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Phyllis Siefker
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Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years Paperback – Illustrated, December 11, 2006

by Phyllis Siefker (Author)
4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 54 ratings
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Much of the modern-day vision of Santa Claus is owed to the Clement Moore poem "The Night Before Christmas." His description of Saint Nicholas personified the "jolly old elf" known to millions of children throughout the world.

However, far from being the offshoot of Saint Nicholas of Turkey, Santa Claus is the last of a long line of what scholars call "Wild Men" who were worshipped in ancient European fertility rites and came to America through Pennsylvania's Germans. This pagan creature is described from prehistoric times through his various forms--Robin Hood, The Fool, Harlequin, Satan and Robin Goodfellow--into today's carnival and Christmas scenes. In this thoroughly researched work, the origins of Santa Claus are found to stretch back over 50,000 years, jolting the foundation of Christian myths about the jolly old elf.

Previous page
  1. Print length
    227 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    McFarland
  4. Publication date
    December 11, 2006
  5. Reading age
    18 years and up
  6. Dimensions
    6 x 0.46 x 9 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0786429585
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0786429585
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

“gripping...studies as rich as this are few and far between. Let the kids have their sanitized Santa, when they are a bit older they can scare themselves shitless reading this wonderful, dangerous book”―Fortean Times; “diligent research.... The excellent study, with many rare illustrations (b/w), will be of great interest to folklorists and other researchers and storytellers”―Come-All-Ye.

About the Author

The late Phyllis Siefker lived in Lawrence, Kansas.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ McFarland; Illustrated edition (December 11, 2006)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 227 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0786429585
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0786429585
  • Reading age ‏ : ‎ 18 years and up
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.46 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 54 ratings

About the author

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Phyllis Siefker

Phyllis Siefker

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Customer reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars
4.7 out of 5
54 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

James Keating
5.0 out of 5 stars This is essential reading. I've bought it several times ...
Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is essential reading. I've bought it several times now, for myself and as gifts. It is a deep history of the Western soul, linking all sorts of traditions and myths -- Santa, Satan, Pan, Robin Hood -- going back for millennia and stretching across northern Eurasia. Parts are speculative, but all of it makes sense. Some recitations of customs in various places get repetitious, but you can skip the details if you wish.
10 people found this helpful
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Michael G. Bruce
5.0 out of 5 stars Jolly Wild Old Elf
Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2009
Verified Purchase
If your looking for a good read on acient origins of Santa Claus I recommend this book. It got me thinking about that the Jolly Old Elf has been around alot longer than most major religions, countries and nations today. This Jolly Elf that flys through the night with reindeer has transformed and evolved for 50,000 years like the title says.
7 people found this helpful
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4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2020
Verified Purchase
Pulls together research from various sources. Will have to go back to some of those sources, however, to evaluate conclusions. Good place to start if you’re interested in the subject.
2 people found this helpful
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Ronda
5.0 out of 5 stars Santa Disrobed!
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
Very Interesting. Great comprehensive look at roots of Santa mythology. Book goes beyond the cursory explanations that other books have.
2 people found this helpful
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H. B. Baldwin
5.0 out of 5 stars Evolution of a Legend
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2014
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Did you ever wondr where Santa camne from. Well here's a book that tells the evolution of this beloved character that filled children with wonder and fear each time Christmas came.
3 people found this helpful
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Mitsou
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 1, 2015
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Great book - brand new. Fast shipping.
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Strawberry Wrong
3.0 out of 5 stars A Poor "History" of Santa Claus
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2019
Verified Purchase
This is an interesting book discussing the amazing similarities of half man/half beast (wild men) mythologies among different cultures and across time but the author's connection between these creatures and Santa Claus is dubious, at best. Frankly, most of the book has nothing whatsoever to do with Santa Claus but dwells upon anecdotal stories of these wild men as the true origin of Santa Claus. Early in the book, the author recounts the traditional stories about Saint Nicholas and his morphing into the "Santa Claus" the entire world knows today. The author does note the important role the penmanship of Washington Irving and Clement Moore (or Henry Livingston, according to the author) played, as well as the drawings of Thomas Nast. Astoundingly, however, she fails to even mention the enormous impact Coca Cola advertising had on our image of Santa today. The book then introduces us to a Pennsylvania Dutch character named "Pelznichol" and the author makes a weak and farfetched attempt to connect this guy to the Santa Claus we know today. The book suddenly goes haywire for almost two hundred pages.
9 people found this helpful
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Emily
5.0 out of 5 stars So -- You think You Know Santa?
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2009
The first time I laid eyes on this book was at my local library, and the title was too intriguing to pass up. I never could quite see Santa as Mr. Nice Guy (except when I met his kindly avatars at the mall), so I was perfectly willing to consider the possibility that the 'jolly old elf' might be more like the old, tricky elves than the new, toy-shop versions.

Phyllis Siefker pursues the Santa legend enthusiastically, but ultimately Santa is not the legend who receives the most illumination. It's the Harlequin who emerges, in all his incarnations, from the Jester in the royal court who is the only one allowed to speak his mind (because everyone thinks he's crazy) to painted, gender-bending rock stars like Alice Cooper and Marylin Manson, to The Joker from the movie THE DARK KNIGHT. The fact that the actor who played The Joker has since died only strengthens his connection to the legendary Wild Man.

Once you've read this book, you'll see that the Wild Man is everywhere -- he makes the evening news almost every night (in one incarnation or another). After I read the library copy, I ordered my own copy on amazon. It's one of the few books I'm willing to pack up and move -- and that's rare praise.
15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Lorena
5.0 out of 5 stars sANTA cLAUS
Reviewed in Italy on July 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
vERY GOOD BOOK , I M VERY HAPPY TO HAVE IT . tHE BOOK WAS SHIPPED VERY QUICKLY . fANTASTIC, I WILL USE AMAZION AGAIN
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VJ
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book for those interested in the origin of Santa
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 18, 2011
Verified Purchase
This book is for people like me who like to get to the bottom of the origin of things - Santa is no execption. The author takes you on a tour around the world of where the Santa stories originated and how they merged into the Coca-Cola figure we recognise today.

The book is of particular interest to people who want to understand more about the forest dwelling 'wild men' of Europe.
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