To understand the linkage of Santa Claus with St Nicholas, you have to bring the Norse god Odin into the picture.
Odin is also known as the Wodan among the German tribes. (as a matter of fact, Wednesday is named after this god. That being Wodam’s day).
Now Odin (whose name means “inspired one”) was known for 3 things:
1) the god of wisdom
2) the god of magik and occult knowledge
3) the god of runes , poetry, and war.
Odin who was like a sharman he could travel to other worlds to gather more insight and knowledge. He also had 2 ravens Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) who kept him informed about the news in the world.
So Odin is depicted as a tall, old, man with a white beard, and wearing a cloak. He also rode the skies and seas on his on his fast white horse Sleipnir with his 8 (the number of transformation) legs, while carrying his never missing spear Gungnir (clear and focused intent) in his hand.
The interesting thing about the god Odin is he had only one eye, Now he had offered the other the other eye in a exchange at the well of the head Mimir (The Norse representation of the Source). With this one eye, he became a “shapelifter.’ By doing that, he was able of seeing into the outward world with his good eye, But with his removed eye, he was able to see and look into the inner world of a person.
Odin was very beloved among his friends and followers who felt happy and energized in his surroundings (they say him has a enlightened being). His enemies however he could paralyze or kill with his sight (insight, the truth).
Now Odin trained many men and women as warriors for the final battle against the forces of destruction in the underworld at Ragnarok (the Norse judgment day). His fearless warriors often painted their bodies black and even fought in the middle of the night.
What you can see is the story of Odin is actually a battle good and evil and evil . When will this battle end? When people realize that black and white are two sides of the coin.
You see Odin is the mythical representation of goodness with his wisdom, white beard, and white horse(Today, he will be known as a “white divine light.”) He is also so wise that ‘black’ is not similar to ‘dark’ in the sense of ‘evil and taboo’ for his helpers are black ravens and black (spiritual) warriors.
The evil Odin fights is the underworld dragon of false beliefs, untruth and selfishness (in New Age terms we would call this ‘ ones ego’).
So now we have a wise, good man performing magick/miracles with a white horse riding the skies, a white beard, a cloak, a spear and black advisors/informers/helpers and he is also god of poetry.
According to some traditions, Odin would carry “Yulenir” (one of Odin’s many names, literally meaning “Yule figure”) on the great hunt on the winter solstice. Then children would place their boots, filled with carrots, straw, or sugar, near the chimney for Odin’s flying horse, Sleipnir, to eat. Odin would then reward those children for their kindness by replacing Sleipnir’s food with gifts or candy.
Now you begin to see the modern practices of leaving a cookie for Santa and a carrot for his reindeer and hanging stockings from the mantle with hopes they would be filled with toys.
So now lets begin to tie everything together here.
As I mentioned in the section of this article, between Dec 17th and December 24th, the Romans celebrated the coming of the Winter Solstice with the “Saturnalia.” A festival that was to celebrate the return of the sun on the shortest day of the year, and to counteract that with the depression, the doom , and gloom people saw of the lack of sunlight. During this period of time I shared with all the great feasts . gambling, the exchange of gifts, merriment, sensuality, gluttony, etc went on…
Then in the previous article, you read about St. Nicholas. Who gave his entire inheritance away to the poor, and needy. He was full of humility, benevolence, goodness, charity towards all.
The period of time he lived in too was called the Dark Ages. This was a period of despair, extreme poverty, the Black Plague. If you go into Churches built during this period of time, the altars, even the statues are black. It was a morbid time.
So with St. Nicholas coming on the scene. You can see why people not only flocked to him, but told storied and legends of him. As a ray of hope. To give children a new chance, and make life better for the children.
A saint filled with happiness, and joy.
What you have now is two stories floating around. One of St Nicholas, and one of Odin. As the years go by, both stories begin to take root. However, when the Protestant Reformation swept across Europe, things begin to change.
After the sixteenth century the Feast of St. Nicholas was abolished in many countries. Throughout northern Germany, for example, the Protestants encouraged veneration of the Christkindl (Christ-child) instead, who,children where told, brought gifts to children on Christmas Eve.
As an example of this, a Protestant Pastor of the seventeenth century complained about parents who put presents in their children’s beds, telling them that St. Nicholas has brought them. This is a bad custom, he says,
“Because it points children to the saint, while yet we know that not St. Nicholas but the holy Christ Child gives us all good things for body and soul, and He alone it is whom we ought to call upon.”
Despite this new emphasis, the Nicholas legends prevailed in many places, especially among the Dutch.
In Holland Saint Nicholas became Sinterklaas. Sinterklaas was known as a kind wise man with a white beard, white dress, red cloak, and a crosier in his hands, He would ride the skies and roof of the houses on his white horse accompanied by his Black Jacks who would go from house to house gathering information about children’s behavior during the past year.Children were told if you are good you would be rewarded with presents. But if you were bad, the Black Jacks will beat you with their rods, place you in a sack, and carry you of Spain. Which was said to be the place where Sinterklaas. lived.
Where the Christian part of this comes is if the child does not behave morally, you would be punished by God. However if you behave nice , and live the life God wants one to live, then you would be rewarded with sweets and gifts accompanied by funny poems that give insight in ones weaknesses.
So when the Dutch came to New Amsterdam (New York), they brought with them their tradition of Sinterklaas as well as Odin. Then in the New York Gazette in the name of Sinterklaas became Santa Claus.
Now it won’t be till 1930 when a Marketer for Coca Cola was asked to draw up some attractive advertisements for a soft drink that really wasn’t selling well during the winter months.He had to design some warm cozy type of advertisement, and use in it the colors red and white.
When he went to the drawing board, he remembered the Dutch looking Santa Claus with his white dress, red cloak, long white beard, kindness and benevolence. The eight-legged horse was replaced for eight flying reindeer. A punishing Black Jack was inappropriate in this concept, so he disappeared.
This new Santa Claus became a big hit. He became so popular that right now in Europe he is serious competition for Sinterklaas. That’s understandable: no more fear for punishing Black Jacks, and you no longer have to sweat on suitable poetry for your gifts.
In the next section of the article, will take you back into what Christmas was like in the United States in the 1800’s.
Note from John: Nice article. The Odin connection goes much further back to Nimrod / Osiris / Zeus and all comes from the “mystery religion” referenced in Revelations that began at Babel through the widow / mother of Nimrod, Semeris (aka the Whore of Babylon). The picture below is of Nimrod and should be quite familiar. Then again, as long as the focus of our Christmas is on Christ and we use the symbols of the season to teach about and glorify God, I think we’re fine (though I have to admit it gives me pause.)
http://fromthebottomofthebarrel.wordpress.com/2010/12/09/the-first-santa-claus/
