Holiday Monsters

(November 2022-February 2023)

Santa Claus may be known by many to be the premier Christmas character. But he's not the only one! All over the world, different countries have countless stories about their own holiday creatures, many of them more twisted and terrifying than the last. Being a fan of horror, I was excited to make this illustration based on three of my favorite holiday monsters. On the bottom right, there's the infamous horned demon, Krampus, from Austrian and Germanic folklore. On the bottom left, there's a horde of the goblin-like Kalikanzaros, from Greek folklore. Finally, above both of those, there's the Yule Cat from Icelandic folklore. Each creature has its own distinct lore and background surrounding it, which made drawing them all the more interesting and fun for me! I framed each creature around the Christmas tree in the center of the composition, as they are all connected to the celebrated holiday. I also enjoyed putting in references to the lore and backstories of each monster. For example, the gnarled, clawed hand petting the Yule cat is the troll-like witch named Gryla, also from Icelandic folklore. The cave setting also features human bones, as the Yule Cat and his owner do eat people in certain circumstances. I also depicted the Kalikanzaros climbing a tree, as part of their story, is that they attempt every year to destroy the "World Tree" (a tree that is meant to hold the world together). That, and if they don't return to their underground lairs after the 12 days of Christmas, they turn to stone (which I included in the bottom right of the illustration). For Krampus, I included his classic iconography like his goat hooves, chains, and bundle of birch sticks and branches.