When Santa Was A Shaman: Ancient Origins of Santa Claus & the Christmas Tree

by Tony van Renterghem

Editorial Reviews Product Description This work explores the origins of Santa Claus, going back to prehistoric times and man's earliest concepts of religion. It analyzes how ancient myths from countries as diverse as Britain, Russia, Scandinavia, Spain and Africa were adapted, sanitized and commercialized in modern times by America. About the Author Tony van Renterghem (Netherlands) works as a semi-retired writer, researcher and consultant. He was born in Amsterdam and served in the Resistance during World War II, was condemned to death by the Nazis and escaped. For 30 years he worked in the movie industry, where he was technical advisor on such films as "The Diary of Anne Frank" and "The Greatest Story Ever Told."

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Christmas, Mythology, Religion, Folklore, Spirituality

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1995

About the author

Tony van Renterghem was born in 1919 in Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, Netherlands. In addition to his writing career he has worked in the film industry. He served as technical advisor for the movie The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) and as research supervisor for The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965).

Reviews

[Ajeje Brazov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interessante ed affascinante saggio sulla figura di Babbo Natale, dalle sue origini ai giorni d'oggi. Quello che lo rende affascinante è quell'aura di mistero che ammanta tutta la lettura. Perchè il tutto si fa risalire a moltissimi anni fa ed a...
Insomma non posso dirvelo, spoilerei come si dice ora, o semplicemente rovinerei la lettura. Però ciò che mi preme dire su questo libro è che risveglia la voglia di conoscenza, soprattutto di ciò che è poco conosciuto o lasciato nella nebbia del passato remoto, inabissato da altre storie!
Per chi, come me, ama il folklore, le leggende, i miti popolari rapportati alla Natura, questo saggio è un piccolo gioiellino da leggere. In alcuni passaggi si sente proprio il "sapore" dell'arcano, dell'ancestrale, un'atmosfera magica che mi ha accompagnato durante la lettura...

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Regardless of the author's own supposition, I still found this book engaging, informative and thought provoking. The facts remain that Christmas started as a concept thousands of years before the Christians made their mark on it. Now I understand more about the origins of not only Santa but also mistletoe, the Christmas tree and various traditions. Decorating our home for the holidays has a new enriched meaning when we realize there is meaning, history and metaphor behind these rituals beyond that of modern day church or commercialism wants us to believe.

[Crazy Uncle Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was very disappointed with this book. Though the author clearly did a lot of research he has constructed a book based on numerous unverified and frankly, unverifiable theories. I think he was a little too ambitious in attempting to trace the origins of the Santa Claus myth back hundreds of thousands of years and the result is an unfortunate and fallacious “house of cards” filled with endless supposition and anti-religious sentiment. In order to be fair to the author I have to admit a couple of things. First, he does acknowledge in his introduction that much of what he says would be based on his own supposition. However, that was a major understatement; it was almost complete supposition. Second, I didn’t finish the book. After a while I got a bit tired of the erroneous logic and I saw no reason to continue on. Perhaps things would have gotten better had I kept going but I kind of doubt it.

[Amethyst Shadow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book... up until his conclusion. It was nice to read about what the past was kinda like and some of his suppositions. Then, in the conclusion, he starts to tell us how we should all listen to his views on how to proceed with our futures. He talked previously about how religions, etc. shaped and said things in order to get people to conform to their views and opinions. In his conclusion, in many parts, he tries to do the same thing.

I get it, I do. Without Gaia we are all dead. Like Venus, Mars and Saturn. However; some of us do think about the planet and have our own belief systems at the same time. Some of us do things in the old ways: grow our own food, walk instead of driving, etc. Maybe he was trying to come off as shamanesque in his conclusion. If that was the case, I didn't feel like he pulled that off. It felt a tad preachy even though I agreed with some parts of his conclusion. It was a shame to end the book that way.

[Gordon MacLellan · Rating 4 out of 5]

this is an interesting read...frustrating at times and it skirts things that i want to know more about or would like explored in more depth but for an understanding of the history of the Santa Claus image and its associated irritations, it is very useful. It's also just a good read and especially at this time of year (I'm writing this in early December) - ideal for getting your head in an appropriately wintry mood for the festivities

Throw in books about Krampus, Iceland's Yule Lads and something on festive plants and you'll be set for a season of wonderful characters

Recommended

[Chris Healey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well researched & beautifully presented book about the prehistoric pagan origins of Santa Claus along with the other important Christmas traditions & figures. As a modern pagan there’s plenty of fascinating bits of history & folklore related here that will really enhance my appreciation of Christmas & Yule, and importantly see how it all dovetails into our modern Christmas. With the authors admission there’s a lot of conjecture here, but most of it makes good sense & is good food for thought or conversation. The chapters are staged well, culminating in a story that effectively brings it all together. Great illustrations throughout.

My main criticism would be the authors peppering of some rather glib or naive political points and hostility towards Christianity which seems a bit overwrought at points. Many, having been inspired by the preceding content will find the strangely humanist/materialist conclusion a bit of a reductive bum note. A strange thing to do. There’s plenty of room for another version of this book, with a more self confident spiritual dimension. It’s like a fantastic lesson being taught by an unfortunately ill suited teacher.

[Cicely · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so interesting. It tells the reader about the history and anthropology behind Santa!

[Karin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read many years ago and loved. Would like to see this in an Audible version for my customary read and read again quirk.

[Quiksan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Someone told me YEARS ago to read this book. I couldn't find it. I looked off and on for at least a decade. Finally, a friend found it and bought it for me for Christmas this year. It didn't earn all the effort I put into trying to find it, unfortunately. I'm not a history buff, and that's pretty much was this was. If you like to learn where Christmas things came from in the past, this book is for you.

[Robyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

...a very ambitious book, which unfortunately falls short of its goal. The author states some pretty wild "facts" but offers no citations to support his statements. Half the time spent reading this book was just fact checking the author. Its also very dated (the example he used for modern technology was a floppy disk) and kinda racist.

[Kristin Rounds · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best non-fiction books I've read in years. After I finished reading the library's copy, I ordered one from Amazon so I'll always have it. I'll never look at Christmas traditions in the same way again!

[Gatcha · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lots of unverified assumptions.
Many usless digressions with Always at least a major mistake or some incoherence in the logic.
Lots of unwanted comments and moral judice from the author who sees everything that goes against paganism and misticism as evil and stupid

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was fine. I would've liked footnotes to his sources.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting information, but keep in mind this book is several decades old and a lot of the terms are outdated (and sometimes racist).

[T.J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great, short fun read!

[Frederick Gault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jolly good fun.

[Janet Spielman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intriguing look at the xmas traditions and where they originated.

[Theresa Oborn · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all, I love Santa Claus. I can't say why. I had an easy transition from believing he was a real magical person who squeezed through our central air ducts to nibble our cookies and know I wanted that tiny white Popple with the orange cheeks, to a tradition you help your parents carry on for your younger siblings/cousins/nephews/nieces. To the very end, I was reluctant to go through that notoriously traumatizing process of realizing he was an invention, but somehow it never happened, and I continue happily thinking of Santa (like God) as a state of mind.

I knew a tradition as powerful as that had to have more meat to it than the candy canes and shiny fake beards they serve up to you year after year. Then Alden Perkes' "The Santa Claus Book" gave thorough, though no less outlandish explanations to the little gaps of narrative involving flying reindeer (their antlers are especially aerodynamic), and what he does with *all* the cookies and milk children give him (he stores them away in his pocket, made from the same space-expanding material the sack of toys is made from, where they stay fresh all year).

For us older Santa fans, there are a precious few books like "When Santa Was A Shaman." Regardless of the material you're always hard-pressed to find a book that is un-biased. This one clearly states its advocacy for paganism and sneers at the twisted manipulations of the Christian church. But it does get around to tying some loose ends on the Santa tradition, with its roots in Odin, certainly, and association with all universal winter feasts that celebrated life and fertility. It took a long time for me to come to terms with its main point of connecting Santa with Pan and other satyr-like virile gods, whose horns, cloven hoofs, brooms and somehow Poseidon's trident were all associated with Satan himself. It's clear enough that he became Saint Nicholas' partner, in various devilish forms, but the fusing together of these two symbols is still a bit hazy.

As is this review. If you can stand the obvious bias, this book is a quick, less-than-200-page read with some fascinating points. It should be accompanied by supplemental reading on the same subject.

[Noah Letner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will the real Santa please stand up?
A fun and interesting read about the history of Santa Claus.
This one goes on my shelf, it's a keeper!

[Joy]

"We must don the mask of the shaman ourselves, and teach the celebration of the Dance of Life - not with magic circles, exotic incantations, and rituals of past milennia that do not relate to today's problems or have been bypassed by science, nor with self-indulgent efforts at exerting our powers over others. Instead, we must live with intelligence, dedication, and self-discipline; by giving up some minor comforts and being less selfish and, above all, with compassion and love for all and everything around us and for the Greater Entity of which we are all a part."

[Ralph Palm · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun read. Less of an academic history of the subject than like a grandfather telling you interesting stories. Freedom from academic restrictions allows the author to make speculations and symbolic connections that one otherwise would not have considered. In this sense, it reminded me of Freud's *The Future of an Illusion*. Recommended if you are interested in the history of ideas (pagan origins of Christmas celebrations, Zwaarte Piet, etc.) Makes me want to re-read Joseph Campbell too.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not so much about Santa as it is about the history of human mythology and the human fascination with fire. Some interesting thoughts, but not mind blowing.

[Dru · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever wanted to know the history of the modern "Santa Clause" myth (beyond the Coca-Cola invented version of the 1930's), then you must read this. Very interesting :)

[Rachele Bianco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divorato! Un saggio meraviglioso sulla figura di Babbo Natale. Per tutti gli appassionati di folklore e antropologia.