This chaos, sown by goat-like figures certainly tallies with the madness described in encounters with Pan, the very origin of the word 'panic'. The revelry and drunkenness a mirror of the court of satyrs who attended Dionysus, the Greek deity of wine, religious ecstasy and ritual madness. Again not evil but certainly of another world and observing a different scheme of morals. It is these strange qualities that help Krampus stand out amongst Saint Nicholas' assistants, he is perceived as something far removed from the more staid Christian practices.

Much like the majority of celebrations labelled as pagan in the present day, the exact origins of Krampus are entirely speculative. There is very little in the way of actual concrete evidence and more often than not a good story will win out over less glamorous accounts of the truth. There is for example a common theory at the moment that Krampus is tied into Old Norse mythology and the wild hunt. Again there seems to be no actual corroboration to the theory, but it is interesting that stories are still being created and told of Krampus.

Despite his modern day cultural impact, Krampus has on numerous occasions faced opposition in his native Austria. Perhaps it is understandable, given his practice of bundling children into his basket and carrying them off to hell or drowning them if pressed for time, that he has faced a number of moral panics.

By the early 20th century he was becoming more of a lighthearted figure of fun, as the Christmas card tradition began, so too did the Krampuskarten, though usually comical in tone they depicted scenes of violence or on occasion a more sexualised character which drew the ire of the conservative leaders. A concerted effort was made to put an end to Krampus in 1923, when the ruling fascist party banned any representation of the figure, seeming him as deeply un-Catholic, perhaps he and Hellboy have more in common than they imagine?