Hans Trapp
(France)
Legend tells how Trap began as a wealthy man- but greedy and evil to boot.
He was so rotten that he was excommunicated by the Catholic church and sold
his soul to Satan. Now beyond redemption, Trapp was exiled to the forests.
But still, his evil was felt. Disguising himself as a scarecrow by stuffing
straw into his clothing, he began to prey on children.
One day, or so the legend says, Hans Trapp was about to eat a small boy he had captured when God, fed up of his evil-doing, killed him with a bolt of lightning. However, this was not the end of Hans Trapp. He continued to roam the earth, dressed as a scarecrow. Like Krampus, Hans Trapp teamed up with St Nicholas- but to earn redemption. While St Nicholas awarded presents to the virtuous- Hans Trapp tries to persuade naughty children to mend their ways and be virtuous- unlike him.
One day, or so the legend says, Hans Trapp was about to eat a small boy he had captured when God, fed up of his evil-doing, killed him with a bolt of lightning. However, this was not the end of Hans Trapp. He continued to roam the earth, dressed as a scarecrow. Like Krampus, Hans Trapp teamed up with St Nicholas- but to earn redemption. While St Nicholas awarded presents to the virtuous- Hans Trapp tries to persuade naughty children to mend their ways and be virtuous- unlike him.
I've seen some tellings where Trapp is just another Christmas heavy that
goes with Santa and is the evil one you threaten bad kids with. But I like
this version of the tale where Trapp tries to get bad kids to go straight
without using fear.
Interestingly, the legend is based on an actual person,
Hans von Trotha,
who was a German knight, that was nothing like the flesh eating scarecrow.
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