Winter Folkloric Beings Update

Happy New’s Year, everyone! As promised, I am back to post my three favorite stories from the Winter Folkloric Beings Challenge.

Unfortunately, there were not as many entries as I would have hoped. Perhaps it was just a bad time of year to do this (what with all the shopping, time with family and friends, the festivities, etc.) or I did not advertise it enough. C’est la vie. Live and learn. Still, I was able to find three stories that I found to be fantastic examples of what you can do when you look outside the traditional Christmas/Winter norms.

In no particular order, here they are:

The Icebound Guardian by Michelle Liew

This bit of flash fiction follows Vance Lowell. He hates winter. In fact, he hates it so much that he wishes it away, a wish granted by Solenix, the champion of the seasons. However, Vance soon finds that skipping a season is not as great as it seems to be and getting winter back will come at a great personal cost.

This story carries an important lesson about the delicate balance of nature, especially during a time when the seasons are already out of whack. The ending is sad yet very poetic, teaching us that everything comes with a price. The quote at the beginning of this tale says it all: Be careful what you wish for – you may receive it.

Why the Krampus Was Really There by Mike Singleton

This fable tells the true story of everyone’s favorite Christmastime monster, Krampus. Krampus might seem to be a villain, but he’s just doing his job. Another, much more horrendous, monster is pulling the strings.

Although short, Mike’s story packs quite the punch. It does not deny what tradition says Krampus does. Rather, it makes us question what happens after Krampus does it and who is the true benefactor of his actions. My favorite line: This is your Christmas Revelation, but don’t tell the children.

Eira Coch: The Red Snow. A Winter’s Tale by River Joy & Celia in Underland

Hirlas has disobeyed a god, and he has paid the price. Transformed into an otherworldly stag, he has ever since been used to send worthy souls to the halls of Arawn. Yet there is one more task that he must accomplish before he can be set free from these bonds—and this task he might not survive.

River Joy & Celia in Underland managed to take my breath away with this amazing original tale. From the authentic Welsh language to the vivid imagery, I could not pull myself away from this four-minute read. They were even able to find a winter folkloric being that I had absolutely no clue about. I had to research Hirlas for myself, and when I discovered the folkloric origins to this story, I loved it even more.

Now, in the original Winter Folkloric Beings post, I said that I would not be able to tip anyone for their entries. Well…surprise! I am going to be tipping each of the above entries $1. I know that it’s not a lot, but I hope that it will at least add a little New Year’s cheer to your writing pots.

Despite the low turnout for this challenge, I might come up with more challenges in the future. Maybe paid, maybe not. (Probably not; again, I am on a tight budget like most writers on here.) So, keep your eye out for more challenges from me as 2025 unfolds.

Didn’t get a chance to enter the Winter Folkloric Beings Challenge but still have a story related to the prompt? No problem! Just leave a link to the story in the comments below, and I’ll be sure to read it.