History of Christmas Reindeer
As everyone knows, Santa spends each Christmas Eve driving a miniature sleigh filled with presents and pulled by eight tiny reindeer. While the United States is the only country that sees Santa traveling this way, other countries do have legends that shed light on how the American story came to be. The history of Christmas reindeer becomes clearer by looking at ancient Norse mythology, Scandinavian festivals and a poem by the American Clement Clark Moore. Does this Spark an idea?
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Norse Legends
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Norse legend has it that Thor, the God of Thunder, flew through the skies in a chariot that was pulled by two magical goats, Gnasher and Cracker. Pagan people living in what is now the Scandinavian countries of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Lapland celebrated winter festivals honoring Thor by dressing in costumes made from goat skins and reenacting Thor's travels.
Scandinavian Celebrations Today
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The legend of Thor and his goats remains today in altered forms. The Holiday Spot website reports that in Sweden, the goat was the gift-bringer through the 1700s; even today, the goat is still a legendary figure who warns children to behave themselves. In Finland, Holiday Spot adds, Santa is called Joulupukki, or "Yule buck." The website concludes that in Norway, while children and adults walk through the streets singing, they carry a goat with them or wear goat costumes to continue the national tradition.
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Reindeer in America
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Scholars disagree about the first mention of Santa and reindeer in America. Some say Major Henry Livingstone wrote about them in an 1807 poem, while others cite a William Gilley poem in 1821. All agree that Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas," marked the most definitive version of Santa and the reindeer. His is the version that countless families and schoolchildren in American recite in celebration of the Christmas season. One of the most recent reindeer references is what Craig Heinselman on the website Cryptozoology refers to as the cult classic, "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer," by singers Elmo and Patsy.
The Reindeer Themselves
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In America, reindeer are called caribou. Many writers have pointed out that since Santa does live at the North Pole, it is entirely fitting that his sleigh is pulled by reindeer. Reindeer are in fact the same animal that Americans call caribou. They were probably the deer pictured on ancient cave drawings throughout Europe. Reindeer are now found only in the far northern areas of Canada and Lapland, where the local people herd thousands of reindeer and use the animals for their meat, milk, hides and horns as well as for hauling sleds.
Rudolph
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Among all the reindeer, including Dasher, Dancer, Prancer and Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen, Rudolph is, as everyone knows, the most famous of all. In 1939, Rudolf appears in a story written by Robert L. May for the Montgomery Ward department store. The story developed into the song in 1949 recorded by Gene Autry, and it continues to be an iconic Christmas song today.
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References
- Photo Credit santa and his reindeer image by jimcox40 from Fotolia.com reindeer image by Christopher Walker from Fotolia.com
