What if Santa was a Demon? 

There's a LOT we had to leave out of this video. Like, a ton. If you want to hear a little more about the background of Morozko and Santa Claus (and why we chose to portray Morozko the way that we have here), definitely check out the extended version on Nebula! You can get access to it for free with a curiosity stream subscription, which is only $15 per YEAR (like $2 a month or something, it's ridiculously cheap): curiositystream.com/talefoundry This is probably the most affordable way to support the channel! We appreciate it so much.

As someone born in Russia and raised there, I've been told a slightly different version of the story. Maybe this is some kind of morale restructure specifically for kids, but in this version, Morozko actually takes the girl to his hut, after testing her with the same «Are you warm?» thing. Then, he either leaves or goes to sleep, leaving the female protagonist alone. As a matter of habit, she starts doing the chores, including dinner preparation for Morozko. It goes without saying that the old man is pleased with girl's doings, which is why he awards her with furs and a small enough to carry chest full of jewelry, sweets and other valuables. She returns home with all these gifts to her step mother's displease. It is decided that the second daughter should also try her fortune, which results in her being sent into the forest, but in contrast to her step sister, the girl is dressed quite warmly. Despite that, she fails Morozko's «Are you warm?» test, but he takes her to his hut nevertheless. There she spends her time doing nothing, but annoying the old man, demanding gifts from him. She indeed receives her portion of gifts which look even bigger, richer and overall better than that of her step sister. However, when she returns home, she finds out that rich chest she was given is just an old crate, jewelry inside it is made of ice, sweets are made of mud and furs are just a big piece of birch bark («beresta» in russian), which leaves her and her mother in tears. So, yeah, nobody dies, but the bad guys are pointed to their delusions, as well as a better emphasis is made on obedience behaviour, rather than on embracing outside life as is. At least, that's how I remember it.

I’m Slavic, I turned on this video and didn’t remember anything about this story but the moment he mentioned the word step daughter I recalled all the stories and Russian movies I saw about this. Thanks for bringing the memories up! Love your work!

I find it interesting how Santa Claus is a spirit of childhood, of the warm hearth and the home, while the Frost Demon represents adulthood, going out into the world and learning to embrace the elements and live on your own. Normally, whenever I see something about ‘Dark Santa’, it comes across as an alternate, opposite version of the same character. By contrast, Santa Claus and the Frost Demon seem to compliment each other really nicely, embodying two parts of a person’s life.

The Morozko is basically the fate of those who can't stand for themselves in life, the literal "life will crush you unless you embrace it head on"

Morozko: Are you warm, child? Me: Not really, but it's whatever. Thanks for the concern.

narrator: He's willing to kill his own daughter, just to pacify this wretched woman. Also subtitles: Parent of the year. 2:39

I’m not sure i would say i am warm… i admire her strength.

This is an interesting angle, and I'm sure some of the Santa Clause mythos came from stories like moroseco. But I like to bring up a story from the early church. One of the bishops in its first couple hundred years was named Nicholas (later named a Saint). He had a reputation for giving gifts to the poor and needy, especially for one time where he secretly gave three sisters money for their dowry, so they could find a good husband. This is possibly also the Nicholas who got mad in one of the church councils and punched a guy. He was kicked out of the council, but the guy he punched was also speaking heresy, so neither of them won.

This tale is inspiring and comforting to me, the opposite of the expected reaction. Even as an adult, I am always curious about morality and ethics as I was a child. Graduating from philosophy only sparked more passion for the philosophies of mankind, and in the modern age, specially the spectral digital dimension, I am an impotent witness of the most repugnant wickdness of man. But remembering stories like this, wher virtue, temperance, perseverance and valor are rewarded; as cruelty and sadism are punished accordingly, matching and even surpassing the wickedness of the people inflicting it, is a comforting fantasy that I hope can manifests. We read in shocked awe about the horrors of old fairy tales, but there has been a clear slaying of the mystique lessons of kindness and virtue; which should transcend biases and preferences, in our present day. Dehumanized, people will torment each other out of boredom, free of consequences. It brings me comfort to believe, almost childishly, that wickedness is punished eventually. By any force willing to listen and aid. That the brutality and cruelty of the world can be corrected, even if painfully. I put my trust in these monstrous beings to remind us about our own humanity. Thank you Tale Foundry for reigniting my faith, not dogmatic, but passionately spiritual. Believing that determined perseverance in the adversities of life and wickedness of others cutting through me as the flesh cracking cold of winter will only be my demise if I deem it so. Thank you, and happy holidays; and prosperous life to come. To all.

There's actually a similar tale called "Diamonds and Toads" - it's a French tale about two daughters, one sweet, one spoiled. The sweet girl goes into the forest one day and ends up helping an old woman. The woman ends up being a fairy, and she blesses the girl so that every time she speaks, jewels gold and flowers would fall from her lips. When the spoiled daughter finds out, she goes into the forest to get her own blessing, but she ends up acting entitled rude to the fairy. As punishment, the fairy curses her so that every time SHE speaks, toads and snakes would fall out of HER mouth.

I feel like this is a tale children should hear around this time of year it teaches a rather good and memorable lesson that many people never really got when they were younger

I learned about Morozko from the Winternight Trillogy by Katherine Arden. Honestly that series was my great introduction to a lot of Russian fairytails. But it was just a starting point. I love hearing older and more complete versions.

It is FASCINATING to learn about these legends from other places! (I love the added detail of how the gears are frozen over, haha, that was really cute)

I feel like Morozko is the inspiration of, not just Santa Clause, but also Jack Frost and maybe Krampus.

Part of the mystique of Santa Claus is that all parents have his ear. They are the ones who tell him who was naughty and who was nice. (Santa has the last word, though.) Parents who raise their children to embrace success and independence observe their children and realize their differing abilities. These parents tailor their treatment and education according to to their children's abilities and strengths while also trying to slip in those behaviors expected by society whether or not they are right or not. For instance, tolerance and dismissal of ineptitude in people in high office: One professor I worked under, in answer to one PhD candidate's rant over the ineptitude of a seminar presenter said, "I apologize to everyone about our guest speaker, but when the department head says, 'Let's invite So - and - So,' we say, 'Yes.'"

A very tame adaptation of this story was presented in the Soviet movie " Morozko", which was translated as Jack Frost when dubbed in English and brought over to the States. They mix it with another Russian fairy tale and Baba Yaga gets involved. It was perhaps most well known to those of us who loved the classic version of Mystery Science Theater 3000. Morozko is definitely depicted as a very kindly Russian take on a classical old world Santa Claus figure rather than the elemental frost fairy-demon As an aside, I am so pleased to learn that Nebula is available on Roku. Roku presents Curiosity stream for free ( no subscription required) so I don't think I can get Nebula for free in addition to it but for 5 bucks I can just get a Nebula sub and I am glad to do so

This is a really fascinating tale, with a deeper meaning that, to me, is far more relatable than the usual tales of Santa Claus and/or Krampus - even if I haven't exactly ever been thrown out of home to try and survive in the cold wilderness. Some very interesting themes, even in this short snippet (shame I can't afford to sub to Nebula right now to check the full version) - also, loved the art on this video, y'all just keep improving on that front with every new video.

We have a version of this in Romania as well, "The hag's daughter and the old man's daughter" (sounds better in Romanian). But there, when the old man's girl is banished, she encounters and proceeds to work for Saintess Friday, taking care of strange animals. At the end of three days, out of a room full of chests and boxes, she picks the smallest and ugliest of them, and it turns out it's full of riches. Jealous for the sake of her daughter, the hag sends her to the same experience, but not only is this one lazy, she also chooses the biggest, most ornate coffer she finds. Inside are Saintess Friday's animals, who devour mother and daughter. The end This is rather about hard work and humility being rewarded, though; but we have an abundance of stories of the same pattern

I already knew that story, but in the version I read, he wasnt called Morozko: instead, he was winter itself!

The frozen gears tying to move and ice everywhere is such a nice touch for the season and for the topic of the video. You even have an alternative version of your theme song that sounds more wintery. I love these kinds of details!

"I think it has a real chance to sour the experience for you. On the other hand, it could also enrich it! It's all a matter of perspective." I'm not sure exactly what it is about my perspective that does this for me, but I think I'm firmly in the "enrich" category. If I may be frank about my life here, the past few years haven't been kind. I've weathered it as best as I can, but things are coming to a head. I'm rather amazed I've lasted this long in my own proverbial winter, but I think enough is enough. You addressed something that stuck out as poetic to me here. The modern Santa Claus seems to be a model centered around childhood, the whole "enforcing the rules of the house" thing. But sometimes the house isn't a solid foundation. And Morozko being that allegory for endurance and providing for oneself? I think I needed that right now. TL;DR: The Morozko tale resonates with me a lot, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing or a telltale sign I should seek therapy.

The concept of Santa Claus actually mainly comes from Odin, mainly because he came down to the human realm to learn their ways (because he was a wonderful nerd) and in exchange, gave the humans he found worthy gifts and rewards in return for teaching him something and he punished those he saw as unworthy (I think he also had something to do with winter, although I don't entirely know that for sure). Not to mention one of the many ways he enters one's house directly is through the chimney! (Don't ask me why, I'm honestly not sure XD.)

One of my parents is nuts, and they told me Santa wasn't real when I was 5. I never spoiled it for my younger siblings (with a step parent) though. It stripped away the magic of the holiday, but made me appreciate the family time more especially as an adult.

Her dog speaks to her because; of course it does. XD love this video and the Christmasy theme music!

Honestly, I am a victim in the same way that is discussed in this video. Periods of rampant abuse interchanged with gifts for me to be the person they wanted me to be. I understand both of my parents are damaged goods in their own way and they needed time to heal but at the same time don't respect the way they treated me or the other kids in the family. I love them and I'll forgive them but when I heard about the kid being perfectly obedient and nearly getting murdered for it, I just kept thinking of childhood. It is wild to me how much the storylines with my personal beliefs, about how you should be able to stay independent from your family

What, you DON'T dream of doing the backstroke through various dairy products??

Fun fact In Ukraine and Polande Morozko is considered a positive figure since the 90s. He is the husband of Winter (pronounced Zyma) and was created from her tears which she cried due to her lonelyness in her home on the Iron mountain (her home). His staff is so powerful that when it touches the ground frost appears, and when it touches the water it freezes. He punishes those who make his wife cry. Icesickles are manifestations of his words and winter clouds are his hair. While in actual folklore he is spiteful and malicious towards people he enterd in the cultural zeitgeist with the 1964. fantasy film of the same name (known in America and UK as Father Frost or Jack Frost), which is considerd to this day to be one of the best films to come out of the Soviet union. In Poland even an ice creeam was named after it to capitalise on it's succes.

This frost demon may also possibly be the origin of the ‘demon of Christmas’ known as ‘Krampaus’. Actually, Morozko [Please god let that be spelt correctly] is pretty much the same thing as Krampaus just with two separate differences, A. His name, and B. The fact that krampaus comes to the children who are naughty but Morozko lives in the forest. This may also be the reason why, in Christmas legend, Krampaus is said to be much older and more ancient than the depiction of old Saint Nicholas… Just a thought 😋😜😙

Ohhhh! You don't know how many times me and my sibling used to watch the film of this story, this brought back some memories :)

They looked back at the small creature, their features gentle but their eyes burning with a harsh light. "I have made myself warm." They reply, their voice firm. Idk I tried. Wonderful video! I really liked the story.

~Sees Tale Foundry upload~ *Likes video before it even starts* ~Sees the low ratio of likes to views~ Criminally underrated ---> *Triggered*

I’ve heard this story before, but it was connected to Jack Frost instead of Santa. I can understand where you’re coming from.

Santa Claus is acutally based on a Christian Saint (Saint Nicolas) his story is actually very sweet, tough, Christmas does have a slavic and pagan base since Christmas is a christianization of the roman holiday Saturnalia and/or the tradition of Yule. I can see this story also being an inspiration for Santa tough, i mean, Krampus is a thing after all.

I love your interpretations of stories I learned as a child

I didn’t expect this to be a horror version of Cinderella.

I just got this video recommended to me (maybe because I what cpg grey?) and I love your art style, it’s very unique and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a robot (or something alike) telling stories and bringing thought provoking prompts, and I love it

I'm really appreciating the Slavic folktale themed videos. My Reserve Unit is going to Poland and I began investing time and enthusiasm in culture and language in preparation. But My mental health hasn't fully recovered from about 3 yrs of strain compounded by a lower back and hip injury, My doctor could not ,in good conscience, release me from my profile, a document saying what I am and am NOT allowed to do bc of illness or injury. Many of the members of my company have become like family to me and I will miss them. The gentleman who was my platoon leader and absolutely an inspiration to work with was moved into the slot of our outgoing commander. He is just as green to deployment as many of us are but, the detachment would have followed him anywhere and the sentiment was spreading. I miss them all already.

This story, is it the original piece that inspired the creation of Santa Clause. The story is diffrent in so many aspects I can almost not believe it.

My sister got the stocking filled with coal one year, she still got her presents from Santa but he left her a note telling her he was disappointed in her. I'm pretty sure it worked too. Santa is definitely equal parts festive and punitive🎅⚖️

What happened to the letters Talebot kept receiving from the mysterious entity inside the Foundry?

Perfect thing to listen to while i quilt!

This story sort of reminds me of Cinderella, with the evil stepmother and a girl being rewarded for putting up with her crappy life

Here in Poland, we got "Dziadek Mróz" that sounds somewhat similar that translate to "grampa Frost"

How have I lived this long without knowing about this channel???? Criminally underrated.

I'd really, really love to subscribe to curiosity stream especially because of the documentary you talked about, but I'm not an adult, so I can't work yet

Morozko, while one of the beings whose original appearance was almost forgotten, still is prevalent in more stories than one might think. In one - there are two of them. Frosty brothers travel through the forest and look for people to freeze and shoo from their woods. They find two targets for their work. First, they find a lumberjack, who is barely clothed, too hot from chopping wood. The other - some noble riding through the place wrapped in furs almost completely. The older one sends the younger one to try and freeze him, arguing that he was not as experienced, so someone so lightly dressed should be just right, while he takes the guy in proper garments. The younger Morozko agrees and they go to their targets. While the older brother has no trouble, only once slipping under the furs and making the terrified noble run away as soon as he could to get somewhere warmer, the younger one didn't succeed as much. The lumberjack, while barely dressed, was working hard and the cold from the spirit just bounced off without any effect. Later the two brothers reunite and the older one lunges at the younger, keeping it not clear if he knew the result would be like this or not.

There is a telling (it's not confirmed though) that Morozko used to recieve human sacrifaces. A virgin, sacrificed to him, would be called "Shegoorochka" which is now known as Granpa Freeze's granddoughter and helper.

I am...unsure of how to describe it, how this video makes me feel. I cannot stand on my own two feet and say to the demon of frost that I am warm in the face of the biting winter air, but neither would I demand luxuries I thought due. I can't take care of myself, that is a fact that I live with, I will never be able to live without care. Morozko could ask me a thousand times if I was warm, and a thousand times I would say the same thing, no, I am not, but I am used to the cold...

I know it's about a different video but thank you for making a video on the king in yellow it inspired me to buy it and got me back into reading, I really enjoy the content and has given me the spark I had for English before my secondary education

Love the aesthetic change, really amazing job

For some reason your voice/ videos get me in the mood to write. I love fantasy and listening to these videos opens up my imagination. It mixes fantasy with pure sadness and it makes me want to cry. I love it. Thank you, truly.

I am super late, but I think that at ~3:05 the thing with cheese and butter is a russian idiom, meaning that everything goes really smooth and great, just like how smooth cheese covered in butter is

quote: "in good hands, she would have swum in cheese and butter." me: *D E L I C I O U S*

I feel like, if presented with this scenario, I wouldn't want to try lying to the actual faerie creature that just appeared in front of me, so I'd probably say that I was cold, but that I could endure.

I like how during halloween where the cogs are webbed and christmas where the cogs are frozen they don't move like the usual videos it makes it seem more real

This was my favorite tale as a child! Growing up in Bulgaria, my grandma loved telling me all sorts of fairytales

I can recommend the SCP called the Yuleman. If you like dark and gory stories. It’s a spin on Santa, that turns him into an actual monster that kidnaps kids, turns them into the elves and sometimes even the presents themselves.

suggestion for a video! sorry if its already been said at some point SPOILER WARNING Im a huge fan of dark souls and in dark souls, a large part of the plot revolves around a great and grand lie. The entire purpose of humanity is a falsehood woven by the gods to prolong their age of fire and their power I was wondering where else things like this appear in writing, and if there is a specific name for this kind of plotline/ setting Another concept used heavily in dark souls is the decline of majesty into ruin, and i think that theme would be interesting to discuss!

Even as a child, I always found the tale of Santa so weird. There was just…too many loopholes, like an story that wasn’t thought out and written properly ‘the North Pole is too cold for someone to stay there forever’ ‘he can’t be able to visit ALL the houses’ ‘where does he keep the list?’ It goes on and on.

I mean… you can literally rearrange “Santa” to spell out Satan with just one move (Just like how one specific angel was 1 step away from fallen…)

I love this channel!!! Yall are so underrated ❤️❤️❤️

Before watching the video: Aaaahhh! Not Slavic winter fairytales! Nooooo!

SCP 4666: And I took that personally.

I love this channel, the art and storytelling is both creepy and captivaded and full of my favorite subjects. History, folklore, mytology and more, Keep up the good work :)

I heard that morozko was a version of jack frost.

I wanted to make a dirty joke about that whole "are you warm" thing, but there's something about the earnestness with which you make these videos that compels me not to😅

This was more Cinderella than Santa Claus.

Overly sarcastic productions made a video on santa. from memory he was a mix a lot of things but most memorablely he has a lot of his origin relating to Odin.

Also think about crampus , the dark santa who drag any bad behavior child into hell promising more warmth in winter and for good children well, he spare their life as life itself is biggest give any one can endure.

That was heavier than i expected , good stuff.

I remember reading a version in which, the second daughter was not frozen but showered with black sticky tar. Regardless, as far as I know, the story has many versions

This reminds me of the old Scandinavian legend of the Utburd (or: Child Carried Outside.)

For a child growing into adulthood, the home becomes ever more hostile, and it's not because of our parents. Try as we might, our parents cannot resist this force that sends us away from our homes, out into the cruel, cold world. But if the upbringing we received at home was a good one, then we can face the world, as harsh as it is, with our heads held high, meeting it head on. And if we do this, the world will reward us so that we may return to our parents as someone they can be proud of. But if we cower in the face of adversity, if we blame our shortcomings on others, and if we demand instead of earn, then the world will chew us up and spit us out, and we return home mere shadows of ourselves, now that our illusion of our self-importance has been shattered, like a thin layer of ice. This is a warning to parents: Prepare your child to face the demon of winter. Because he is out there, and no child can avoid it, no matter how much you coddle them. This is a lesson that parents these days have utterly forgot, shielding their children away from adversity and unleashing them upon the world as infants in adult bodies, where they demand that the world change for them, and provide them with safe spaces, and that anything that might offend them be removed from society. This story is an old one. Morozko is the embodiment of winter, as is Krampus and the traditional face of Joulupukki, the Yule Goat. Winter has always been the harshest trial of humanity. It is cruel and unforgiving. Those that do not work hard, that do not treat life with respect, are given no quarter when the demon of winter comes visiting. This is why the outcomes of these stories are so shocking. The step daughter freezes to death. She doesn't receive coals in her stockings, she doesn't return crying because she didn't get her way. No. *_She dies._* Because that is what happens when you treat life and its difficulties with contempt like a spoilt child: you die frozen in the heart of winter. This has been a literal truth for tens of thousands of years. It is only of late that we have conquered winter. But even though today the consequences do not involve freezing to death (in most cases, at least), they still are dire. Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them. And pursue what is meaningful, not what is expedient.

It's so Cinderella-esk. THIS is the Christmas/winter story we need.

That dog is a bloody legend, my dog would've spilled everything I want at the sight of beef

Interesting timing with this video’s posting. I just watched MST3K’s riff of the 1964 “Jack Frost” film a couple days ago and found this in my recommendations.

Tale Foundry: Be warned this will ruin you imagine if Santa Claus Everyone in the Comments: Wow I like this better.

Me, easily pleased: "ooooh, a FESTIVE intro music" 😍

Not Slavic, but I had recently come across this tale a couple months ago, and I’m glad someone talked about it!

Almost every culture has its own Christmas character. In Finland, the scariest moment of Christmas for children is still the moment when, on Christmas Eve, after the sauna and the sixth full Christmas meal, a white-bearded man in a red coat arrives to gives the christmas presents and then it leaves as suddenly as it came. And usually Santa's presence makes little children cry and hide. But it hasn't always been like this (except that the children have always been afraid of the Christmas visitor) and in the past Santa dressed in turned brown fur coat and he didn't always even have time to visit the house. In some cases in 19th century he just threw the christmas presents in behind the door and laughed menacingly, which the children usually found threatening and stressful. Then Santa left and made everyone wonder what this new thing is. But even before that, our Santa Claus was used to be called Nuuttipukki, or Kekripukki, in Finland and he went from house to house asking for leftover food and drinks. And if there was leftover food and drinks in the house (and hopefully they had extra), it had to be given to Nuuttipuki or he threatened to do handful of pranks throughout the coming year, such as keeping the residents of the house awake at night by jingling cowbells or destroy the house's oven, which kept the house warm in the winter. And the children were afraid of Nuutti, who had a mask made of birch bark on his head, goggles as glasses, turned fur coat and a long wooden stick with which Nuutti used to scare and threaten the children. However, the idea that Santa Claus is supposed to give Christmas presents to children and not so that families are supposed to give food gifts to Nuutti came via Germany and North Ameriga from South East Europe. And this change only happened in Finland at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. But since Santa Claus and the Christmas characters before him have always been scary, Finnish children think that the modern Santa also has something scary and threatening.

I like morosko. My childhood was horrific so I too had to rely on myself. Aye. I’d have said warm enough, or I’m fine ; cuz people asking if you need something they may use it to make you owe them. Still not convinced that morosko would not have done the same.

I remember being overdosed on caffeine as a child and drawing a character named "Santa Claws" (yes, the pun name was intentional.) A Choatic iteration that had a long snake tongue, came out during the summer, used water jets instead of reindeer, and stole limbs from all the children of the world. (I drew him holding a child's hand.

while watching one part i was eating sour patch kids when you said "This may SOUR the experience for you"

Brace yourselves, The Winter is coming.

I love how the gears are frozen and don't move its a great touch

Great video. I'm going to use this in a DnD game.

Lying to his face and to yourself that you are warm... Doesn't feel like you are taking care of yourself. The way you saw this story really is twisted...not in a evil sens, but in a mixed up sense.

Morozko: Are you WARM? Me: im not, but i like the cold

"The dog starts talking to her because of course....." That sums up folklore for you.

I find myself at the cross roads you speak of. Thank you for sharing this tale on a not so bright christmas

The first time Mumma took me to visit a mall Santa, I took one look + refused. There was no way I was going to join the line of obvious child sacrifices to go to the equally obvious red demon lord on the throne.

i love how the gears in the corner of the screen are frozen!!!

"uh.. look past the visual of swimming in cheese and butter... *shiver* ...suffice"

You better not pout... You better not cry... Because Santa is coming... into townn.. He sees you when your sleeping, he knows when you're awake. He knows if you've been bad or good, so be good for goodness' sake.

Completely off topic but is it really a prophecy if the dog is saying what's happening after it's happened? Seems more clairvoyant than prophetic but I feel I'm just being nitpicky at this point

I feel a disconnecting from Christmas. My childhood wasnt one of safety outside of the home, whereas within the home I felt at most ignored. Left to my own devices. I find the Frost Demon to be more comforting than Santa, as the reward comes from self determination and independence. Something I was forced to learn, but punished for exercising as a child

The narration of you broooooo dammm gooood , keep it up.

Homie is the Santa of survivorism

”you should be careful if you remember this as a tradition”. I have never believed in Santa and didn't know who he was until I went to school in Kindergarten bc everyone was talking about Santa and I had no clue who he was