Père Fouettard facts for kids
Père Fouettard (pronounced "pair fwet-TAR") is a special character who joins Saint Nicholas on his yearly visits. He appears on Saint Nicholas Day, which is December 6th. While Saint Nicholas gives gifts to children who have been good, Père Fouettard is known for giving coal or a gentle "whipping" (like a light tap with a switch) to kids who haven't behaved well.
You'll mostly find Père Fouettard in the northern and eastern parts of France, in southern Belgium, and in French-speaking Switzerland. But don't worry, similar characters exist all over Europe! This "Whipping Father" is often shown carrying a whip or switches to remind naughty children to be good.
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Where Did Père Fouettard Come From?
There are a couple of interesting stories about how Père Fouettard came to be.
The Innkeeper's Tale
The most famous story dates back to around the year 1252. It tells of a mean innkeeper, or sometimes a butcher, who met three young boys. These boys seemed wealthy and were on their way to a religious school. The innkeeper, along with his wife, had a terrible plan: they tried to harm the children to steal their money.
Luckily, Saint Nicholas discovered this awful crime. He then miraculously saved the children and brought them back to safety. After this, Père Fouettard, who was the innkeeper, felt very sorry for what he had done. He promised to change and became Saint Nicholas's helper. Another version says Saint Nicholas made him his assistant as a punishment for his bad deeds.
The Metz City Story
Another story comes from the city of Metz in Eastern France, during a time of war in 1552. People in the city burned a large dummy of King Charles V and dragged it through the streets. At the same time, a group of leather workers created a scary-looking character. This character, also a leather worker, carried a whip and was bound in chains. He was used to scare children into behaving.
After Metz was freed, the burned dummy of the king and the scary character somehow combined. This mix became what we now know as Père Fouettard. Since these events happened around the time Saint Nicholas visited, Père Fouettard became his "tough guy" partner.
In the 1930s, Père Fouettard even appeared in the United States. He was called Father Flog or Spanky there. This American version was very similar to the French one. However, he wasn't linked to Christmas and had a female helper named Mother Flog. They would give specific punishments for different childhood misbehaviors.
What Does Père Fouettard Look Like?
Most pictures of Père Fouettard show him as a man with a scary face. He wears dark robes and has messy, uncombed hair and a long beard. He usually carries a whip, a big stick, or bundles of switches.
Sometimes, he is shown with a woven backpack. This backpack is said to be where he might carry children who have been very naughty. Other times, he simply carries a large bundle of sticks on his back.
Père Fouettard in Books and Shows
Père Fouettard has appeared in many different places, from songs to TV shows!
- The French singer Jacques Dutronc has a song called La Fille du père Noël. It's about Père Fouettard's son having a crush on Santa Claus's daughter.
- Another French pop star, Alain DeLorme, mentioned him in his song "Venez Venez St. Nicolas."
- There's a restaurant in Paris named Le Père Fouettard. It serves classic Parisian food.
- The composer Robert Schumann wrote a piano piece in 1848. It's usually known as Knecht Ruprecht, who is a similar character. But sometimes, this piece is called Le Père Fouettard.
- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, a company that makes special perfume oils, created a limited-edition scent in 2008. It was named Le Père Fouettard and smelled like "Whip leather, coal dust, gaufrette, and black licorice."
- Père Fouettard was the main bad guy in the animated TV show The Secret World of Santa Claus. In the English version of the show, he was called "Gruzzlebeard."
See also
In Spanish: Père Fouettard para niños
- Befana
- Belsnickel
- Krampus
- Zwarte Piet - A similar figure from Dutch stories
- Hans von Trotha, a German knight who became a similar character known as Hans Trapp in the Alsace region
