Much of the modern-day vision of Santa Claus is owed to the Clement Moore poem "The Night Before Christmas." His description of Saint Nicholas personified the "jolly old elf" known to millions of children throughout the world. However, far from being the offshoot of Saint Nicholas of Turkey, Santa Claus is the last of a longline of what scholars call Wild Men who were worshipped in ancient European fertility rites and came to America through Pennsylvania's Germans. This pagan creature is described from prehistoric times through his various forms "Robin Hood, The Fool, Harlequin, Satan and Robin Goodfellow"into today's carnival and Christmas scenes. In this thoroughly researched work, the origins of Santa Claus are found to stretch back over 50,000 years, jolting the foundation of Christian myths about the jolly old elf.
| |||||||||||||||
Book Description
Frequently Bought Together
Editorial Reviews
Review
Gripping...rich...wonderful --Fortean Times
Diligent research...excellent study...many rare illustrations...of great interest to folklorists and other researchers and storytellers --Come-All-Ye
Diligent research...excellent study...many rare illustrations...of great interest to folklorists and other researchers and storytellers --Come-All-Ye
About the Author
The late Phyllis Siefker lived in Lawrence, Kansas.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The first time I laid eyes on this book was at my local library, and the title was too intriguing to pass up. I never could quite see Santa as Mr. Nice Guy (except when I met his kindly avatars at the mall), so I was perfectly willing to consider the possibility that the 'jolly old elf' might be more like the old, tricky elves than the new, toy-shop versions.
Phyllis Siefker pursues the Santa legend enthusiastically, but ultimately Santa is not the legend who receives the most illumination. It's the Harlequin who emerges, in all his incarnations, from the Jester in the royal court who is the only one allowed to speak his mind (because everyone thinks he's crazy) to painted, gender-bending rock stars like Alice Cooper and Marylin Manson, to The Joker from the movie THE DARK KNIGHT. The fact that the actor who played The Joker has since died only strengthens his connection to the legendary Wild Man.
Once you've read this book, you'll see that the Wild Man is everywhere -- he makes the evening news almost every night (in one incarnation or another). After I read the library copy, I ordered my own copy on amazon. It's one of the few books I'm willing to pack up and move -- and that's rare praise.
Phyllis Siefker pursues the Santa legend enthusiastically, but ultimately Santa is not the legend who receives the most illumination. It's the Harlequin who emerges, in all his incarnations, from the Jester in the royal court who is the only one allowed to speak his mind (because everyone thinks he's crazy) to painted, gender-bending rock stars like Alice Cooper and Marylin Manson, to The Joker from the movie THE DARK KNIGHT. The fact that the actor who played The Joker has since died only strengthens his connection to the legendary Wild Man.
Once you've read this book, you'll see that the Wild Man is everywhere -- he makes the evening news almost every night (in one incarnation or another). After I read the library copy, I ordered my own copy on amazon. It's one of the few books I'm willing to pack up and move -- and that's rare praise.
11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Library Binding
This book has a wealth of information delivered in a clear, straightforward style. The excellent research draws from sources as varied as Gilgamesh and the Ainu bear ritual and manages to bring in all together in a cohesive history. A treasure trove for those interested in folklore of all kinds.
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Library Binding
about Santa Claus. A wonderful book that unearthes a forgotten past where Santa was quite more spooky than he is now, and has ties to our much deeper past than just the current neo-Christian myths we are fed each year. A great book, easy to read, highly recommended.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Santa - Saint or ?
How did a dour, austere bishop from Turkey evolve into a jolly, fur-trimmed chubby fellow driving a team of reindeer? Read more
Published 2 months ago by L. M Young
Jolly Wild Old Elf
If your looking for a good read on acient origins of Santa Claus I recommend this book. It got me thinking about that the Jolly Old Elf has been around alot longer than most major... Read more
Published on December 16, 2009 by Michael G. Bruce
Not about Santa Claus at all
The book's content belies its title. It has very little to do with Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas; rather, it is a study of how the pagan theme of the "wild man" has... Read more
Published on March 20, 2002
Debunking Siefker's Santa Claus
Santa Claus - Saint Nicholas, a patron of children and sailors of Greece. Traditionally identified as a 4th century bishop from the ancient city of Lycia. Read more
Published on January 5, 2002
Inside This Book
(learn more)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence:
It began with a question, a nagging doubt raised by available Santa Claus articles and books that offered only one explanation: Santa Claus is an Americanization of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Asian bishop. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Robin Goodfellow, Robin Hood, Black Pete, British Isles, Papa Bois, Christmas Eve, Kriss Kringle, Middle Ages, Bold Slasher, Wild Woman, New York, Knecht Ruprecht, May Pole, The Mad Pranks, Saint George, Catholic Church, Clement Miles, Frau Gauden, Johnny Jack, May Day, Pierrot Grenade, Black Forest, Devil Dout New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
It began with a question, a nagging doubt raised by available Santa Claus articles and books that offered only one explanation: Santa Claus is an Americanization of Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century Asian bishop. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Santa Claus, Father Christmas, Robin Goodfellow, Robin Hood, Black Pete, British Isles, Papa Bois, Christmas Eve, Kriss Kringle, Middle Ages, Bold Slasher, Wild Woman, New York, Knecht Ruprecht, May Pole, The Mad Pranks, Saint George, Catholic Church, Clement Miles, Frau Gauden, Johnny Jack, May Day, Pierrot Grenade, Black Forest, Devil Dout New!
Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
