Krampus, Santa's terrifying companion

The Krampus is a mythical character popular in the alpine regions of southern Germany, Switzerland, Austria, South Tyrol in Italy and parts of the Czech Republic. The demon-like creature, which punishes misbehaving children, appears during the Christmas season. Dressed in animal fur, Krampuses wear cow bells attached to the waist, which they ring by shaking their hips.

Shocking people with its gruesome looks, the Krampus is Saint Nicholas' evil companion, watching out for naughty kids. Once it snatches them, it packs them in a basket it wears on its back and carts them off to the underworld. Sounds pretty scary, but doesn't keep people from attending the runs every year around Christmas time.

This Krampus in Austria catches a young woman from the crowd. Actually the runs through the alpine villages can be quite rough. Brawls are reported when onlookers and Krampuses clash - all in good humor.

The tradition dates back at least to the 16th century and is related to the Perchten gatherings in southern Germany. Perchten are the mythical entourage of Perchta, a goddess in the ancient southern German alpine pagan tradition. Krampus runs take place even in the United States and annual celebrations have begun in cities including San Francisco and Portland.

A traditional Krampus is described as a horned, furry monster with hand-carved wooden masks, but this beast-version from Neustift im Stubaital in Austria resembles some figures from recent horror movies.

Tyrol in Austria has seen the founding of numerous village Krampus associations with up to 100 members each in the last few decades. In a rather modern approach to the tradition, the parade takes place without St. Nicholas throughout November and early December.

Not all Krampuses are scary though and these brave children in Salzburg, Austria, don't seem to be too intimidated by this monster.

Parts of the Czech Republic also keep up with the folklore. In South Bohemia, a Krampus participant gets some rest after a parade. The knee protectors are signs for the undoubtedly boisterous run.

This woodcarver from Germany works on a new mask in his workshop in Marktschellenberg in Bavaria. The masks can be custom-made and there are no limits to how scary they can be. Real horns or red LED-lit eyes - these are just some options to make sure that children will be terrified.

The Krampus is not all that bad. Apart from instilling fear in naughty children, chasing away evil winter spirits is also one of its duties.