10/05/2026
The Forever force that Whitby Krampus Run have been and even becoming!
We at the Wyrdwood! Stand firmly supporting ELF and having been part and hopefully where we can help and support our Folklore Fiends and friends!!!
We are truly happy for them and absolutely can’t wait! To see more and more!!!
Absolutely amazing krew!!
You are truly missing out if you haven’t already seen them before!!!!
💜🖤💚
Whitby Krampus Run is now in its 12th year and has from the beginning been an introduction and interpretation of the Alpine tradition, born from a passionate interest in comparative folklore.
It all started with an alternative approach to themed life drawing sessions as ‘Decadent Drawing’ at La Rosa Hotel. Krampus featured at the Christmas special in 2013.
Our own first encounter with the legend of Krampus goes back to 2004 with a wooden figurine we brought back from Prague
Over the years we have included influences from local folklore, legend and history including St Hilda, the Whitby Wyrms, ammonites, magical beasts and our interpretation of a Star Carr Shaman. This truly gives a grounding and sense of belonging for the Krampus figure connecting with Whitby and in a form that is family friendly which encourages exploration.
We have been honoured to have the support and guidance of an Austrian mentors Spechtler and author Al Ridenour from when WKR started out to become the Public Event it is now, the first of its kind in the UK.
As time has passed those folklore influences throughout the year have flourished beginning with our increasingly popular Harvest celebration John Barleycorn Must Die ( with Whitby Brewery) and expanding this further with successful events such as the recent Imbolc, Maržanna and Made in Whitby Easter Festival and St John’s Eve.
What is emerging is something wilder : a way of marking the seasons, the land, and the stories we share, what we’ve now come to call Ever Lasting Folklore.
As the season turns Whitby Krampus Run moults its fur and emerges as Ever Lasting Folklore (ELF) an honour of all shape shifters.
During the colder months, WKR is rooted in the Alpine tradition of Krampus figures, fire, winter rites, and the tension between the darker older ways and festivity.
As the seasons turn, that creative power continues and evolves.
ELF is the metamorphosis of WKR from winter ritual into year-round folklore exploration.
👹 Expanding Lore Festivities
Dark, horned figures give way to green shoots of other Wyld presences. Our tone shifts from ominous to playful, ritualistic, and communal, without losing its core meaning.
👹 Elements Link Fellowship
Just as WKR developed and moved away from a single parade, ELF expands this idea further with successful events such as the recent Imbolc, Maržanna and Made In Whitby Easter Festival.
👹 Enchantment Lures Friendship
ELF is all about doing rather than watching:
• Drumming workshops and group (Whitby Trommel Fiends and more)
• Mask and costume making
• Seasonal rituals (Wassail, Equinoxes, Wheels of the year, Midsummer, harvest)
• Storytelling, games, and playful rites
• Art, films, exhibitions, performances and always learning.
We invite all to become custodians of the Evolving Living Folklore. This is an immersive experience.
Where WKR embeds itself in winter myths, ELF expands the cycle:
• Spring: renewal, banishment of winter (Imbolc / Marzanna rites)
• Summer: fertility, fire, abundance, wildness Solstice and St John’s Eve
• Early autumn: harvest, transformation, decay beginning again
We are creating a continuous mythic loop
👹 Engagement Lore Fun
In our ELF guise it allows
• More flexibility
• More accessibility
• More collaboration with venues, festivals, partners and landscapes
We have been born through fire, ELF makes us resilient, adaptive and flexible, with opportunities to collaborate with venues, festivals, and different landscapes. It allows what we do to travel, whether that’s Visit Sherwood Forest, Pumping Station, Sudeley Castle, or local community spaces, still holding to our essence
At its core, the relationship is simple.
👹 Ember Loves Flame
WKR is the spark. ELF is the slow-burning fire.
WKR brings the spectacle, the intensity, the cold dark edge of winter.
ELF carries that energy forward, stretching it across the year, embedding it in people and places, with shared acts of making, mischief and celebration.
Our values are to continue encouraging curiosity and wonder.
We remain inclusive and welcoming creating a truly immersive experience together.
Ever Lasting Folkore is for all.
Magic and Connections
Hope for the future
Honouring the Past
