It took many centuries for Saint Nicholas and His companion to take their modern form.
First of all, when it
comes to the macabre winter celebration, what people were looking for was a boogieman
figure to frighten children into obedience (“If you don’t go to bed now, he
will come for you!” “If you don’t study hard enough, he’ll come and get you.”).
Sleep Paralysis Archetypes
Depending on what
region or even what village you were in, the form, name and companion of this boogieman
differed much more than it does today, but it is very remarkable that they all
seem to draw from the archetypes that are often reported by people who suffer
from sleep paralysis.
For people who are
unfamiliar with sleep paralysis, it is something that happens to certain people
when they are about to fall asleep or about to wake up. During a sleep
paralysis episode, one’s brain is only partially asleep resulting in the
illusion that one is fully awake, but unable to move. [I]
Elements of actual
dreams seem to seep into reality as terrifying hallucinations of figures
standing next to one’s bed or sitting on one's chest. [II]
The exact appearance
of the figures (that appear during a sleep paralysis episode), seems to depend
on the culture, but in western countries, the most common types are the
following:
The Old Hag
A stereotypical witch.We can see Her in
Italian folklore: La Befana may not be an assistant of Saint Nicholas, but She
has a scary appearance and visits children to bring gift at the beginning of
the New Year.
The Bearded Man
Another
archetype is the bearded man. [III]
Saint Nicholas Himself
falls into this archetype, but also like Knecht
Ruprecht, some versions of Père Fouettard, Houseker, etc.
The Horned Man
Also frequently
reported is the horned man. [IV] The companion that
corresponds with this most clearly is Krampus of course, but there are traces
of horned companions in other regions too.
In one account from the
late 18th century, a man from Groningen (Netherlands) tries to
convince his readers that the tradition of enacting Saint Nicholas visits is
simply too terrifying and even harmful to children. He recounts a
childhood memory: on the night of the 5th of December, a man with a
mask and cow horns, draped in a cow skin unexpectedly entered his residence.
While making a lot of noise with his wooden clogs and the chain he had tied
around his waist, the spectre-like appearance said: “Are there any bad children
here?” [V]
Much later, we can
still find a trace of horned creatures associated with Saint Nicholas in the
Low Countries as this photograph from 1939, taken in Mechelen (Belgium)
testifies.
The Shadow Man
The next archetype is
probably also the most common one: the shadow man, a pitch black figure, with
or without a hat. Like we have mentioned before,
the blackened face is common among most types of helpers of Saint Nicholas:
Krampus, Knecht Ruprecht, Schmützli, Houseker, Père Fouettard, and Zwarte Piet.
In the case of Zwarte
Piet however, His afro textured hair and in some portrayals exaggerated big lips
and face make up that is dark brown, rather than black, makes it hard to deny
that stereotypes of Sub Sahara Africans have been involved. Although, the
explicit mentions of African roots are very rare. The explanation that His skin
was dark because of the sooth from the chimney seems to have been around for more than a few years.
Zwarte Piet = an African Man?
It has been perceived
as problematic for a while that a servant in chains who was feared by many
children, also looked like a stereotypical African, so this has definitively
influenced recent changes in His character and even appearance. Rather than a scary,
aggressive servant, Zwarte Piet is now a sweet and funny entertainer who
happens to be the co-worker and friend of Saint Nicholas. At first, His appearance had not
been adapted to the story of the chimney sooth yet, but in recent years
elements that make Zwarte Piet look like a stereotypical depiction of a Black
African man, are starting to get omitted.
Zwarte Piet = a Devil?
Neither the theory of
an African origin, nor the theory of chimney sooth on His face, seem to explain why this black figure emerged in Saint Nicholas Lore though. Every Sleep Paralysis
archetype can be found in the Saint Nicholas Lore, but who else were witches, a
black face, horns and shaggy hair associated with throughout the Middle Ages?
The Christian Devil of course! And consequently demons in general.
In the case of
Krampus, it is very clear that the iconography of the medieval devil has
something to do with it, but is Zwarte Piet really a devil too? He is, so it seems!
Several Dutch books from the 18th and 19th century indicate
that “Zwarte Piet” was understood to be a name for the Devil before He became
the companion of Sinterklaas. [VI] [VII]
Another book from the
19th century does not mention “Zwarte Piet” or Saint Nicholas either,
but the Devil is depicted in a way that is strikingly similar to how Zwarte
Piet is portrayed in the Low Countries today. It is therefore clear, we believe, that the macabre helpers of Saint Nicholas all derived from depictions
of the Devil. [VIII]
The Woodland Deity Pan / Faunus
The typical physical
traits seen in medieval depictions of the Devil are not really based on the
Bible [IX], it appears. An important
source of inspiration was almost certainly the pre-Christian woodland Deity
Pan. We believe that this
Deity was easiest to demonise because it perfectly combines several scary
archetypes that live in our subconscious and are encountered during sleep
paralysis, so reports from one’s environment add credibility to its existence. Perhaps even
the ancients themselves got their inspiration for depictions of Pan from sleep
paralysis? It is no coincidence that the English word “panic” derived from the
name of this Deity.
Faunalia Rustica
Just one remarkable fact to end with: Saint Nicholas and His helper are believed to visit the homes were children live on the night of December 5th and in ancient Roman countryside on that very day there were celebrations in honour of Faunus, the Latin name for Pan. [X]
Just one remarkable fact to end with: Saint Nicholas and His helper are believed to visit the homes were children live on the night of December 5th and in ancient Roman countryside on that very day there were celebrations in honour of Faunus, the Latin name for Pan. [X]
Sources
[I] Sharpless, Brian A. & Karl Doghramji (2015) Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological, and Medical Perspectives. Oxford University Press: p5.]
[II] Ascher, Rodney (director) (2015) The Nightmare. USA: Campfire, Zipper Bros Films.]
[III] Top, Stefaan (2007 ) Op verhaal komen: Sagen uit de provincie Antwerpen: p66, n°41.]
[IV] Alessandro Frosali (2015) Incubus | Short Horror Film (YouTube.com).]
[V] Weekblad voor de zoo genaamden gemeenen man (1798, eerste deel, tweede druk) Groningen: Departement stad en lande behoorende tot de maatschappij tot nut van 't algemeen: pp5-6.]
[VI] Bom, G & D. de Groot (1758) De bespookte waereld ontspookt. De duivel geroskamt, en het euangelie van den spinnerok weerlegt.: p30.]
[VII] Niermeyer, Antonie (1840) Verhandeling over het booze wezen in het bijgeloof onzer natie: eene bijdrage tot de kennis onzer voorvaderlijke mythologie, Volume 1: Amsterdam: Wijnands: p22.
[VIII] Lesage, A.R. (1830) De duivel op krukken: Eerste deel. Leeuwarden: H.C. Schetsberg: p8 (based on a French original)
[IX] Ezek. 10:8
[X] Horatius Flaccus, Q. (Horace). Odes: 3.18.
