“Kalikantzari” are little goblins (daemons) of the Greek folk tradition who wander the Earth during the 12 days between Christmas Day and Epiphany.
They have many different names like: Skalibia, Pagana, Lykokantzari, Karkantzelia, Kaides and other. Kallikantzari are mean and cunning and each one of them has a physical defect :some are lame, some are blind or one-eyed and some others are one- legged, bow- legged, ugly- faced or with dislocated shoulders… In short they have every physical defect there is.
Their clothes are shabby, torn up and made of rags. They usually eat worms, frogs, snakes etc. They can’t finish anything they undertake because they are quarrelsome and irresolute: one says “yes” the other says “no”. One is running but the other is standing still. When they leave for somewhere they fight along the way so they either arrive late or never reach their destination.
According to the tradition they live deep in the earth where they do nothing else but sawing with their axes or with their teeth and nails ,as some people believe ,the tree that supports the Earth.
But before they finish their work, Christmas comes. So, they leave their work
unfinished , go aboard their cockleshells and sail to the “World of Humans”
following the water path, underground streams, wells and springs.
On Christmas Eve they come from different places and lurk out of the villages
waiting for the night to fall and then they get in. During the night they roam
the streets frightening the people. When they see a villager outside his house
they grab him by the hand and force him to dance.
The only thing “ Kalikantzari” can’t stand and are in dread of is the power of the “ Holy Water”.
For this reason they leave the world of humans and return to the “ Lower – World” on Epiphany’s Eve.
