Krampus was a dame!

[2020 update! Apparently this post is now the top Google hit for searches like “female Krampus.” I now have a moral obligation to add more. So I’m going to just keep piling on the images of vintage female Krampus cards. If you happen to have something old (like WW2 and earlier) that you don’t see here, PLEASE let me know in the comments or email weirdxmas@gmail.com. ENJOY!]

Well, not really.

But there are quite a few German cards from early and mid-century that show a female version of Krampus. The above is one of my favorites because it looks like they took a stock image of a sweet young woman and just added the trappings — craftsmanship at its finest.   But some go a bit further:

It’s not a stretch, though. The central European tradition of Perchta (sometimes Percht or Berchta), a female witch figure who gives presents and doles out punishment, is still around. And she sometimes carries switches like Krampus or St. Nick or Knecht Ruprecht in older traditions. Sometimes she was even shown with horns, or at least hanging out with a Krampus:

But even when male, it’s clear that Krampus is supposed to get some of his naughtiness from sex or from some kind of association with female iconography. I like how in this one a simple broom becomes the switches, as if suggesting that even your sweet little domestic goddess could turn into a demon at any moment, and her expression is anything but innocent, especially with those guys chained to the wall back there:

Then there are the cards that show Krampus to be powerless against women, turning into a simpering puppy-dog figure when he sees a pretty girl. I’m never sure if these are supposed to “weaken” Krampus or just show that women are more powerful. But it’s a big theme:

But then there are the ones that show women straight up taming and emasculating Krampus. Chicks got power, yo!

Some just go for the hard-ass bitch vibe. I’m down with that.

But this last one is definitely my favorite. She’s a full on intentional Krampus collecting dudes in her basket. Men suck.

 

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Lots more below! Some of Krampus as a woman, some where Krampus is getting seduced by a cute woman, sometimes he’s doing the seducing. These are from all times, and I think the most interesting are the ones that seem like flapper girls from the 20’s. Then there are some that must be from the 60s that go full bore with the “sex sells” kinda thing. (There’s one like a hinged paper doll that I’m not sure is authentically vintage, but thought I’d include it just for fun.) I’ll keep adding as I find more.

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