Land der Kontraste

I don't know if it's a comment you hear today, but certainly when I used to go out at night as a student back in 1990 Salzburg, Austrians with an attitude would poke fun at Americans like me by telling me that my America was only a couple of hundred years old whereas their country dated back a thousand years.

Ok, it is true that the first written mention of Ostarrîchi or the "Eastern Empire, which is today the German word for Austria (Österreich), was in the year 996. However, it is interesting to note that Austria as a republic has only been around since 1918. This year is being celebrated as the 80th anniversary of Republik Österreich.

Before that, Austria was ruled by a monarchy, a pretty powerful one. For many years, it was actually called Austria-Hungary and contained much more than just those two countries. And that it was called a republic as of 1918 is a bit misleading, too, since Austria had before 1938 some pretty oppressive and suppressive leaders. And from 1938 to 1945, Austria had as its leader possibly the king of oppression and suppression as the Nazi annexation of Austria turned the country from a nation into an outer region of Germany.

So I might argue today that things may have only started looking like a republic after the completion of WII which would shave 27 years off the 80th anniverary.

Schloß Anif

Down Alpenstrasse, just outside of Salzburg in the town of Anif is a palace. It is surrounded by high walls and a tall serpentine hedge, and you can only glimpse at the palace tower in the winter when the leaves have fallen from the trees. Unlike many historical palaces, Schloß Anif is privately owned - someone actually lives there. Once a year, however, the Lions Club Anif hosts Turmblasen (literally meaning tower music, but in actuality seeming to mean music in the dark, especially at Christmas-type events) and the palace gate is opened up to the public.

The castle is an incredible Gothic building set in the middle of a pond with only one bridge leading to it. A band was playing hymns from a candle-lit balcony in the palace, the music floating across the water to us mere mortals on the other side. The path around the pond was lit by flickering candles, and people lined it, drinking hot punch or Gluhwein and listening to the music. If you were there for some big sightseeing trip, there was little for you. But if you were able to just look and listen and absorb the candle light and the ancient palace with the moon shining brightly on the left side and the Untersberg towering in the background on the right, it was all pretty mystical and amazing.

Nikolaustag

Today was Nikolaustag, the day that Austrians honor Sankt Nikolaus (not Nicholas, but Nikolaus with the 'laus' part of the name rhyming with the English word 'mouse'.) Sankt Nikolaus is not to be confused with Santa Claus or the Weihnachtsman (Father Christmas). Sankt Nikolaus was born around 245 A.D. in an area that is now part of Turkey. Later he became the Bishop of Myra and was named the patron saint of children, sailors, students, teachers, and merchants. St. Nikolaus is said to have performed several miracles, and his feast day is celebrated every December 6. In Austria, children leave their shoes or boots outside of the door the night before in hopes that St. Nikolaus will leave some small gifts in them. This is not an equivalent day to Christmas, which has its own host of characters, but is more a warm-up to the gift giving season.

Keeping with tradition, Sankt Nikolaus wears a long red bishop's cloak and tall pointed bishop's hat and carries a staff. At Nikolas' school, der heilige Nikolaus (the holy Nikolaus) dropped by on Thursday morning. When asked what St. Nikolaus did during his visit, Nikolas explained that he spoke. No presents? No songs? No "Ho, ho, ho's" we asked. "He spoke to us," Nikolas repeated firmly. We presume he spoke about holy things.

After finding that Sankt Nikolas had remembered him with a small gift bag, Nikolas was eager to head downtown to see St. Nikolaus again. Rumor had it that he would be making an appearance in the Christmas market, so off we went....along with what seemed like a million tourists and every family in Salzburg that has small children. Even in the height of summer tourism, we have never seen so many people here! But despite the crowds, we saw St. Nikolaus twice: once ice skating and once parting the crowds like Moses parted the Red Sea. Nikolas kept trailing after the walking Nikolaus, who kept shaking his hand and offering him candy. We kept following after both Nikos, since they seemed to be on the fast road through the Christmas market, and finally both stopped long enough for a picture, before going their separate ways.

And yes, that's me playing Nikolaus at an event at Schloß Hellbrunn. The secretary at the school where I used to work wrote to me a couple of weeks ago to ask if I'd play "Nikolaus" at a faculty holiday reception. My job would be to surprise everyone with my Book of Nikolaus," a collection of blurbs on each faculty member. After each blurb, Nikolaus gives each person a bag of goodies. Only four people of the 40 or staff members worked at the school in the early 90s, and they didn't recognize me at first. It went well.

Krampusläufe

Some things just can't be translated from German to English, like the word Krampus. The Krampus is just a Krampus, and so I'll try to help you understand. The Krampus is an evil companion to St. Nikolaus. He punishes the bad while St. Nikolaus rewards the good. The Krampus has animal fur, a devil-like face, and long horns or antlers. He wears wear large cowbells to warn people he is approaching, and he carries a switch or whip. Sometimes the Krampus also pulls along a cart in which he throws naughty children.

Krampusläufe (Krampus parades) are a long standing tradition in Austria. It used to be that there was one big Krampuslauf in Salzburg on St. Nikolaus Day Eve (at least that's what I remember from fifteen years ago), but now the Krampusse have been running in and around Salzburg for the last week. And there's not just one Krampus, there are hundreds of Krampusse. Last Sunday there was a Krampuslauf in Grödig, just outside Salzburg. There were 800 Krampusse that took part in the parade. And you can't imagine that it is like an American 4th of July parade. It is like a real-live horror movie with menacing Krampusse taunting, chasing, and whipping the crowd.

The Krampus tradition stems from pre-Christian times and seems to have become increasingly popular. There are Krampusvereine (Krampus clubs) in Austria, but a Verein isn't just a club that you form with some friends in your garage. A Verein (and there are Vereine on any sort of interest people may have - books, planes, chess, etc.) has an official 'seal of approval' granted by a court to give it permission to function. And to become a Krampus? Well, you have to apply to your city or town to be one and be accepted as a Krampus. Then, and only then, are you allowed to don your sheepskin suit and your handcarved wooden mask complete with real animal horns and participate in Krampusläufe.

Tonight, downtown, there were three Krapusläufe, one after another, shortly after nightfall. Sadly, Jenny stayed home with Nikolas so that we wouldn't scar him for life, while I went downtown with some of my students. There is something fascinatingly horrible about the Krampus, and even as an adult, the sound of the bells sends chills up our spines but lures us at the same time. Even though you know they are just people in costume, Krampusse are big and scary, and particularly like to chase after people with cameras. I risked it all to get these pictures and this movie, and I only have one welt from a whip on my leg from my efforts!


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