admirable company christmas party netflix film christmas chronicle feature belsnickel played actor julian dennison movie main antagonist goal movie destroy christmas see belsnickel § etymology krampus le père fouettard zwarte piet sociedade pelznickel