Dec. 28, 2024
From Odin to Santa Claus: The Haunting Evolution of the Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is an ancient and haunting legend that sweeps through the mythologies of Norse, Germanic, and Celtic cultures, portraying a spectral procession led by a god, king, or supernatural figure, often accompanied by ghostly riders and baying...
The Wild Hunt is an ancient and haunting legend that sweeps through the mythologies of Norse, Germanic, and Celtic cultures, portraying a spectral procession led by a god, king, or supernatural figure, often accompanied by ghostly riders and baying hounds. Rooted in the cold depths of winter, this tale evokes a fearsome phenomenon where the boundaries between the mortal world and the supernatural blur, inspiring awe and terror in equal measure. Scholars and folklorists have drawn connections between the Wild Hunt and reports of strange atmospheric events—such as eerie lights dancing in the night sky or unexplainable sounds of rushing wind and phantom-like howls—often linked to paranormal sightings. Over time, the legend wove itself into the fabric of Christmas folklore, subtly influencing the mythology of Santa Claus. The imagery of a magical figure riding across the sky, accompanied by a team of otherworldly beings, reflects the echoes of the Hunt in a more benevolent guise, transforming an ominous omen into a symbol of joy and mystery during the holiday season.
Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-broadcasting-seeds-podcast--6402290/support.
WEBVTT
1
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.879
Welcome back to broadcasting Seeds, where we dig into the strange,
2
00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:09.599
the mysterious, and the downright unsettling truths of our world.
3
00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:14.720
I'm your host, Bennett Tanton, and today we're saddling up
4
00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:18.079
for a spectral ride that stretches across ancient myth and
5
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.519
brushes up against the edges of our modern reality. It's
6
00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.519
time to talk about the Wild Hunt, a chilling legend
7
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.160
that has haunted winter nights for centuries. Now picture this.
8
00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.240
It's a cold, dark night and the wind howls through
9
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:37.399
the trees like it's got secrets to spill. Suddenly there's
10
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:41.759
the sound of hoof beats, unseen riders galloping through the sky.
11
00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:46.399
They're ghostly forms trailing behind a spectral leader. If that
12
00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:49.119
doesn't make your hair stand on end, I don't know
13
00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:53.840
what will. But here's the thing. The Wild Hunt isn't
14
00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.759
just a spooky story told to keep kids in bed
15
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.679
at night. It's a deeply rooted piece of Norse, Germanic
16
00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.280
and Celtic mythology that shaped how people viewed the world
17
00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.200
and its connection to the supernatural. Over time, this legend
18
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.560
has evolved, worming its way into Christmas traditions and even
19
00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:19.680
sparking modern reports of strange phenomena. Today, we're peeling back
20
00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.439
the layers of this eerie tale, will dive into its origins,
21
00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.920
explore the supernatural and paranormal elements tied to it, and
22
00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:31.079
uncover how the Wild Hunt went from being an omen
23
00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.079
of doom to inspiring a jolly bearded guy in a
24
00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:38.319
red suit, and yes, I'm talking about Santa Claus. So
25
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.920
grab your warm drink of choice, because if this legend
26
00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:46.280
teaches us anything it's that winter nights can be downright dangerous.
27
00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:50.040
Stick around, and by the end of this episode, you
28
00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:52.640
might just see the Wild Hunt in a whole new
29
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.640
light or shadow, as the case may be. Let's get
30
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:32.360
into it. The legend of the Wild Hunt is like
31
00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.319
a patchwork quilt of fear, stitched together from the myths
32
00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.680
and folklore of Norse, Germanic and Celtic cultures. While the
33
00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.759
specific details vary from one region to another, the core
34
00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:50.800
elements remain consistent. Ghostly riders, ominous skies in a sense
35
00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:54.879
that something unholy is galloping just beyond the veil of
36
00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.719
our reality. Let's start in the icy North with the
37
00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:03.159
Norse version of the Hunt. In this iteration, Odin himself
38
00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:07.199
leads the charge that's right. The all Father, known for
39
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.879
his one eye wisdom and occasional meddling, was also the
40
00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:15.960
spectral leader of a celestial posse. Imagine Odin thundering across
41
00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.800
the winter sky, flanked by warriors, valkyries and his faithful
42
00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:25.120
wolves Gary and Frankie. The Norse believed the Wild Hunt
43
00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:29.879
was a harbinger of war, plague, or other disasters, making
44
00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:34.240
it the ultimate Winter is Coming warning. Shifting over to
45
00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:38.560
the Germanic version, we find a slightly different spin here.
46
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:42.159
The leader of the Hunt could be a variety of figures,
47
00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:47.240
sometimes a king, other times a supernatural entity. One prominent
48
00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:52.039
figure is Wotan, a Germanic iteration of Odin, But unlike
49
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:55.840
his Norse counterpart, Wotan's hunt was less about war and
50
00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.400
more about chasing lost souls or punishing wrong des ers.
51
00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:04.199
It's like the cosmic version of a neighborhood watch program,
52
00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.199
only way more terrifying. The Celts, of course, put their
53
00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.400
own stamp on the legend. In Celtic mythology, the Wild
54
00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:15.439
Hunt often involved a figure known as the Horned One,
55
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.800
a mysterious, antlered entity thought to be a guardian of
56
00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.720
the natural world. Celtic lore paints the Hunt as both
57
00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:27.600
a warning and an opportunity. If you saw the rioters
58
00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:31.720
and survived, you might gain wisdom or a glimpse into
59
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:36.079
the other world. But let's be real, most people probably
60
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:41.560
just ran screaming in the other direction. Across all these versions,
61
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.279
the Wild Hunt wasn't just a spectacle. It was an
62
00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:50.120
event loaded with meaning. It represented the boundary between life
63
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:55.120
and death, the scene and unseen, the mortal and the divine.
64
00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:59.040
In a time when winters were harsh and survival was uncertain,
65
00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:04.519
these stories served as both warnings and explanations for the inexplicable.
66
00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.480
But here's the twist. The Wild Hunt wasn't always about
67
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.040
scaring people into staying home. It also carried a sense
68
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:15.639
of awe. This wasn't just a gang of ghosts. It
69
00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.639
was a glimpse into a cosmic battle or a divine procession.
70
00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:24.120
People feared it, sure, but they also respected it, like
71
00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:29.319
nature itself, beautiful and terrifying in equal measure. Now that
72
00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.920
we've got the basics of the Hunt down, let's shift
73
00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:37.040
gears in section two to explore the supernatural and paranormal
74
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:47.040
connections that have kept this legend alive in whispers and sightings.
75
00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.319
The Wild Hunt isn't just a myth confined to ancient times.
76
00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.240
It's a legend that seems to spill over into the
77
00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:03.720
real world through eerie phenomen and unexplainable sightings. This is
78
00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:08.279
where things get really interesting, because while skeptics may chalk
79
00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:12.199
it up to folklore, plenty of strange occurrences suggest there
80
00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:16.000
might be more to this spectral ride than just bedtime stories.
81
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.199
Let's start with the skies. Accounts of the Wild Hunt
82
00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:25.160
often describe ghostly riders sweeping across the heavens, accompanied by
83
00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:30.079
howling winds, unearthly lights, and an overwhelming sense of dread.
84
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.319
Sound familiar if you've ever heard of auroras, those swirling
85
00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:39.480
lights that dance across polar skies. Some believe these natural
86
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.519
phenomena may have inspired the myth, but there's a catch.
87
00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.560
Auroras don't explain the sounds. Witnesses of the Hunt often
88
00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:52.600
report a cacophony of hoof beats, hounds, and even human
89
00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:57.199
cries echoing through the air. Atmospheric scientists might point to
90
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.480
wind patterns or temperature inversions as the culprits, but here's
91
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.600
the thing. Those explanations don't account for the sheer volume
92
00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:10.519
of reports over centuries. And then there are the sightings.
93
00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:15.000
Historical records are littered with tales of people who claim
94
00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.480
to have seen the wild Hunt with their own eyes.
95
00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.480
One notable account comes from twelfth century England, when a
96
00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:26.720
monk named Orderic Vitalis wrote about spectral huntsmen appearing in
97
00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:31.519
the night sky, terrifying the local villagers. These writers weren't
98
00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:35.600
just a passing shadow. They were described in detail, with
99
00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:39.439
glowing eyes and armor that shimmered like frost in the moonlight.
100
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:43.800
Where these visions the result of mass hysteria or with
101
00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:48.759
something else at play, modern reports aren't so different. People
102
00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:53.079
living in rural areas, particularly in Europe, still claim to
103
00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:57.360
witness strange phenomena that align with descriptions of the hunt.
104
00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:01.959
Unexplained lights, eerie animal sounds, and sudden gusts of wind
105
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.439
that seem to carry whispers. All of these are eerily
106
00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:10.639
consistent with the old stories. Some paranormal researchers even link
107
00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:15.439
these events to UFO sightings, suggesting that what people once
108
00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:20.639
interpreted as ghostly writers might now be seen as extraterrestrial activity.
109
00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:24.959
Let's not forget the dogs, the hounds of the Wild Hunt,
110
00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:29.240
often described as massive, black, and otherworldly, are a key
111
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:33.759
feature of the legend. These spectral animals bear striking resemblance
112
00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.600
to the black dogs of English folklore, which are said
113
00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:42.399
to be omens of death or misfortune. In fact, reports
114
00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:47.000
of ghostly canines continue to this day, with witnesses describing
115
00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:53.080
encounters that leave them shaken to their core. Coincidence maybe,
116
00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:56.639
but it's worth noting how these themes persist across time
117
00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:01.840
and geography. Then there's the psychological aspect. Many who claim
118
00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:05.559
to have witnessed phenomena linked to the Wild Hunt report
119
00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:09.799
feelings of being watched or pursued what researchers might call
120
00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:13.919
a presence. Is it just the human brain playing tricks
121
00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.519
in the dark, or are these experiences brushing up against
122
00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:23.039
something truly supernatural. Of course, some scientists argue that such
123
00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:27.960
events can be explained by natural forces or psychological phenomena.
124
00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:33.879
For example, infrasound, low frequency sound waves produced by storms
125
00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:37.679
or seismic activity has been shown to cause feelings of
126
00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.120
unease or fear. Could this be the source of those
127
00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:45.320
eerie sensations tied to the Hunt. Maybe, But even the
128
00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:49.879
most rational explanations don't quite cover the sheer breadth of
129
00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:55.440
experiences reported over centuries. In the end, the Wild Hunt
130
00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:59.799
occupies a unique space where myth meets the unexplained. Whether
131
00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.759
it's a trick of the mind, a misinterpretation of natural events,
132
00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:08.679
or something truly otherworldly, the legend continues to capture our
133
00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:28.720
imaginations and our fears. The Wild Hunt wasn't just a
134
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.279
terrifying spectacle. It was a cultural lightning rod, serving as
135
00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:36.919
both a warning and a symbolic reminder of the forces
136
00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:40.240
that governed life and death. To the people who told
137
00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:44.159
these stories, the Hunt wasn't a random occurrence. It was
138
00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:49.360
an omen a harbinger of cosmic disruption and a cautionary
139
00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:54.039
tale wrapped in ghostly riders and baying hounds. At its core,
140
00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:58.200
the Hunt represented a breakdown of the natural order. In
141
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:01.360
many versions of the legend, it swept through the land
142
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.200
during the cold, dark months of winter, a time when
143
00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:10.480
survival was already precarious, crops were gone, livestock were scarce,
144
00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.480
and the world felt like it was teetering on the
145
00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:18.480
edge of chaos. The Wild Hunt embodied the sense of instability,
146
00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.840
its spectral riders serving as a chilling reminder that life
147
00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:27.159
was fragile and death was always near, But there was
148
00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:31.320
more to it than simple fear mongering. In Norse mythology,
149
00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.200
for instance, Odin's leadership of the Hunt had layers of meaning.
150
00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:38.679
Odin wasn't just a god of war. He was also
151
00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:43.200
a seeker of wisdom, a shamanic figure who walked between worlds.
152
00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.440
When he led the Wild Hunt, it was as much
153
00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.799
about maintaining cosmic balance as it was about delivering doom.
154
00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.480
In a way, the Hunt was a kind of supernatural
155
00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:59.039
justice system, ensuring that the unrighteous faced their fate. This
156
00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.320
theme of cosmic balance appears in other versions of the
157
00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:07.399
legend as well. In Germanic folklore, Wotan's Hunt wasn't just
158
00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:10.679
a punishment for wrongdoers. It was a way to reclaim
159
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.399
the souls of the restless dead, bringing them back into
160
00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:19.440
the fold of the afterlife. The Hunt became a mechanism
161
00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:23.240
for setting things right, even if the process was terrifying
162
00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:28.000
to behold. Celtic versions of the Wild Hunt, with their
163
00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:32.080
connection to the Other World, leaned heavily into this idea
164
00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:35.639
of balance. The Celts viewed the other world as a
165
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:41.480
parallel dimension, not entirely separate from our own. The Wild Hunt, then,
166
00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.639
wasn't just a raid on the mortal realm. It was
167
00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:48.360
a crossing of boundaries, a reminder that the veil between
168
00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.080
worlds was thin and permeable. If you were unlucky enough
169
00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:55.279
to witness the Hunt, it meant you were standing too
170
00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:58.159
close to that boundary, and you might get swept away.
171
00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:01.879
And speaking of warning, let's not forget the practical side
172
00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:06.279
of these stories. In an era where venturing out into
173
00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:09.879
a snowstorm could mean death, the legend of the Wild
174
00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:14.480
Hunt served as an effective deterrent. Stay indoors it warned,
175
00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.440
or risk being carried off by ghostly riders. It was
176
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.399
folklore as survival strategy, a way to keep people safe
177
00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.600
during the harshest time of year. Yet for all its
178
00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.000
warnings and omens, the Wild Hunt also had an element
179
00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.799
of awe. It wasn't just a random collection of spirits.
180
00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:38.720
It was an organized, purposeful force. The riders had a leader,
181
00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:42.600
the hounds had a mission, and the entire event carried
182
00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:47.200
a sense of divine order. Even in its most terrifying form,
183
00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.519
the Hunt was a reminder that there were greater powers
184
00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:55.240
at work, powers that humans could never fully understand, let
185
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:59.799
alone control. So what does all this mean for us?
186
00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:04.200
To The Wild Hunt reminds us that chaos and order
187
00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:07.159
are two sides of the same coin. It's a story
188
00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:10.759
that speaks to the human experience of grappling with forces
189
00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:16.879
beyond our control, whether those forces are natural disasters, spiritual phenomena,
190
00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:48.399
or the mysteries of life and death. The Wild Hunt,
191
00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.360
with all its ghostly riders and ominous howls, might seem
192
00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:56.200
worlds apart from the warm, jolly figure of Santa Claus.
193
00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.600
But dig a little deeper and you'll find surprise and
194
00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:05.360
connects between this chilling legend and the cozy traditions of Christmas. Yes,
195
00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.759
that's right, Santa's origins are tied to a spectral procession
196
00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:14.679
that once sent shivers down people's spines. Let's start with Odin,
197
00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:19.120
the Norse god often associated with leading the Wild Hunt.
198
00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:23.080
Odin was more than just a warrior. He was a wanderer,
199
00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:27.639
a giver of gifts, and a seeker of knowledge. During Yule,
200
00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:32.000
the Norse midwinter festival, Odin was said to ride his
201
00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:36.840
eight legged horse slipe Near, across the sky. Sound familiar
202
00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:40.679
slipe Near's eight legs may have inspired the idea of
203
00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:45.200
Santa's eight reindeer, and just like Santa, Odin was known
204
00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:48.399
to reward the good and punish the wicked, a theme
205
00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:53.080
that carried over into Christmas lore. The Germanic version of
206
00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.759
the Hunt also plays a role in some regions. The
207
00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:59.720
leader of the hunt was frau Hola, a goddess of
208
00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:05.000
soociated with winter and domesticity. During midwinter, she would travel
209
00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:10.840
through villages, rewarding industrious households and punishing the lazy. Over time,
210
00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.919
Fraujula's character blended with Saint Nicholas, creating a figure that
211
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:22.440
embodied both generosity and discipline, a precursor to Santa's Naughty
212
00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:26.559
or Nice list. Even the practice of leaving out treats
213
00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.399
for Santa has roots in these older traditions. Norse children
214
00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:34.600
would leave food for slipe near during Yule, hoping to
215
00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:39.240
curry favor with Odin. This evolved into the modern custom
216
00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.720
of leaving milk and cookies for Sanna or carrots for
217
00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.000
his reindeer. The idea of a mystical figure visiting homes
218
00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:50.879
during the winter months bringing gifts or consequences is a
219
00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:55.000
direct echo of these ancient practices. But how did the
220
00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:59.799
Wild Hunt's ominous imagery transform into the cheerful, red suited
221
00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.440
Santa we know today. The answer lies in a mix
222
00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:09.160
of cultural shifts and storytelling. As Christianity spread through Europe,
223
00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:12.640
pagan traditions like Yule and the Wild Hunt were adapted
224
00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.839
to fit the new religious framework. The Hunt's darker elements,
225
00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:23.599
ghostly riders, and ominous warnings were softened or reinterpreted. Instead
226
00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:27.519
of a harbinger of doom, the Midwinter Visitor became a
227
00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:32.559
symbol of hope, charity, and joy. One key figure in
228
00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.759
this transformation was Saint Nicholas, a fourth century bishop known
229
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.920
for his generosity. As his legends spread, it merged with
230
00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:46.039
local traditions, including the Wild Hunt. In some versions, Saint
231
00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:50.440
Nicholas was accompanied by a dark figure, Crampis or Black Peter,
232
00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.440
who played the role of enforcer, punishing the naughty, while
233
00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.880
Saint Nick rewarded the nice. This duality mirrors the Wild
234
00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:02.839
Hunt's theme of cosa mcbalance, with rewards and punishments meted
235
00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.720
out in equal measure. Fast forward to the nineteenth century,
236
00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:11.000
and writers like Clement Clark Moore and artists like Thomas
237
00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:14.880
Nass gave Santa Claus the modern makeover we recognize today.
238
00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.839
The ghostly writers of the Hunt became a reindeer, the
1
00:00:00.160 --> 00:00:04.879
2
00:00:05.360 --> 00:00:09.599
3
00:00:10.119 --> 00:00:14.720
4
00:00:14.759 --> 00:00:18.079
5
00:00:18.239 --> 00:00:22.519
6
00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.519
7
00:00:25.519 --> 00:00:29.160
8
00:00:29.760 --> 00:00:33.240
9
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:37.399
10
00:00:37.439 --> 00:00:41.759
11
00:00:42.320 --> 00:00:46.399
12
00:00:46.560 --> 00:00:49.119
13
00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:53.840
14
00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:56.759
15
00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:00.679
16
00:01:00.759 --> 00:01:04.280
17
00:01:04.319 --> 00:01:09.200
18
00:01:09.280 --> 00:01:13.560
19
00:01:13.799 --> 00:01:19.680
20
00:01:19.719 --> 00:01:23.439
21
00:01:23.879 --> 00:01:27.920
22
00:01:28.040 --> 00:01:31.079
23
00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:34.079
24
00:01:34.120 --> 00:01:38.319
25
00:01:38.439 --> 00:01:41.920
26
00:01:41.959 --> 00:01:46.280
27
00:01:46.760 --> 00:01:50.040
28
00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:52.640
29
00:01:52.719 --> 00:01:56.640
30
00:01:56.719 --> 00:02:32.360
31
00:02:32.400 --> 00:02:36.319
32
00:02:36.319 --> 00:02:40.680
33
00:02:40.719 --> 00:02:44.759
34
00:02:44.919 --> 00:02:50.800
35
00:02:50.840 --> 00:02:54.879
36
00:02:54.960 --> 00:02:58.719
37
00:02:58.759 --> 00:03:03.159
38
00:03:03.479 --> 00:03:07.199
39
00:03:07.280 --> 00:03:10.879
40
00:03:10.919 --> 00:03:15.960
41
00:03:16.000 --> 00:03:20.800
42
00:03:20.879 --> 00:03:25.120
43
00:03:25.159 --> 00:03:29.879
44
00:03:29.919 --> 00:03:34.240
45
00:03:34.280 --> 00:03:38.560
46
00:03:38.960 --> 00:03:42.159
47
00:03:42.199 --> 00:03:47.240
48
00:03:47.280 --> 00:03:52.039
49
00:03:52.080 --> 00:03:55.840
50
00:03:56.000 --> 00:04:00.400
51
00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:04.199
52
00:04:04.680 --> 00:04:08.199
53
00:04:08.199 --> 00:04:12.400
54
00:04:12.479 --> 00:04:15.439
55
00:04:15.919 --> 00:04:19.800
56
00:04:19.839 --> 00:04:23.720
57
00:04:23.759 --> 00:04:27.600
58
00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:31.720
59
00:04:31.759 --> 00:04:36.079
60
00:04:36.240 --> 00:04:41.560
61
00:04:41.920 --> 00:04:45.279
62
00:04:45.279 --> 00:04:50.120
63
00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:55.120
64
00:04:55.720 --> 00:04:59.040
65
00:04:59.120 --> 00:05:04.519
66
00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:08.480
67
00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:12.040
68
00:05:12.079 --> 00:05:15.639
69
00:05:15.680 --> 00:05:19.639
70
00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:24.120
71
00:05:24.360 --> 00:05:29.319
72
00:05:29.360 --> 00:05:32.920
73
00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:37.040
74
00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:47.040
75
00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:55.319
76
00:05:55.680 --> 00:05:58.240
77
00:05:58.279 --> 00:06:03.720
78
00:06:03.759 --> 00:06:08.279
79
00:06:08.360 --> 00:06:12.199
80
00:06:12.279 --> 00:06:16.000
81
00:06:16.759 --> 00:06:20.199
82
00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:25.160
83
00:06:25.240 --> 00:06:30.079
84
00:06:30.639 --> 00:06:35.319
85
00:06:35.439 --> 00:06:39.480
86
00:06:39.519 --> 00:06:43.519
87
00:06:44.279 --> 00:06:48.560
88
00:06:48.600 --> 00:06:52.600
89
00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:57.199
90
00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:01.480
91
00:07:01.519 --> 00:07:05.600
92
00:07:05.639 --> 00:07:10.519
93
00:07:11.160 --> 00:07:15.000
94
00:07:15.079 --> 00:07:17.480
95
00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:21.480
96
00:07:21.519 --> 00:07:26.720
97
00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:31.519
98
00:07:31.680 --> 00:07:35.600
99
00:07:35.680 --> 00:07:39.439
100
00:07:39.920 --> 00:07:43.800
101
00:07:43.920 --> 00:07:48.759
102
00:07:48.800 --> 00:07:53.079
103
00:07:53.120 --> 00:07:57.360
104
00:07:57.920 --> 00:08:01.959
105
00:08:02.000 --> 00:08:05.439
106
00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:10.639
107
00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:15.439
108
00:08:15.639 --> 00:08:20.639
109
00:08:21.240 --> 00:08:24.959
110
00:08:25.399 --> 00:08:29.240
111
00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:33.759
112
00:08:33.840 --> 00:08:37.600
113
00:08:37.639 --> 00:08:42.399
114
00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:47.000
115
00:08:47.679 --> 00:08:53.080
116
00:08:53.559 --> 00:08:56.639
117
00:08:56.720 --> 00:09:01.840
118
00:09:02.120 --> 00:09:05.559
119
00:09:05.639 --> 00:09:09.799
120
00:09:10.039 --> 00:09:13.919
121
00:09:13.919 --> 00:09:17.519
122
00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:23.039
123
00:09:23.039 --> 00:09:27.960
124
00:09:28.519 --> 00:09:33.879
125
00:09:33.960 --> 00:09:37.679
126
00:09:37.799 --> 00:09:41.120
127
00:09:41.159 --> 00:09:45.320
128
00:09:45.320 --> 00:09:49.879
129
00:09:49.960 --> 00:09:55.440
130
00:09:55.480 --> 00:09:59.799
131
00:10:00.000 --> 00:10:03.759
132
00:10:03.919 --> 00:10:08.679
133
00:10:08.720 --> 00:10:28.720
134
00:10:28.840 --> 00:10:33.279
135
00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:36.919
136
00:10:36.919 --> 00:10:40.240
137
00:10:40.279 --> 00:10:44.159
138
00:10:44.200 --> 00:10:49.360
139
00:10:49.440 --> 00:10:54.039
140
00:10:54.519 --> 00:10:58.200
141
00:10:58.320 --> 00:11:01.360
142
00:11:01.440 --> 00:11:05.200
143
00:11:05.279 --> 00:11:10.480
144
00:11:10.879 --> 00:11:13.480
145
00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:18.480
146
00:11:18.639 --> 00:11:22.840
147
00:11:22.919 --> 00:11:27.159
148
00:11:27.240 --> 00:11:31.320
149
00:11:31.360 --> 00:11:35.200
150
00:11:35.720 --> 00:11:38.679
151
00:11:38.799 --> 00:11:43.200
152
00:11:43.720 --> 00:11:46.440
153
00:11:46.519 --> 00:11:50.799
154
00:11:51.360 --> 00:11:54.480
155
00:11:54.639 --> 00:11:59.039
156
00:11:59.159 --> 00:12:02.320
157
00:12:02.399 --> 00:12:07.399
158
00:12:07.480 --> 00:12:10.679
159
00:12:10.720 --> 00:12:14.399
160
00:12:14.440 --> 00:12:19.440
161
00:12:19.480 --> 00:12:23.240
162
00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:28.000
163
00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:32.080
164
00:12:32.240 --> 00:12:35.639
165
00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:41.480
166
00:12:42.039 --> 00:12:44.639
167
00:12:44.679 --> 00:12:48.360
168
00:12:48.480 --> 00:12:52.080
169
00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:55.279
170
00:12:55.320 --> 00:12:58.159
171
00:12:58.840 --> 00:13:01.879
172
00:13:01.879 --> 00:13:06.279
173
00:13:06.360 --> 00:13:09.879
174
00:13:09.960 --> 00:13:14.480
175
00:13:14.960 --> 00:13:18.440
176
00:13:18.480 --> 00:13:22.399
177
00:13:22.519 --> 00:13:26.600
178
00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:30.000
179
00:13:30.080 --> 00:13:33.799
180
00:13:34.159 --> 00:13:38.720
181
00:13:39.120 --> 00:13:42.600
182
00:13:42.639 --> 00:13:47.200
183
00:13:47.600 --> 00:13:50.519
184
00:13:50.559 --> 00:13:55.240
185
00:13:55.279 --> 00:13:59.799
186
00:13:59.799 --> 00:14:04.200
187
00:14:04.240 --> 00:14:07.159
188
00:14:07.159 --> 00:14:10.759
189
00:14:10.879 --> 00:14:16.879
190
00:14:17.559 --> 00:14:48.399
191
00:14:48.639 --> 00:14:52.360
192
00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:56.200
193
00:14:56.759 --> 00:14:59.600
194
00:14:59.639 --> 00:15:05.360
195
00:15:05.480 --> 00:15:09.759
196
00:15:09.799 --> 00:15:14.679
197
00:15:15.279 --> 00:15:19.120
198
00:15:19.600 --> 00:15:23.080
199
00:15:23.440 --> 00:15:27.639
200
00:15:28.200 --> 00:15:32.000
201
00:15:32.120 --> 00:15:36.840
202
00:15:37.320 --> 00:15:40.679
203
00:15:40.759 --> 00:15:45.200
204
00:15:45.240 --> 00:15:48.399
205
00:15:48.440 --> 00:15:53.080
206
00:15:53.120 --> 00:15:56.759
207
00:15:56.840 --> 00:15:59.720
208
00:15:59.799 --> 00:16:05.000
209
00:16:05.039 --> 00:16:10.840
210
00:16:11.360 --> 00:16:15.919
211
00:16:16.080 --> 00:16:22.440
212
00:16:22.759 --> 00:16:26.559
213
00:16:26.559 --> 00:16:30.399
214
00:16:30.440 --> 00:16:34.600
215
00:16:34.879 --> 00:16:39.240
216
00:16:39.320 --> 00:16:42.720
217
00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:47.000
218
00:16:47.080 --> 00:16:50.879
219
00:16:50.960 --> 00:16:55.000
220
00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:59.799
221
00:16:59.840 --> 00:17:04.440
222
00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:09.160
223
00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:12.640
224
00:17:12.680 --> 00:17:16.839
225
00:17:17.359 --> 00:17:23.599
226
00:17:23.640 --> 00:17:27.519
227
00:17:27.640 --> 00:17:32.559
228
00:17:32.640 --> 00:17:36.759
229
00:17:36.880 --> 00:17:40.920
230
00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:46.039
231
00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:50.440
232
00:17:50.839 --> 00:17:54.440
233
00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.880
234
00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:02.839
235
00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:06.720
236
00:18:06.720 --> 00:18:11.000
237
00:18:11.079 --> 00:18:14.880
238
00:18:15.319 --> 00:18:18.839