My guess is that since it gets darker and colder in the Winter, the darkness of the early day, when people were still having to be out of their homes to cut logs for fires, contributed to them hearing the sounds of wild animals and possibly unfamiliar humans without being able to actually see them, thus contributing to a primal uneasiness that something out there is out to get you. I know German mythology and folklore has a motif of man vs nature, rather than man being one with nature like what’s more common in mythologies where the climate is more temperate.
Also wanted to add that the late stages of hypothermia can cause terrifying auditory and visual hallucinations. It wouldn’t be too difficult to believe that some people living in these rural communities would experience it whilst out in the woods gathering resources in the dead of a winter’s night and, if they were discovered and ended up surviving the ordeal, would tell others of what they saw, thinking it was something supernatural they encountered. Could definitely see how this would strike fear in the hearts of many!
I completely missed the German mythology motif but it makes a lot of sense especially for winter! The logical explanations you give also make complete sense but definitely make it no less horrifying.
For a lot of families even 100 or 200 years ago it was probably a gamble if a family could make it through a winter without losing a member or several.
An interesting take on the Christmas season. We get so much of our current Christmas tradition from alpine/bavarian/germanic peoples, you do pose a thoughtful question in wondering what those people encountered around the time of the solstice. Krampus is quite terrifying, and the thought that he might come and eat you probably kept a few kids from stepping out of line.
None of the films I mentioned were quite so similar to "Violent Night", it manages to walk the fine line of being a Christmas movie that also happens to be an action movie with plenty of callbacks to other classics and traditional Christmas values. It's probably one of the first movies I've seen to address the Norse connections to Christmas, but it was wise in being clear that Santa wasn't Odin like a lot of people try to claim.
I have never really mixed Christmas with horror, and as you pointed out, Gremlins doesn’t really give off that holiday vibe the way that Christmas classics like Die Hard and even Lethal Weapon do.
While not horror, last year’s Violent Night put an interesting spin on Santa when they gave him a “Viking/barbarian” warrior back story. Did any of the other films you mention have a similar bent?
I know that some people speculate the imagery of Father Christmas derives from the Norse God Odin, who was revered amongst the Vikings as the Chieftain god of their Pantheon (and also the greatest warrior of all the Gods, ruling over the realm of Valhalla, where soldiers who died nobly in battle went). Granted, it's mainly speculation but...giving Santa a barbarian backstory kinda works well in this regard, as unorthodox as it is.
Merry, Scary Christmas to you, too, Ethan! The one scary story/ movie I can remember seeing in my younger years was about Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmases past, present ,and future. He was one mean dude!
My guess is that since it gets darker and colder in the Winter, the darkness of the early day, when people were still having to be out of their homes to cut logs for fires, contributed to them hearing the sounds of wild animals and possibly unfamiliar humans without being able to actually see them, thus contributing to a primal uneasiness that something out there is out to get you. I know German mythology and folklore has a motif of man vs nature, rather than man being one with nature like what’s more common in mythologies where the climate is more temperate.
Also wanted to add that the late stages of hypothermia can cause terrifying auditory and visual hallucinations. It wouldn’t be too difficult to believe that some people living in these rural communities would experience it whilst out in the woods gathering resources in the dead of a winter’s night and, if they were discovered and ended up surviving the ordeal, would tell others of what they saw, thinking it was something supernatural they encountered. Could definitely see how this would strike fear in the hearts of many!
I completely missed the German mythology motif but it makes a lot of sense especially for winter! The logical explanations you give also make complete sense but definitely make it no less horrifying.
For a lot of families even 100 or 200 years ago it was probably a gamble if a family could make it through a winter without losing a member or several.
Indeed, reality is usually more horrifying than fiction ;)
An interesting take on the Christmas season. We get so much of our current Christmas tradition from alpine/bavarian/germanic peoples, you do pose a thoughtful question in wondering what those people encountered around the time of the solstice. Krampus is quite terrifying, and the thought that he might come and eat you probably kept a few kids from stepping out of line.
None of the films I mentioned were quite so similar to "Violent Night", it manages to walk the fine line of being a Christmas movie that also happens to be an action movie with plenty of callbacks to other classics and traditional Christmas values. It's probably one of the first movies I've seen to address the Norse connections to Christmas, but it was wise in being clear that Santa wasn't Odin like a lot of people try to claim.
I have never really mixed Christmas with horror, and as you pointed out, Gremlins doesn’t really give off that holiday vibe the way that Christmas classics like Die Hard and even Lethal Weapon do.
While not horror, last year’s Violent Night put an interesting spin on Santa when they gave him a “Viking/barbarian” warrior back story. Did any of the other films you mention have a similar bent?
I know that some people speculate the imagery of Father Christmas derives from the Norse God Odin, who was revered amongst the Vikings as the Chieftain god of their Pantheon (and also the greatest warrior of all the Gods, ruling over the realm of Valhalla, where soldiers who died nobly in battle went). Granted, it's mainly speculation but...giving Santa a barbarian backstory kinda works well in this regard, as unorthodox as it is.
It worked very well in "Violent Night", it made for an instant classic imo.
You forgot to include one of the most horrific aspects of the Christmas season: the price of a fresh Christmas tree 🎄 $$$$$$$$$$!
I did, now that you mention it!! I guess consumerism itself is one of the quiet horrors we've come to accept today!
A very different and thoughtful discussion of the Christmas season--timely and entertaining.
Merry, Scary Christmas to you, too, Ethan! The one scary story/ movie I can remember seeing in my younger years was about Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmases past, present ,and future. He was one mean dude!
Some adaptations of "Christmas Carol" really didn't hold back on the horror!