The Christmas season is upon us, so we thought it might be fun to suspend all seriousness and consider the personality type of that mythical being who’s so very interested in whether children are naughty or nice. No, not Santa Claus (we already did him). For every yin, there’s a yang, and just as personality traits have opposing poles, there’s a dark counterpart to jolly old Saint Nick.
Whereas Santa rewards good behavior with sweet treats, Krampus punishes disobedience with a whack of his birch rods…or worse. At least, that’s what the legends say. Portrayals of Krampus vary from centuries-old European folktales to modern horror movies, but for this exploration, we’ll stick to the traditional basics of the Krampus canon. First, an important disclaimer:
We’re joking about a demonic fictional character who menaces children. Relating personality traits to such a being can only be done facetiously, because there is no evil personality type. However, if this subject disturbs you, read no further.
But that said, if you want to put on your Krampus hat and join me in a little dark, flippant humor, read on. Guessing personality traits based on reported behavior can be dicey, but let’s consider what we know about Krampus and see where it takes us.
What Is Krampus Like?
If we refer to common lore, Krampus is not just a contemporary of Santa Claus but an associate. Let that sink in. Many legends have them working as a team, visiting kids everywhere on December 5 together. But they don’t bring some kind of song-and-dance routine – it’s more like a carrot-and-stick judiciary review. Santa and Krampus show up right in your own home to call you on the carpet and judge your deeds.
If you’re deemed “nice,” Santa rewards you with some candy or fruit, and if you’re “naughty,” Krampus dispenses coal as a warning or lays into you with birch rods as punishment. If you’re really bad, he might stuff you in a sack and hustle you off to a dark fate. Maybe we should rethink our image of “kindly” ol’ Santa for working with a guy like Krampus and actively condoning his harsh prescriptions. Remember, remember, the fifth of December, kids, and make yourself scarce if you’ve been naughty!
Krampus adds a level of influence beyond what Santa can accomplish with his nice-guy act. Notably, Krampus can more effectively deal with the cynical kids who aren’t necessarily motivated into compliance by mere reward. Hmm, be good all year for an orange, or do what I want and go fruitless? But when you add a birch beating or sack ride to eternity into the equation, it makes being good seem a lot more sensible. Krampus is Santa’s tool – an escalation to bolster an otherwise benevolent morality-enforcement program. But legend also has Krampus striking out on his own, boldly stalking the streets at night to find children in their homes or wherever else they may be.
Mostly, it seems that he just seeks to scare children as a warning, but sometimes he’ll dispense punishment. It’s worth noting that the definition for “good” children is vague in Krampus legends. There’s some stuff about doing well in school and obeying elders, but Krampus likely relies heavily on the rules of each household. In other words, the parents essentially set the bar for their kids to avoid running afoul of Herr Krampus. That seems like an arbitrary, subjective way to operate.
But children aren’t necessarily doomed when Krampus is cutting loose on his own. He’s apparently well known for taking bribes of schnapps, presumably offered by adults on behalf of their children. Without Santa’s oversight, Krampus can easily be bought off, lending yet another capricious dimension to his behavior. In fact, I have to wonder if that’s not part of his true motivation – maybe his schtick is more about extortion than any nefarious intent. He bursts in, rattling his birch rods in the hopes of getting free booze, and only turns grumpy when he’s denied. Maybe Krampus doesn’t mean to be so mean – he’s just a bit greedy and lacking in self-control.
Krampus’s Personality Traits
It’s worth remembering that evil has no personality trait, and there are no evil personality types. But let’s stretch personality theory a bit for the sake of holiday humor and make some trait-themed guesses about Krampus that don’t relate to evil or the supernatural. For example, harshness is a very human behavior in certain circumstances.
Many people see Thinking personality types as harsher because they tend to be more emotionally detached and blunt. In truth, Thinking and Feeling types are both capable of great harshness, whether it’s impassioned or dispassionate. Krampus isn’t nice, but he’s not angry, and if anything, he seems to go about his work with an impartial zeal. To some degree, Krampus is just a hired hand with a harsh job role – a convenient way for Saint Nick to outsource the rougher side of his regime and maintain his rosy-cheeked reputation for jolliness.
Does a “do what it takes to pay the bills” mindset indicate emotional detachment or the compartmentalization of emotion out of necessity? For all we know, Krampus is a warm, decent guy, despite his day job (or would it be his night job?) requiring him to mete out switchings and lob coal at kids. Interesting thought. But I suspect that a Feeling personality would have quit that job by now, bills or no bills, so I bet that Krampus is on the Thinking-trait side of the spectrum.
His other personality traits seem much easier to estimate, for the most part (at least in my opinion). I think Extraversion is an obvious “probably,” given how energetically outward-focused Krampus is. He literally roams the world in search of action, willing to confront anyone, anywhere, and thinks nothing of starting physical altercations. He’s socially bold and more than willing to openly question people’s words and deeds as well as negotiate for his own interests (like schnapps). So, yeah, Extraversion seems very likely. He’s got an unquenchable thirst to engage with the external world.
Krampus’s “in-your-face” style also seems personally confident, leading me to believe that he’s got an Assertive Identity. If he were Turbulent, he’d probably worry more about what people thought of him, but instead he just does whatever he wants, whenever he wants. He doesn’t seem worried about any future consequences and maintains his impish glee, despite being in a constant state of conflict with everyone else. He seems to have a pretty secure self-image and, as far as we can tell, reasonably solid emotional stability. All of that is consistent with someone on the Assertive side of the personality trait spectrum.
It also seems apparent that Krampus is an earthy fellow, focused on the tasks and circumstances at hand more than any overarching theory or hidden meaning behind them. He’s not juggling a bunch of idealistic schemes in his head – instead, he’s all about rolling up his sleeves and committing to practical action in the present: walk the streets, terrorize the kids. He’s the very definition of “hands-on,” happy to focus on real-world events while Santa fiddles about with esoteric moral principles. Krampus is a doer more than an imaginer and isn’t distracted by sugarplum visions – he’s into a coal-meets-the-sock functionality. I smell the Observant trait.
And, finally, it seems very clear to me that most of the structure that Krampus conforms to comes from external sources, not his own nature. He plays his part on the team well enough, following Santa’s guidelines and directions – when they’re together. But when Krampus is on his own, it’s basically party time. He follows his own whimsy spontaneously and bends whatever rules he wants to in order to serve his goals of the moment. That’s straight-up Prospecting from where I sit. Krampus isn’t merely unbothered by the unpredictable – he embraces chaos, himself being a wild agent who brings the unexpected to people’s doorsteps.
But What Do You Think?
It’s highly unrealistic to assign any personality type to a mythical figure – let alone a demonic one – but it’s also kind of fun, eh? If we accept the personality traits that I’ve guessed, we’d call Krampus an Assertive Entrepreneur (ESTP-A) personality type, but that’s certainly up for debate. I’d love to hear what you think about Krampus, his behavior, and his personality traits. If you’re an Entrepreneur, are you cool with the idea of Krampus being one too? Let me know in the comments below!