1 00:00:02,400 --> 00:00:05,800 Speaker 1: Happy Sunday. Since it's Christmas Eve, we have a special 2 00:00:05,800 --> 00:00:10,160 Speaker 1: holiday bonus episode today. It is the twenty sixteen installment 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: of our Crampus and Friends Holiday Special. This was actually 4 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:16,640 Speaker 1: the third in a series of episodes that came out 5 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,360 Speaker 1: in December over a stretch of years. We picked this 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:23,159 Speaker 1: particular one because it includes Mari Nude, who came up 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: in connection to our recent episode on the Rebecca Riots. 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: If you would like to hear the earlier installments of 9 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:32,040 Speaker 1: this series, they came out on December twenty first and 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: twenty third, twenty fifteen, and the fourth installment came out 11 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,199 Speaker 1: on December fourth, twenty nineteen. While most of these figures 12 00:00:39,240 --> 00:00:41,199 Speaker 1: are part of the holiday lore for children in the 13 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: places where they've originated, we have gotten a few notes 14 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,479 Speaker 1: from parents from other parts of the world saying they 15 00:00:46,479 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: were a little intense for their own kiddos. So if 16 00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: you are thinking of sharing any of the Crampus episodes 17 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,080 Speaker 1: with little ones, maybe just to give those a preview. 18 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:02,600 Speaker 1: Listen first, Happy Holidays and enjoy. Welcome to Stuff You 19 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:12,640 Speaker 1: Missed in History Class, a production of iHeartRadio. Hello and 20 00:01:12,680 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly Frye and I'm Tracy B. 21 00:01:16,280 --> 00:01:20,560 Speaker 1: Wilson and Tracy we've had a lot of heavy episodes 22 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: as of late. We sure have, which is great, but 23 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: we are heading into the holiday season and sometimes you 24 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:31,959 Speaker 1: want to have a little frivolity. Yep. Last year we 25 00:01:32,040 --> 00:01:35,760 Speaker 1: did two episodes about holiday figures from around the world, 26 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,200 Speaker 1: where we talked about the many non Santa Claus figures 27 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,000 Speaker 1: that are celebrated during the winter season. So we talked 28 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: about Crampus, La Bafana Center, Claus Zvarta, Pete Grilla. When 29 00:01:47,360 --> 00:01:49,640 Speaker 1: Tracy went on her honeymoon, she brought me back a 30 00:01:49,680 --> 00:01:54,000 Speaker 1: lovely grilla ornament. We talked about bells, Nicole and Perfuard 31 00:01:54,280 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: and TiO Dintu, but there are more than that. So 32 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:00,200 Speaker 1: today we're going to add a third installment. This'll be 33 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:03,320 Speaker 1: the twenty sixteen edition of the Crampus and Friends Holiday 34 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:05,760 Speaker 1: Power Hour, although right out of the gate, there's no 35 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,920 Speaker 1: Crampus in this one. We're just using that naming convention 36 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: to continue the series for continuity, but you can always 37 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,280 Speaker 1: go back to that previous episode and it's not really 38 00:02:15,320 --> 00:02:17,800 Speaker 1: an hour, So we're fibbers as well in that regard, 39 00:02:17,880 --> 00:02:21,839 Speaker 1: but it is intended to mostly just be a fun 40 00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: way to think about the holidays. From some other perspectives, 41 00:02:26,240 --> 00:02:28,640 Speaker 1: some of it is very kooky, and you'll be like, 42 00:02:28,680 --> 00:02:33,639 Speaker 1: what that's a Christmas or New Year's tradition. Yeah. One day, 43 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 1: I think you were out of the office for some 44 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:38,519 Speaker 1: reason and I put a little thing on our Facebook 45 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:43,600 Speaker 1: that was like, Okay, what sorts of winter slash Christmas 46 00:02:43,639 --> 00:02:47,840 Speaker 1: slash yule tide topics do folks want to talk about? 47 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:51,280 Speaker 1: Because sometimes it feels like we are nearing the end 48 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:59,679 Speaker 1: of seasonal topics. And two of the stranger from my 49 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: interview figures we will be talking about came directly from 50 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:10,799 Speaker 1: the folks suggestions. Yeah, yeah, and I'm you know we 51 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 1: love more. So if you want this to happen again 52 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 1: a year from now, feel free to keep sending those. 53 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:20,160 Speaker 1: We'll keep a list. Even though Holly just beautifully pronounced 54 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: so many names, we do want to say there are 55 00:03:24,120 --> 00:03:27,920 Speaker 1: a lot of different languages represented here. We don't speak 56 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:34,000 Speaker 1: any of them. We are gonna make our best, heavily 57 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:36,840 Speaker 1: researched effort to try to say all of these right, 58 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:40,440 Speaker 1: but please forgive us when we don't. And I would 59 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: say I think Tracy is probably being very kind when 60 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: she says, I beautifully pronounce those because I'm confident there 61 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: was some butchering taking place as you were reading them, 62 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:55,440 Speaker 1: though I was like, oh, those sounds so lovely. We're 63 00:03:55,440 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 1: going to begin with Frau Perchta, who is a holiday 64 00:03:58,160 --> 00:04:03,240 Speaker 1: figure associated with the Alps. She's common in Austrian and 65 00:04:03,320 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: Southern German folklore, although she's certainly not confined exclusively to 66 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: that area, and she's been part of the lore in 67 00:04:10,240 --> 00:04:13,200 Speaker 1: other places as well, And there are also some slight 68 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: variations to her name which generally correlate to how she 69 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:21,640 Speaker 1: is represented in different geographical areas. And there's a bit 70 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 1: of debate around Perta's origins. Scholars who link her to 71 00:04:25,839 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: Paganism suggest that she was originally a goddess figure that 72 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,040 Speaker 1: then became twisted into a more sinister hag character as 73 00:04:33,160 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 1: Christianity enveloped cultures that had pagan roots and kind of 74 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 1: tried to adopt and adapt those ideas. So her name, 75 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: according to Jacob Grimm's Deutsche Mythology, meant shining one. But 76 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: it's also suggested that her name was potentially originally a 77 00:04:48,200 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: completely different word, which was stempe, associated with stamping, sort 78 00:04:52,920 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: of a more violent, angrier kind of idea and the 79 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,200 Speaker 1: darker parts of her mythology. And she's also sometimes associated 80 00:05:01,240 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 1: with a figure called frau Hola or frau Hola. Sometimes 81 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:08,360 Speaker 1: they're kind of represented as sisters or cousins, or one 82 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: is the northern version, one is the Southern version, and 83 00:05:11,480 --> 00:05:15,680 Speaker 1: that's a figure of possibly Scandinavian origin who's also associated 84 00:05:15,720 --> 00:05:19,559 Speaker 1: with agriculture and the arts and has parallel festival timing, 85 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:22,880 Speaker 1: which is why they're often linked together. But much of 86 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: Perta's origin story is a mess of speculation and piecing 87 00:05:27,040 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: together puzzles which are missing really big pieces. This is 88 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:33,279 Speaker 1: one of those cases we often find where one writing 89 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: in this case Grim's asserts some things and it gets 90 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 1: picked up and repeated as facts without any actual substantiation 91 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:42,920 Speaker 1: for those claims. Yeah, that happens a lot, particularly in folklore. 92 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,320 Speaker 1: I'm sure anybody should we have any folklore scholars listening, 93 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: They know that this is a big part of picking 94 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,280 Speaker 1: apart and teasing out the truth of any given origin story. 95 00:05:53,080 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: So away from the paganism interpretation. There is a folklore 96 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,800 Speaker 1: scholar named JB. Smith, and he spoke at a conference 97 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,640 Speaker 1: in two thousand where he described her more as the 98 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: folkloric personification of Epiphany, and this was as he put 99 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:09,640 Speaker 1: it in a paper that he published later quote in 100 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,640 Speaker 1: harmony with a general medieval tendency to personify feast and 101 00:06:13,720 --> 00:06:17,320 Speaker 1: fast days. I'm just gonna take a moment to say, 102 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,960 Speaker 1: I really miss Labifana the Epiphany, which you don't have 103 00:06:22,000 --> 00:06:23,599 Speaker 1: to miss her. You can have her in her home 104 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: this holiday season. Sure so, Frau Parkta's role as part 105 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,640 Speaker 1: of a holiday celebration has evolved just the same as 106 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: many many other holiday figures. She shows up during the 107 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: twelve days of Christmas, and in modern traditions she has 108 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,240 Speaker 1: come to be known as sort of a behavior barometer 109 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 1: for keeping children in line. Good children are rewarded and 110 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,640 Speaker 1: bad children are punished, and lying makes her especially angry. 111 00:06:47,320 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: She's kind of a grumpy protector, taking care of people 112 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,039 Speaker 1: and warding off evil, but really ready to dole out 113 00:06:53,080 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: penalties if she thinks you've misbehaved. But earlier incarnations of 114 00:06:58,240 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: Practa were much darker in the judgment of good versus 115 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: bad behavior, so she would punish people who worked, specifically 116 00:07:06,760 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: those who worked at spinning, which is a task she's 117 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: very closely associated with. Who did that on holidays or 118 00:07:14,240 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: did not participate in community feasts and celebrations. So she's 119 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 1: often referenced as like the keeper of an enforcer of taboos, 120 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: So like you do not work on holiday, you'd take 121 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: that time to be part of the community and feast 122 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: at times, and her mythologies, she's taken on some truly 123 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: gruesome characteristics. She would seek out the lazy members of 124 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: a community and then punish them for their lack of 125 00:07:38,120 --> 00:07:42,640 Speaker 1: motivation by cutting open their bellies, removing their viscera, and 126 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: then filling them up with garbage. There are some lines 127 00:07:47,320 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: that can be drawn from all of this belly slitting 128 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: and her connection to feasting and making sure that people 129 00:07:54,240 --> 00:07:59,040 Speaker 1: observe the holiday calendar. Ee yeah, there are some kind 130 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: of theory reticals where people say, oh yes, because they're 131 00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 1: not taking part in the feast, she will fill them 132 00:08:05,680 --> 00:08:07,520 Speaker 1: with things that they don't like if they're not willing 133 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: to be part of that meal in celebration and community moment. 134 00:08:10,880 --> 00:08:14,560 Speaker 1: But her sinister holiday dealings were not just about doling 135 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: out consequences for the lazy. Greed was also a target 136 00:08:18,200 --> 00:08:20,760 Speaker 1: and even being too inquisitive, So you can see how 137 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:24,240 Speaker 1: this kind of gets really to the heart of that 138 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: whole community thing, like basically, don't be a troublemaker, do 139 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: your work when you're supposed to, take breaks, and be 140 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: part of the community when you're supposed to. And there 141 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:34,240 Speaker 1: are even some less common variations in her lore in 142 00:08:34,280 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: which she finds children who have lied. We mentioned a 143 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: moment ago that she really hated it, and she scrapes 144 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: their tongues with glass. In some places, her legend extends 145 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: beyond winter and the winter holidays and crosses over with 146 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,760 Speaker 1: other mythical figures. She's said to live in lush wooded 147 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:55,320 Speaker 1: areas and in lakes in the summertime, and to bless 148 00:08:55,360 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: flocks of sheep for shepherds who brought her flax when 149 00:08:58,440 --> 00:09:02,160 Speaker 1: it was warm. She was, in some places so associated 150 00:09:02,200 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: with this more agrarian spinning culture that it was said 151 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,960 Speaker 1: that she could sometimes be seen wandering the green slopes 152 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: of mountains in twilight carrying a golden spindle. And then 153 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:14,839 Speaker 1: she moved into the more mountainous caves in the winter, 154 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,480 Speaker 1: which is where she would make snow just sort of 155 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:21,920 Speaker 1: lovely and nicer than her cutting people open and stuff 156 00:09:21,920 --> 00:09:25,599 Speaker 1: and garbage in their abdomens. There are some really specific 157 00:09:25,679 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: folklore stories about Perkta, and there are three that we're 158 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,800 Speaker 1: going to mention. These were referenced again in that longer 159 00:09:31,840 --> 00:09:34,840 Speaker 1: paper by JB. Smith, and they feature traveling with sort 160 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,080 Speaker 1: of a band of ghosts, and those are those of 161 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:41,760 Speaker 1: unbaptized children who could not travel to their afterlife. So 162 00:09:41,800 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: she and this group of spirits, and sometimes these spirits 163 00:09:44,800 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 1: are characterized in this benign way as sort of these 164 00:09:47,360 --> 00:09:50,920 Speaker 1: orphans and unbaptized children, but at other times they're depicted 165 00:09:50,960 --> 00:09:54,199 Speaker 1: more as a collection of demons that travel with her, 166 00:09:54,240 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: and those are referred to collectively as Perkton. And in 167 00:09:57,360 --> 00:09:59,679 Speaker 1: these tales, which are more modern, she serves in a 168 00:09:59,760 --> 00:10:02,840 Speaker 1: role which rewards good for the most part, rather than 169 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 1: her more terrifying belly slitting, tongue scraping incarnation. In one, 170 00:10:08,360 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: while she's traveling with her party of unbaptized children and 171 00:10:11,480 --> 00:10:15,160 Speaker 1: a carriage over rough terrain, a wheel falls off of 172 00:10:15,200 --> 00:10:18,280 Speaker 1: their ride, and a kind passerby makes a new lynchpin 173 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:20,719 Speaker 1: by carving it from wood, and she tells him to 174 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: keep the woodch shavings, which then turn into gold in 175 00:10:23,520 --> 00:10:28,560 Speaker 1: his pocket. Sort of a much nicer version. In another story, 176 00:10:28,600 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: an impoverished man goes looking in the night for a 177 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 1: god parent for his newborn child, and this baby in 178 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,559 Speaker 1: the story is a fresh addition to an already large 179 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,880 Speaker 1: family that he is struggling to provide for, and when 180 00:10:40,920 --> 00:10:44,120 Speaker 1: he happens upon Perchte and her destitute children in the woods, 181 00:10:44,480 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 1: he shows them compassion, remarking to one who looks especially 182 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:50,480 Speaker 1: poorly clothed. In some stories, this child is wearing only 183 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,560 Speaker 1: their undergarments. I'm going to butcher this word, so I 184 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: apologize you, poor little Zotovasher in addressing the child with 185 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,800 Speaker 1: a name which apparently translates roughly to ragged little mite, 186 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: and showing kindness, he earns Perchta's blessing, and good fortune 187 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,439 Speaker 1: soon comes to him in the form of a wealthy benefactor. 188 00:11:10,200 --> 00:11:13,360 Speaker 1: The last of the Pekta's stories that Smith recounts features 189 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:15,839 Speaker 1: a farm hand who hides in a stove to spy 190 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: on Percta and her children after his employer prepares a 191 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:22,360 Speaker 1: room for them in their farmhouse for twelfth night. When 192 00:11:22,360 --> 00:11:25,240 Speaker 1: the travelers arrive, she tells one of the children to 193 00:11:25,320 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: plug up a hole she sees in the stove, and 194 00:11:27,840 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: that was the one that the farm hand was looking through. 195 00:11:31,080 --> 00:11:33,439 Speaker 1: He waits out their stay and when he's when he 196 00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:37,640 Speaker 1: emerges after they've left, he realizes that he is blind. 197 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,080 Speaker 1: He returns to the stove the following year, and this 198 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: time Pecta tells her child to unplug the hole in 199 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:48,640 Speaker 1: his stight his site is restored. I've made a note 200 00:11:48,640 --> 00:11:54,040 Speaker 1: that it's like mythical laser. So while Parkda's modern incarnation 201 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,680 Speaker 1: follows the frequent theme of holiday figures designed to encourage 202 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:01,000 Speaker 1: good behavior in children during the holiday, she has throughout 203 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:03,720 Speaker 1: her years been many things to many people, but always 204 00:12:03,720 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: with a touch of magic, and of course including some 205 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:08,840 Speaker 1: of those dark things like being a belly slitter. There 206 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: are also areas where a modern Pechton celebration takes place, 207 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,240 Speaker 1: and it's kind of like Krampusnacht where her demons, which 208 00:12:16,280 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: are young men in scary wooden masks called shaia Pechten, 209 00:12:20,440 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: run through the streets of the town, and in some 210 00:12:22,520 --> 00:12:25,800 Speaker 1: places this happens twice. The scary version comes first, and 211 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,480 Speaker 1: then later when they run through the streets again, they 212 00:12:28,480 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: are en handsome non demonic forms, which sounds kind of 213 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: fun to me, but also exhausting if you have to 214 00:12:36,600 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: do it. Twice, So we're gonna pause in the festivities 215 00:12:39,920 --> 00:12:42,479 Speaker 1: here for a little break from one of our sponsors. 216 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,840 Speaker 1: So next up is the Welsh holiday figure Mari Luid, 217 00:12:54,360 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: and this name translates to gray mayor. You'll sometimes also 218 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: see it as holy Man Gray Mary, and it can 219 00:13:02,679 --> 00:13:05,760 Speaker 1: be to foreigners sort of equal parts festive and frightening. 220 00:13:06,120 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: It almost seems, if you are not familiar with this custom, 221 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:12,600 Speaker 1: more like a Halloween celebration, because while the marii Luid 222 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:16,080 Speaker 1: is a character of sorts, it's really an act of Mary. 223 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:20,920 Speaker 1: Though macabre puppetry. The mari Luid tradition is believed to 224 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:24,520 Speaker 1: bring good fortune, and it all starts with a horse 225 00:13:24,760 --> 00:13:27,920 Speaker 1: skull on New Year's Eve. That skull is then adorned 226 00:13:27,920 --> 00:13:31,160 Speaker 1: with decorative ears and eyes and dressed up with accessories 227 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,680 Speaker 1: like bright ribbons and bells, and that's carried around on 228 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:36,600 Speaker 1: a pole, usually with a sheet wrapped around it to 229 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,960 Speaker 1: conceal the person who's carrying the pole. And traditionally the 230 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:44,040 Speaker 1: Madi Lud was carried door to door by merrymakers who 231 00:13:44,040 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: would sing, They would challenge the occupants to verse battles 232 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: and ultimately, if the maighti Luid bearers were the winners 233 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: of those battles would ask to be invited into the 234 00:13:52,800 --> 00:13:55,960 Speaker 1: home they were visiting. And there's actually a really fun 235 00:13:56,720 --> 00:13:59,560 Speaker 1: BBC film from nineteen sixty six of this call and 236 00:13:59,640 --> 00:14:03,160 Speaker 1: respond of song that goes on that's available on YouTube 237 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:04,640 Speaker 1: and we will have a link to that in our 238 00:14:04,679 --> 00:14:08,400 Speaker 1: show notes. Once inside the home, the visitors would be 239 00:14:08,400 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: treated to refreshments and sometimes would receive small gifts of cash, 240 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: and in exchange they would entertain for a bit before 241 00:14:15,600 --> 00:14:18,840 Speaker 1: moving on to the next town. To have Marie lud 242 00:14:18,920 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: in your home was believed to bring with it good 243 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 1: fortune and to clear the home of bad spirits. So 244 00:14:24,080 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: really this whole horse bearing visitors are always invited in 245 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:32,360 Speaker 1: for some hospitality. Yeah, they always win in the battle, 246 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,600 Speaker 1: whether no matter how it plays out, they're always kind 247 00:14:34,640 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: of the winners, and so they get to come in. 248 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:38,800 Speaker 1: And this is actually, if you really want to trace 249 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:41,320 Speaker 1: it back to its most basic roots, a very very 250 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: old tradition and it's certainly not exclusive to Welsh culture. Certainly, 251 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: performing with animal masks and singing in call and response 252 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,600 Speaker 1: style as part of a cultural tradition and sharing food 253 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: and drink have been parts of very ancient customs that 254 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: build community and mark the changing of the seasons, way 255 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,040 Speaker 1: way back into mankind history. As for the origins of 256 00:15:02,080 --> 00:15:04,960 Speaker 1: this particular tradition, because of how old it is, things 257 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: are kind of nebulous really quickly, but piecing together the ingredients, 258 00:15:09,720 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 1: the horse in Celtic Britain represented fertility and strength, and additionally, 259 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,040 Speaker 1: the idea of passing back and forth from the living 260 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: world to the underworld is one that held a lot 261 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:23,360 Speaker 1: of power and this is the horse's skull. So the 262 00:15:23,400 --> 00:15:26,400 Speaker 1: horse is deceased. Yeah, so the horse is doing that 263 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: passing back and forth as part of this New Year's celebration. 264 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:33,360 Speaker 1: But this old form of caroling turned friendly competition has 265 00:15:33,400 --> 00:15:36,880 Speaker 1: also had a really pretty active revival in recent decades. 266 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,160 Speaker 1: There are a number of small groups that like to 267 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: perform the Mari Luid in various Welsh towns as well 268 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,240 Speaker 1: as bigger regional gatherings where the horse skull puppet comes 269 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,520 Speaker 1: out and this old ritual is enacted really with great glee. 270 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:52,720 Speaker 1: This is another thing you can find videos of online 271 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: and they're really quite fun. In addition to all the 272 00:15:55,560 --> 00:15:58,920 Speaker 1: New Year's appearances, it's also sometimes there are appearances in 273 00:15:58,960 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 1: the spring. Yeah, and there's also for people who are 274 00:16:03,080 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: curious what this actually looks like. There is a really 275 00:16:05,720 --> 00:16:08,040 Speaker 1: interesting flicker group that we will link to in the 276 00:16:08,040 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: show notes so you can see photos of some of 277 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:13,440 Speaker 1: these decorated horse skull puppets. They're really quite fun. It 278 00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:16,240 Speaker 1: sounds a little weird and creepy if you're not familiar 279 00:16:16,240 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: with it, but it seems so joyous and delightful when 280 00:16:19,200 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: you actually get to watch it. Our next holiday figure 281 00:16:23,320 --> 00:16:25,840 Speaker 1: is from Basque Country and it's sort of a Santa 282 00:16:25,840 --> 00:16:30,960 Speaker 1: Claus variation. Olinciro is an old man, grubby with smears 283 00:16:30,960 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 1: of coal dust and has a pot belly, and that 284 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:37,040 Speaker 1: may initially sound similar to Santa but Olncero is not 285 00:16:37,880 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: dressed in red fir trim suits. He wears more standard clothing, 286 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,880 Speaker 1: usually that of a peasant farmer, and he has a 287 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: big red nose. Yeah. I was reading a translated page 288 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:52,200 Speaker 1: about him where that there was a significant hint that 289 00:16:52,320 --> 00:16:56,880 Speaker 1: his nose suggested that he had some pretty chronic drinking habits. 290 00:16:57,360 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: But I don't know if you if we should include 291 00:17:01,120 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: that because it was just in the one spot and 292 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,200 Speaker 1: following the theme of many of these holiday characters. Olensiro's 293 00:17:07,240 --> 00:17:11,280 Speaker 1: origins are not entirely clear. His name may suggest the 294 00:17:11,320 --> 00:17:15,000 Speaker 1: idea of calling or asking related to an older Basque 295 00:17:15,040 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: tradition where children would go from house to house sort 296 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: of singing for their supper. They would entertain in the 297 00:17:21,040 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 1: hopes of getting food or money, but this was not 298 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,720 Speaker 1: like trick or treating. They would actually collect these things 299 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:29,160 Speaker 1: and then they would go back to their own home, 300 00:17:29,240 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: and that food and money that they had gathered would 301 00:17:31,840 --> 00:17:35,680 Speaker 1: be used to assemble a feast meal. In writings dating 302 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:39,359 Speaker 1: back several hundred years, Olencro appears as a member of 303 00:17:39,400 --> 00:17:42,440 Speaker 1: a race of giants who lived in the Pyrenees. According 304 00:17:42,520 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: to this legend, these people saw a glowing cloud in 305 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:47,760 Speaker 1: the sky, so bright that it was painful to look at, 306 00:17:48,280 --> 00:17:52,280 Speaker 1: and a man who was partially blind could look at it. 307 00:17:52,440 --> 00:17:54,479 Speaker 1: So the giants held him aloft so he could get 308 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,960 Speaker 1: a closer look. When they put him back, he said 309 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,960 Speaker 1: the sign was He said that the cloud was a 310 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:04,680 Speaker 1: sign of the birth of Jesus. Okay, so this may 311 00:18:04,720 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: sound sort of nice and kind of an interesting and 312 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: variation on this story up to this point, but brace 313 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,119 Speaker 1: because things are about to get really really weird. So 314 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 1: fearing the changes of the world that the arrival of 315 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 1: the Son of God might hearken. This old, partially blind 316 00:18:19,320 --> 00:18:22,320 Speaker 1: man wanted to die, and he asked the giants to 317 00:18:22,359 --> 00:18:24,879 Speaker 1: throw him off a cliff, and they walked up a 318 00:18:24,920 --> 00:18:27,879 Speaker 1: mountain and fulfilled this wish. But then as they descended, 319 00:18:27,960 --> 00:18:31,280 Speaker 1: they all fell to their deaths save one survivor, and 320 00:18:31,320 --> 00:18:36,000 Speaker 1: that was Olenceo. Now, according to this about to get 321 00:18:36,119 --> 00:18:42,040 Speaker 1: Grizzly legend, Olencero continued down the mountain into the villages below, 322 00:18:42,200 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 1: and they got there and punished people who were eating 323 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:49,040 Speaker 1: too much on the day before Christ's birth by slitting 324 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 1: their throats. There's some irony here, and that Olencero was 325 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:57,040 Speaker 1: something of a glutton and a little too fond of drink. 326 00:18:57,960 --> 00:19:02,520 Speaker 1: So that's a little dark. Uh yeah, that's maybe not 327 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:05,359 Speaker 1: the most merry Christmas story ever, And that is not 328 00:19:05,440 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: the story as it's told today. So now Olentro is 329 00:19:10,200 --> 00:19:13,080 Speaker 1: not a giant but a regular human man who spreads love. 330 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:15,440 Speaker 1: And in this version of the story, he was adopted 331 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,160 Speaker 1: by a fairy after having been found in the woods 332 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: as a baby, presumably abandoned, and as he grew up 333 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:24,120 Speaker 1: he became a charcoal maker, and then he would carve 334 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: figures out of the charcoal to create toys for children, 335 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,720 Speaker 1: and he would visit villages and distribute these toys every 336 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 1: time he had filled his sack up with them. And 337 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:36,680 Speaker 1: on one such toy distribution visit, he was trapped while 338 00:19:36,680 --> 00:19:39,560 Speaker 1: saving Sometimes it's one child, sometimes it seems like it's 339 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: several children from a burning house. And he became trapped 340 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 1: in the house and it looked like that was his end. 341 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 1: But his fairy mother came to him in that moment, 342 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:50,080 Speaker 1: and to reward him for his bravery, she not only 343 00:19:50,119 --> 00:19:53,120 Speaker 1: saved him, but made him immortal so he can make 344 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:57,639 Speaker 1: and share toys with children forever. Now, life size figures 345 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:00,200 Speaker 1: of Alenco are made with wood or paper mache, and 346 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:04,240 Speaker 1: then they're carried through the streets on Christmas Eve. Yeah, 347 00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:06,480 Speaker 1: I read in one spot, but I couldn't verify again 348 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: because most of this is foreign language and I'm reading 349 00:20:08,960 --> 00:20:15,160 Speaker 1: interesting translations. Sometimes he is set on fire as part 350 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:20,320 Speaker 1: of the festivities to kind of represent that story. So again, 351 00:20:20,560 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: an interesting twist on the Christmas story. And I need 352 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,640 Speaker 1: some eggnogs, So let's pause for a sponsor break. Does 353 00:20:27,640 --> 00:20:30,199 Speaker 1: that sound yummy to you, Tracy? Yes? Okay, let's have 354 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:32,239 Speaker 1: a sponsor break, We'll get some agnog and then we'll 355 00:20:32,240 --> 00:20:42,440 Speaker 1: get to our next holiday story. Dead Motros or Father 356 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: Frost is a Slavic variation on Santa Claus and Dead 357 00:20:45,840 --> 00:20:48,359 Speaker 1: Morros is an icon of winter, and he and his 358 00:20:48,480 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: granddaughter or daughter or possibly fairy god daughter, depending on 359 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:56,680 Speaker 1: your source, Snegarochka bring New Year's gifts as they ride 360 00:20:56,680 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: in their sleigh, which is drawn by a trio of 361 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:02,400 Speaker 1: horses and all so includes a beautiful evergreen tree as 362 00:21:02,400 --> 00:21:07,159 Speaker 1: its cargo. Snegarochka is often mentioned as the thing that 363 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: sets dead Morotes. Apart from other Santa like figures, of 364 00:21:10,840 --> 00:21:13,840 Speaker 1: which there are many, none of the others travels with 365 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,680 Speaker 1: a female counterpart. Snegarochka is also called the Snow Maiden 366 00:21:17,800 --> 00:21:19,960 Speaker 1: or just Snowy, and as we just mentioned, she has 367 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: a number of different roles because her origin story really 368 00:21:23,040 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: varies quite greatly. She may be Father Frost's daughter with 369 00:21:27,280 --> 00:21:30,239 Speaker 1: the Snow Queen, or she might, as one legend tells it, 370 00:21:30,280 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: be a girl made of snow by a couple desperate 371 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,960 Speaker 1: for a child and then brought to life by their love. 372 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:39,960 Speaker 1: In a legend, because she cannot withstand the transition from 373 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:43,800 Speaker 1: winter to spring without changing form. She sometimes becomes a 374 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:47,080 Speaker 1: cloud after the warmth melts her, and so she represents 375 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,240 Speaker 1: the changing of the seasons and when she appears with 376 00:21:50,320 --> 00:21:55,200 Speaker 1: dead mottoes. However, Snegarochka is a gorgeous, glamorous creature. Her 377 00:21:55,280 --> 00:21:58,359 Speaker 1: long winter robes are always bejeweled, and she helps deliver 378 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,480 Speaker 1: gifts to good children. She also serves as sort of 379 00:22:01,480 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: this bridge between Father Frost and the children, because she'll 380 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: play with the kids and she'll get Father Frost to 381 00:22:07,320 --> 00:22:11,240 Speaker 1: join in from time to time. Dead Morots has roots 382 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: in the Saint Nicholas story of course, as well as 383 00:22:13,640 --> 00:22:16,720 Speaker 1: the Russian hero figure of Morotzko, who is similar to 384 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: Jack Frost, sometimes described as a demon of snow who 385 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:24,239 Speaker 1: can freeze water with his cold iron fists. Morotzko and 386 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,520 Speaker 1: in turn Dead Morots as a duality of nature, a 387 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:30,800 Speaker 1: protector of the good and the hard working and the 388 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 1: punisher of the lazy and deceitful. Yeah, pretty common theme 389 00:22:35,960 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: through all of the holiday figures that we've talked about 390 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:41,080 Speaker 1: on the three episodes we've done on these, for they, 391 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,840 Speaker 1: you know, reward the good and punish the bad. And 392 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:49,000 Speaker 1: while Dead Morots is similar to Santa in many ways. 393 00:22:49,280 --> 00:22:52,280 Speaker 1: His style sets him apart a little bit. His great 394 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:55,560 Speaker 1: fur coat is ankle length, and it and his cap 395 00:22:55,600 --> 00:22:59,280 Speaker 1: are normally heavily embellished with white and metallic sort of 396 00:22:59,320 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: graphical scrollwork designs that can range from like I said 397 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: that scroll work to you know, a smattering of stars. 398 00:23:06,040 --> 00:23:09,720 Speaker 1: They often include pearl and crystal beating that mimics sparkling snow. 399 00:23:10,400 --> 00:23:13,719 Speaker 1: He also carries a magical staff that helps keep sweet 400 00:23:13,720 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 1: old Father Frost as nimble as a youngster as he 401 00:23:16,440 --> 00:23:20,640 Speaker 1: travels through the cold winter night. In the late nineteen nineties, 402 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:24,159 Speaker 1: it was decided that Dead Moritz's home is a small 403 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:28,280 Speaker 1: town in northern Russia called Veliky Ustieg, which is in 404 00:23:28,320 --> 00:23:32,160 Speaker 1: the Vologodsky region, and if you like, you can get 405 00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: on a train and go visit him there where he 406 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,440 Speaker 1: lives in a log cabin that sits at the point 407 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:41,720 Speaker 1: where three rivers meet. And Dead Barots is fortunately a 408 00:23:41,800 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: voracious reader, because he spends his non winter time pouring 409 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,359 Speaker 1: over all of the letters that he gets from the 410 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 1: children of Russia, carefully noting what their New Year's gift 411 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:56,520 Speaker 1: wishes might be his. But Dead Moritz has his own 412 00:23:56,760 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: dark past and his mythology. While now he is known 413 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:03,560 Speaker 1: as this kindly sweet man who spreads love and toys, 414 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,479 Speaker 1: he has been written about has a much more terrifying figure. 415 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:11,080 Speaker 1: Nineteenth century poet nikolay necrosoft pen a poem called Morrit's 416 00:24:11,200 --> 00:24:15,480 Speaker 1: Red Nose in which Father Frost was a cruel was cruel, 417 00:24:15,960 --> 00:24:19,080 Speaker 1: freezing people to death for his own amusement, and one 418 00:24:19,080 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: particularly horrifying move in the story, he freezes an impoverished 419 00:24:23,200 --> 00:24:28,679 Speaker 1: widow and then laughs at her orphaned children. That's not cool, 420 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:32,920 Speaker 1: not nice at all. No, but eventually his image did soften. 421 00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:38,399 Speaker 1: But what really ended up sort of changing things for 422 00:24:38,520 --> 00:24:42,800 Speaker 1: Dead Moros is the Bolshevik Revolution. It halted appearances of 423 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:46,159 Speaker 1: this particular holiday figure for a time, so from nineteen 424 00:24:46,240 --> 00:24:49,320 Speaker 1: seventeen into the nineteen thirties the sort of anti religious 425 00:24:49,320 --> 00:24:52,000 Speaker 1: movement made Dead Moros, who is seen as a children's 426 00:24:52,000 --> 00:24:56,240 Speaker 1: god and unwelcome cultural icon. But he did re emerge 427 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:58,960 Speaker 1: in the mid nineteen thirties. His views shifted slightly and 428 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,360 Speaker 1: his benefit to the children of the country was seen 429 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: as more important than the rejection of the bourgeoisie figure. 430 00:25:04,680 --> 00:25:07,439 Speaker 1: Although this is really when he kind of became solidified 431 00:25:07,440 --> 00:25:10,159 Speaker 1: as a New Year's visitor rather than a Christmas figure. 432 00:25:11,080 --> 00:25:14,240 Speaker 1: After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in nineteen ninety one, 433 00:25:14,440 --> 00:25:17,960 Speaker 1: variations on dead Morotes developed in the various countries that 434 00:25:18,000 --> 00:25:22,200 Speaker 1: had previously been part of the USSR. Yeah, there are 435 00:25:22,280 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: certainly similarities, but some have even changed up the name 436 00:25:26,400 --> 00:25:28,639 Speaker 1: to really sort of set theirs apart and kind of 437 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:33,240 Speaker 1: create their own cultural traditions. But since two thousand and 438 00:25:33,240 --> 00:25:36,600 Speaker 1: two there's been this other interesting tradition that Dead Modotes 439 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:40,280 Speaker 1: has been part of sort of an act of political goodwill. 440 00:25:40,840 --> 00:25:43,720 Speaker 1: So every year Father Frost has a holiday meeting with 441 00:25:43,800 --> 00:25:46,879 Speaker 1: Finland's Santa Claus at a spot on the border that 442 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:50,720 Speaker 1: the two nations share, and literally, while border guards look on, 443 00:25:51,520 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 1: children perform songs and dances, and the two holiday figures 444 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 1: exchange gifts with one another. According to reports that I found, 445 00:25:59,280 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: in twenty fourteen, Santa Claus gave Dead Modots a universal 446 00:26:03,000 --> 00:26:06,399 Speaker 1: charger for mobile devices, possibly to keep the elves charged 447 00:26:06,480 --> 00:26:09,439 Speaker 1: up and ready, and Dead Modots gave Santa Claus a 448 00:26:09,480 --> 00:26:12,280 Speaker 1: picture book with Vladimir Putin on the cover. And then 449 00:26:12,280 --> 00:26:15,160 Speaker 1: in twenty fifteen things became a bit more traditional. Dead 450 00:26:15,200 --> 00:26:19,280 Speaker 1: Monots gave Santa an ice snowflake, and Santa Claus in 451 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:22,320 Speaker 1: turn gave him a basket of sweets. So no telling 452 00:26:22,400 --> 00:26:26,960 Speaker 1: what this year's exchange might include it. Maybe it will 453 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:29,680 Speaker 1: once again be traditional or maybe ultra modern. We don't know. 454 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:34,320 Speaker 1: I I'm not completely sure why because it doesn't exactly 455 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: add up, but Snegarochka really reminds me of Susan from 456 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,280 Speaker 1: the Discworld books, and so now I want to go 457 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:46,320 Speaker 1: watch Hogfather. Oh well, yeah, there's also if you look 458 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:49,080 Speaker 1: at her, you can see that there's to be very 459 00:26:49,160 --> 00:26:53,360 Speaker 1: modern culture e. You know, she is a snow princess, 460 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:57,200 Speaker 1: so she bears some resemblance to things like Elsa from Frozer, 461 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,320 Speaker 1: you know. Any even though Elsa's sort of a more 462 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:05,640 Speaker 1: Norway based idea, there's still like the long blue, silvery 463 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,400 Speaker 1: robes that have all of this sparkle and ice on them, 464 00:27:08,520 --> 00:27:12,919 Speaker 1: so I thought of that as well. Yeah, it doesn't 465 00:27:12,960 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: make a lot of sense that she reminds me of Susan, 466 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 1: except that Susan is a daughter and is in Hogfather like, 467 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:23,399 Speaker 1: which is also a holiday tradition in its own for 468 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:32,280 Speaker 1: many people. Thanks so much for joining us on this Saturday. 469 00:27:32,520 --> 00:27:34,600 Speaker 1: Since this episode is out of the archive. If you 470 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:37,200 Speaker 1: heard an email address or a Facebook RL or something 471 00:27:37,240 --> 00:27:39,720 Speaker 1: similar over the course of the show, that could be 472 00:27:39,800 --> 00:27:44,520 Speaker 1: obsolete now. Our current email address is History Podcast at 473 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio dot com. You can find us all over social 474 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:51,960 Speaker 1: media at missed in History, and you can subscribe to 475 00:27:52,040 --> 00:27:56,040 Speaker 1: our show on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, the iHeartRadio app, 476 00:27:56,119 --> 00:28:01,720 Speaker 1: and wherever else you listen to podcasts. Stuff you Missed 477 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,880 Speaker 1: in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 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