St. Nicholas & Black Pete

I've been looking up Christmas traditions as they've come from Medieval days and came upon the story of Black Peter, or Zwarte Piet. I'd heard about black coal being put into kids stockings. I was occasionally threatened that coal would be my only Christmas present as a child. I thought that would be bad! Kids actually were scared as hell by him, from the sounds of it.

As any mythical character, he changed a great deal over the centuries, as did Santa Clause, or should I say, good 'ole St. Nick! The Black Pete I chose to portray here is the miniature, elf-like variety. This Santa is medieval style, without any magical reindeer and elves.

In fact, from what I've read, this Black Pete is elf-like and somewhat monstrous. He reminds me of the 'Good People', some believed to have inhabited the trees, and some mining, below the earth. The Black Pete in this painting will leave coal as a warning to bad children. If they don't behave, hell carry them away in his sack to his mines to work and be beaten, with no chance of escape. He's hiding away from Santa!

An acrylic painting on 14" x 18" canvas