The Dead of Winter

Beware the Krampus and Other Wicked Christmas Creatures

By: Sarah Clegg

Narrated by: Hannah Curtis, Sarah Clegg

Discover the monsters, witches, and other ghoulish creatures that make up lesser known Christmas folklore in this gleefully creepy guide–perfect for horror fans who love the wintry holidays.

When you think about Christmas, you likely picture mangers, glowing fireplaces, sweet carolers, and snow-blanketed hills. But behind all this bright magic, there’s something much darker lurking in the shadows. In The Dead of Winter, Cambridge-trained historian Sarah Clegg delves deep into the folklore of the Christmas season in Europe, detailing the way its terrifying and often debaucherous past continues to haunt and entertain us now in the twenty-first century.

Perfect for the growing mainstream audience obsessed with horror and monsters, this guide makes the perfect gift, beautifully packaged in a stocking-stuffer-friendly trim size.

Critic reviews

Praise for The Dead of Winter:

"Away from the turkey and tinsel, Sarah Clegg bravely escorts us to the dark side of the festive season, a wintry underworld of witches and demons, sinister customs, and strange ancient rites. A fascinating, menacing miscellany."—Malcolm Gaskill, author of The Ruin of All Witches and Witchfinders

"Sarah Clegg's dark and delicious The Dead of Winter isn't just a frightful and sometimes funny account of Krampus, Mari Lwyd, Christmas ghosts, monster mummers, and a winter witch named St. Lucy, but is also a thoughtful examination of why these stories continue to capture our imagination. I plan on spending every Christmas now revisiting this wonderful book."—Lisa Morton, author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween

“A lively, moving, thoughtful, and erudite survey of the more disturbing aspects of the modern world's most important festival. It is probably the best, and certainly the most accessible.”
—Ronald Hutton, author of The Witch: A History of Fear from Ancient Times to the Present

Praise for Woman's Lore: 4,000 Years of Sirens, Serpents and Succubi:

Shortlisted for the HWA Non-Fiction Crown Award

"A remarkable work... Extraordinary, meticulous detail."—Literary Review (UK)

"Ambitious in scope, guiding the reader across millennia of cultural history... deftly fuses scholarly rigour, control of literary and archaeological sources, an accessible, entertaining style, wonderful illustrations, and a warm-hearted sympathy with women's plight across the centuries."—BBC History Magazine

"A delightful romp through four thousand years' worth of sinister superstition, offering an empathetic interpretation of these supernatural creatures, so-called monsters, with a particular focus on women's experiences of them. Sarah Clegg provides thought-provoking insights into a range of beliefs and practices so often overlooked by mainstream history."—Jane Draycott, author of Cleopatra’s Daughter

"Woman's Lore is a fascinating exploration of the mythology and trope of the 'demonic woman' that has existed for centuries and persists even today. Thoughtfully researched, it is an empowering and enlightening read."—Catherine Cho, author of Inferno: a Memoir of Motherhood and Madness

"Clegg writes beautifully and displays her vast knowledge and passion for the subject with such ease... Brilliantly and seamlessly informs the reader of the human context of the tale."—All About History

Fantastic Holiday fare!

I really wish the entire book had been read by the author (she reads the intro and epilogue), as I preferred her vocals... and it would have been fitting given this book is a sort of "travelog" of her research.

Regardless... this is a fantastic little tomb collecting all of the "Christmas monsters" of legend and myth. A must for the season!

Would’ve liked more length and detail

A bit disappointed it was good, but only touched on the surface and I would’ve liked more detail about their individual legends, their source and the timeliness of development. It was quite short.

I liked the multiple tails and histories linked together.

I overall enjoyed this read. I’m not sure why people were complaining about the narrator, I thought her voice was great. While I understand the authors voice may sounded a little little more youthful or something to that effect I don’t think it would’ve changed the story for the better.
Overall, I liked hearing the different stories and histories of how they’re all kind of linked together not really just one overall making up the current holidays we celebrate etc.
The explanation of how older tales may have contributed to other ones that came later that all contributed possibly to once now with no definitive answer.
The only issue I had was at certain times. I wasn’t sure when they were talking about the actual tales or the real life experience of the author, Other than that, I will reread it to listen again it was an interesting take. I think I will even enjoy it more the second time around.

Fascinating and Enchanting!

I absolutely loved this book! If you're interested in fairy tales, folklore, or simply the origins of a beloved holiday, this book is for you! Sarah Clegg does a fantastic job tracing the threads of traditions only now coming back into our collective consciousness like Krampus, the Mari Lwyd, and other tales that we may have heard of but aren't very familiar with. It struck me that I've always known Christmas has a darker side, but I didn't know quite how to describe it or why it existed. Now, I feel well-versed in the subject. My only complaint is that the book isn't longer! I wish I could have made it last the whole Christmas season, but it was too fascinating! I've already sent this book to several friends, and I have a feeling it will get passed around quite a bit before the new year.

The audiobook was ...

a unique and reflective narrative of darkness during the Christmas holiday. I found the authors authentic, engaging voice personable. The inflections she showed in her stories breathed such life into the words in this book.

I wish the author read the whole audiobook. The other narrator I found emotionless, and flat. The author has a distinct energy in her narration that's full of life, feeling and gives the audience a connect to what she's sharing. This voiceover talent is rare.
A good voice can captive and help bring to life the written word. A bad voiceover can hurt the written word by dull, lifeless narration.

I hope the author reduces this audiobook. She is a gifted writter and narrator. I also hope she will do more audio narrations in the future.