The Story Behind "O Holy Night"

The very first audible sound ever heard on radio airways happened on Christmas Eve, 1906.  Reginald Fessenden--a 33 year old university professor and former chief chemist for Thomas Edison, did something thought impossible.  Using a  new type of generator, he spoke into a microphone and began reading from Luke's account of the birth of Christ. Shocked radio operators on ships and astonished wireless owners, used to coded impulses over tiny speakers,  might have thought they were hearing the voice of an angel, just as the shepherds almost 2000 years earlier.   After finishing his recitation, Fessenden picked up his violin and played, "O Holy Night."  It became the first song ever sent through the airwaves since the angels of heaven rejoiced before the shepherds on that wonderful night on the hills of Bethlehem....

 

Who wrote this song?  

 

In 1847, a wine merchant from France, Placide Cappeau,  made a hobby of composing poetry for his own amusement.  Many people had read his poems, including his parish priest who presided over the Catholic church where he sometimes attended.  One Christmas, the priest asked Placide if he might try to compose a poem for the annual Christmas mass.  Riding in a carriage to Paris, Placide was reading the story of the shepherds of Bethlehem in Luke 2 and the words to "O Holy Night" were written.  Placide was impressed with his own work, and thought it needed to be set to music.  So he teamed up with a Jewish friend and accomplished musician, Adolphe Adams, to set it to music.  The song was an immediate hit and was wholeheartedly accepted by the church in France and quickly found its way into various Catholic Christmas services.  It was only when it was learned that a Jew had written the musical score, the song was denounced as "unfit for church services because of its lack of musical taste and total absence of the spirit of religion."   Fessenden then walked away from the Catholic church, yet the French people continued to sing it and legend has it that on Christmas Eve in 1871, in the midst of fierce fighting between the armies of Germany and France, a French soldier jumped out of his trench.  Both sides stared at this "mad man", but boldly standing with  his weapon at his side, he lifted his eyes to heaven and sang the beginning of "O Holy Night".  After completing all 3 verses, a German infantryman climbed out of his trench and begin singing "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come." The story goes that the fighting stopped for the next 24 hours.

 

A decade later, an American writer named John Sullivan Dwight brought the song to his country during the Civil War.  An ardent abolitionist, Dwight saw something in the song that moved him beyond the story of the birth of Christ.  In the third verse he saw, "Truly he taught us to love one another; his law is love and his gospel is peace. Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother; and in his name all oppression shall cease." Published in his magazine, Dwight's English translation of "O Holy Night" quickly found favor in America, especially in the Northern states.

 

Since the very first rendition at a small Catholic mass in 1847, "O Holy Night" has been sung millions of times in churches in every corner of the world and has become one of the most recorded and played spiritual songs.

 

 

Requested by a forgotten parish priest, "O Holy Night" was destined for an amazing history:

Written by a wine-merchant poet who would later split from the church;

Given its music by a Jew who did not view Jesus as the son of God;

Stopping a war for a day;

Rallying the conscience of a nation over slavery;

And becoming the very first music to ever be broadcast over the airwaves....by other than an angelic host.

 

Santa Claus - Pretender to the Throne - Part 4

Many thanks to Carol Brooks and Dr. Terry Watkins, bringing so much research under one umbrella and compiling it all in this paper.  Great research, and hopefully, the elimination of this imposter from our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Part II. Santa Vs. The Bible

I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. [Isaiah 14:14]

A Beard As White As Snow

The Bible:

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs [BEARD] were white like wool, as white as snow;. . . Revelation 1:13-15.
 
I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: . . . Daniel 7:9.

 
Santa Claus:
 
The poem The Night Before Christmas describes Old St. Nick as:
"He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes – how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;"

A Suit of Red

The Bible:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? Isaiah 63:1-2
 
Santa Claus:

Who wears boots and a suit of red
Santa wears boots and a suit of red
Cap on head, suit that's red
Special night, beard that's white
Must be Santa Must be Santa
Must be Santa, Santa Clause 

A Carpenter

The Bible:

Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Judah, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. Mark 6:3
 
Santa Claus:

Santa is a carpenter. 

A House In The North

The Bible:

How art thou fallen from heaven, O day-star, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, that didst lay low the nations And thou saidst in thy heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; and I will sit upon the mount of congregation, in the uttermost parts of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High. [Isaiah 14:12-14. Emphasis Added]
 

Santa Claus:

Santa lives in the North Pole. The origin of Santa’s home at the North Pole is uncertain, but in “Santa and His Works” Nast may have been the first illustrator to so identify the locale. (An 1857 illustration in Harper’s Weekly shows Santa preparing to leave a snowy but unnamed homeland.) [74]

Interestingly

Since Thor’s element was fire, he was made into the god for the Yule tide. Thor was a friendly god and during the Yule tide season, he delivered presents through the chimney because the hearth, being used for fire, was especially sacred to him. In a chariot driven by two goats, Cracker and Gnasher, Thor roared across the heavens causing thunder. Thor was described as heavy built, with a long white beard and was dressed in red in keeping with his association with fire. In a place called “Northland”, Thor lived in a palace surrounded by icebergs. Thus Thor was a winter god who gave people encouragement during the bleak winter months. [75] Emphasis Added

Santa not only lives in the North Pole, he gives people encouragement during the winter months.

The Challenge of Thor [Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]
I AM the God Thor,
I am the War God,
I am the Thunderer!
Here in my Northland,
My fastness and fortress,
Reign I forever!
Here amid icebergs
Rule I the nations; …   

A Holly Wreath

From The ancient Chinese to the Druids [who thought holly berries were thought to represent the sacred blood of their Goddess] and Romans, holly has been the subject of myths, legends, and traditional observances for centuries.

Many today believe that the actual "crown of thorns" worn by the Lord Jesus Christ, was the familiar "holly" wreath. In fact, in Germany, the Hawthorn is still known as Christdorn or "Christ's crown of thorns."

Ancient history says that the Druids used holly in their religious rites long before the custom came to the European continent. The Druids of ancient Britain and Gaul held the English holly tree sacred. The "holy" connotation continued in later days in Europe, where the plant was widely believed to repel evil spirits. People planted trees and used their branches as protection against witchcraft, mad dogs, and other evils.
 
Sometime in the past, the pagans of Europe took sprays of holly into their homes so that the tiny, imaginary peoples of the woodland would be safe from the cold of winter in the evergreen boughs. Later, holly was used as holiday decor that gave the good fairies and elves a place to hide as they did their good deeds. [Holly In Holiday Tradition.]
 
With the coming of Christianity, the use of holly was condemned as a pagan ritual and forbidden by the Christian council. But Christian Romans continued to decorate with holly during festive seasons. European Christian symbolism included the belief that the spiny leaves and red berries were a reminder of the crown of thorns and the blood of Christ. The Pennsylvania Dutch held that the plant's white flowers represented Jesus' purity. The Germans called this plant Christdorn, Christ's crown of thorns. They thought holly had white berries until they were stained by Christ's blood. [76]

Santa Claus: Santa Wears a Wreath of Holly.
 
Originating in England, Father Christmas was depicted as a friendly fellow wearing a crown of holly and a scarlet or green fur-lined robe. To many, this wreath of holly represented the crown of thorns that Jesus wore when He was crucified and the red berries are symbolic of the blood He shed." [77]

A White Horse!

The Bible:

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. [Revelation 19:11]
 
Santa Claus:  
Most people are not aware that until the nineteenth century, Santa flew through the sky, visiting housetop to housetop, not in a sled drawn by reindeers — but on a white horse. It wasn’t until the poem, The Children’s Friend, was published in 1821 that the magical white horse was transformed into reindeer.
 
On the eve of December 6, the myth told that this bearded, white-haired old “saint,” clad in a wide mantel, rode through the skies on a white horse. [78]

In Revelation 6, the Antichrist also appears on a white horse.

And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. [Revelation 6:2].

Ho, ho, ho

The Bible:

Ho, ho, flee from the land of the north, saith Jehovah; for I have spread you abroad as the four winds of the heavens, saith Jehovah. Ho Zion, escape, thou that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon. (Zechariah 2:6,7)

The Hebrew word translated Ho is [hôy ] and means oh! ah, alas, O, woe.

Santa Claus: Santa famous trademark is Ho! Ho! Ho!

Remember the Miracle plays.

In these [Miracle] plays, the devil's common entry line, known as the "devil's bluster," was "Ho! Ho! Hoh!" [79]

Santa And His Sleigh

The Bible:

There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his
Excellency on the sky. Deuteronomy 33:26.
 
Santa Claus:

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too

It’s also interesting in Ephesians 2:2, Satan, following the I will be like the most high script and mimicking the Lord, is depicted as "the prince of the power of the air. . ."

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Ephesians 2:2.

Santa is Virtually Omniscient (All-knowing).

The Bible:

The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. Proverbs 15:3
 
For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. 2 Chronicles 16:9.
 
"The LORD is a God of knowledge..." (1Samuel.2:3)
 
Will not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart. [Psalm 44:21]
 
Santa Claus:

Children are taught that Santa knows things that only God Almighty can know.
He sees you when you're sleeping, He knows when you're awake
He knows if you've been bad or good So be good for goodness sake
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Bobby wants a pair of skates,
Suzy wants a sled
Nellie wants a picture book,
yellow, blue, and red
Now I think I'll leave to you
what to give the rest
Choose for me, dear Santa Claus;
you will know the best.
"Jolly Old St. Nick"
 
Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. [Matthew 6:8. Emphasis Addded].

Besides which…

Santa Rewards According to Works.

The Bible:

So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Romans 14:12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:12
Santa Claus: But the children are accountable to Santa
He's making a list, He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out Who's naughty or nice.  

Santa is Virtually Omnipotent (All-powerful).

The Bible:

Is anything too hard for the LORD? [Genesis 18:14]
 
Santa Claus:

Children are taught that no feat is too great for their Santa. No storm is big enough to stop his amazing ability to deliver gifts around the world in a twinkling of an eye. He defies the laws of nature and comes down the most narrow (and hottest) of chimneys. Lets not forget the millions upon millions of gifts produced in his ‘workshop’ and delivered each to the correct child.
 
To the average child - Santa can do anything. Apart from requests for this doll or that train, Santa also gets some heartbreaking appeals for the restored health of a parent or sibling, the saving of a parents marriage, for peace in the house.
Is anything too hard for Santa?

Santa is Virtually Omnipresent (Present Everywhere).

The Bible:

Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. [Psalm 139:7-8]
 
Santa Claus:

To visit so many homes all over the world in one evening, requires nothing less than omnipresence. Prior to Christmas, Santa also appears at hundreds of street corners and shopping centers at the same time.
Santa is Everywhere.  

Santa Can Give You Anything. . Just Ask.

The Bible:

Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. . .[Matthew 7:7-8]
 
And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive. [Matthew 21:22]
 
Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. [Psalm 37:4]
 
11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? [Matthew 7:11]
 
Santa Claus:
 Each Christmas the U.S. Postal Service receives millions of letters addressed to "Santa Claus" In the weeks before Christmas millions of children around the globe with either/or write to Santa or visit him ‘in person’ with a list of their dearest desires. They will climb in to his lap and whisper and disclose the yearnings of their hearts. And come Christmas morning they will jump out of bed with gleeful anticipation to see what Santa has brought them.
 
Lean your ear this way!Don't you tell a single soul
What I'm going to say;
Christmas Eve is coming soon;
Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you'll bring to me;Tell me if you can.
"Jolly Old St. Nick"

Santa is the great Giver of Gifts.. All you need to do is believe. Do You Believe in Santa??

[On the other hand A child may receive little or nothing from Santa because his/her parents are poor. Unfortunately, the child has probably already learned that bad children get nothing from Santa, and come to the conclusion that he/she is ‘bad’].

The Fear of …Santa?

The Bible:

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom:. . . Psalms 111:10
Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD. Psalm 34:11.
 
Santa Claus:

But Children the world over are taught to fear Santa. "You’d better behave. Santa is watching and writing it all down. You might not get anything for Christmas."
You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why Santa Claus is comin' to town
He's making a list,
He's checking it twice
He's gonna find out
Who's naughty or nice.  

Bring The Little Children Unto Me

The Bible:

And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them: and his disciples rebuked those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark 10:13-14.

We love him, because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19

Santa Claus:

Oh, how he loves the little children.

All the children of the world.
Red and yellow, black and white,
They are precious in his site.
Santa loves the little children of the world. 

Santa’s ‘Throne’

The Bible:

The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD'S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. [Psalm 11:4]
 
And he said, Hear thou therefore the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing by him on his right hand and on his left. [1 Kings 22:19]
 
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Revelation 20:11-12

Santa Claus:

Almost every local mall in the US has a Santa sitting on his ‘throne’ with the children lined up to sit on his lap and be asked the question "Have you been a good little boy [or girl]?" There are other thrones in Scripture.
 
For thou [Lucifer] hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: [Isaiah 14:13].

Satan’s Ultimate Goal is Worship.

The Bible:

All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine. [Luke 4:6,7]
 
Santa Claus: 
  Millions of children love Santa with all their little hearts and quite literally worship him. Santa has replaced God at Christmas … aided and abetted by their parents.
 
They stand in line to sit in his lap. They delight in having their picture taken with Santa. They love whispering in Santa’s ear.

“The distinguished anthropologist Claude Lévi-Strauss has provided a wonderful pen portrait of this Christmas icon: "Father Christmas is dressed in scarlet: he is a king. His white beard, his furs and his boots, the sleigh in which he travels evoke winter. He is called 'Father' and he is an old man, thus he incarnates the benevolent form of the authority of the ancients." Importantly, says Lévi-Strauss, children believe in him, paying homage to him with letters and prayers, while adults do not:” [80]

But the Bible tells us

And Jesus answered and said unto him, It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [Luke 4:8] 

Believe In Santa

The Bible:

And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Acts 16:31
 
The heart of the Christian faith is "believing" in the Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation is believing In Jesus Christ.
 
Santa Claus:

Yet, Many many more children will be asked at Christmas whether they believe in Santa than will be asked if they believe in Jesus. Santa will be preached hundreds of times more than Jesus… with parents as the chief evangelicals. "Little Boy, Little Girl, DO You Believe In Santa?"

If the Christian world had, even a small drop of the faith the average child has in Santa – we’d have revival overnight!

A Point to consider …

“If you once believed in a man who knew what you were doing, who had amazing abilities, and who gave you nice things, and he turned out to be a fake, why should you believe in another man who knows what you are doing, has amazing abilities, gives you nice things--Jesus Christ? If you get burned once, why get burned the second time? Wouldn’t it be better to be honest with our children right from the start, and teach them the difference between truth and make-believe?” [81].  

Ho! Ho! Ho! I Am God. . .

In 1994, the satire magazine The Onion carried a parody of Santa Claus titled "Ho! Ho! Ho! I Am God". Even though, it was written as a blasphemous parody much truth rings from the article. The article says:

"I love visiting each and every one of your homes, stuffing your stockings with toys, and enjoying the milk and cookies you leave for me. But mostly I love Christmas because it's the celebration of the birth of my son, Jesus the Christ. You see, I'm God. . . Don't I look familiar? I'm old, I have a white beard, I love everyone. I'm the same God as the one you and your mommy and daddy worship on Sundays. . .
 
Okay, I admit it. I'm not God. But I'm better than God. I'm jollier, and I give you real toys, not boring old psalms and empty promises you can only collect on when you die. Worship me, not Him! Worship Santa! I am God!" [82]

So he disguises the lie in a nice little package of make-believe and fantasy. He creates a harmless ol' jolly fellow that just loves little children. And most parents think, "Now what could be wrong with that?"

This Christmas Eve millions and millions of little children will climb into their beds "looking for their blessed hope and the glorious appearing" of Santa Claus.

There is not a Christian on the face of this earth looking for and longing for the Lord Jesus Christ as much as the average child is longing for their god Santa! A child's stolen faith in the coming of Santa puts the Christian's faith to shame.

They get so excited. . . Santa is coming! Satan is coming! 

Conclusion

But It Is Just Fantasy. . .

“How long will people dodge the issue by saying this legend is a harmless tradition?

Who is this person whose jovial face greets us everywhere in our Christmas festivities, stores, schools, and cards? This is Santa, the god of Christmas, the children's friend, who is so imbedded in the hearts that we thrill to:

"T'was the night before Christmas..."

A charming legend, an innocent fantasy? But whose place has he taken in the hearts of children? If we strip him of his disguise, we find a masterpiece of SATAN's subtlety, for the harmless, fun-provoking Santa has usurped the throne of childhood's heart and the charming legend has replaced "the sweetest story ever told."

This is the legend in brief that we recite and sing and picture to our children:

Away up in the ice and snow lives Santa Claus in a great house of many rooms filled with every delightful thing that children love. Santa Claus is all-seeing and all-knowing. He sees what the children do. He hears all they say. He keeps a "Book of Remembrance" in which he records their words and their actions. Santa Claus comes down from the sky in a sleigh drawn by swift reindeer that "fly upon the wings of the wind and ride upon the clouds." It is filled with wonderful gifts. His coming is secret. When he comes he brings rewards to all good children and the gifts they have asked for.

What is the children's reaction to such a legend? "Santa Claus is our friend: he has all the good things we want, and he will give them to us if we are good."

is it any wonder they open their hearts to Santa Claus, strive to please him, talk and dream about him and wait and watch eagerly for him?

What about Jesus? He said, "Suffer the little children to come unto me," but we have put before our children that awful thing against which Sinai thundered; we have put another god before Him!

We have opened our homes to a thief, and have stood by and offered no resistance while he stole the heart of childhood. We have raised no voice in protest as he corrupted the minds and hearts of our children with a false image and a living imagination.

Why have we not lifted the standard of Jesus, the true God and tender Friend of children, who is not willing that "one of these little ones should perish." Why have we not feared lest we should "offend one of these little ones which believe" on Him?

The True Story

Christian mother, what has happened? You substitute the pagan legend of Santa Claus for the true story of God's love! How can you let Santa Claus take the place of Jesus in your child's heart? How can you encourage him to look to another for his joys rather than to Jesus, "the giver of every good and perfect gift?"

The clouds of judgment hang heavy. Terrible things are happening. Let us hasten to enthrone Jesus in our homes and tell the matchless story of God's "Unspeakable gift" to the world.

Instead of the vulgar Santa Claus, with his "nose like a cherry, and his little round belly that shakes...like a bowl full of jelly," let us captivate our children's imagination with the altogether lovely One, the "dear little Stranger, born in a manger." Let us delight their fancy with the story of the guiding star, with the Magi and their gifts for the new-born King. Let us inspire our children to give gifts to Him and in His name. Let us make Christmas "holy ground" in our homes this year”. [83]

Having eyes, see ye not" Mark 8:18

 

 

Read the full article at - http://www.inplainsite.org/html/santa_claus.html#Popularity

End Notes:

[74] Robert C. Kennedy. Santa Claus and His Works.
http://www.harpweek.com/09Cartoon/BrowseByDateCartoon.asp?Month=December&Date=25

[75] http://ottawa.humanists.net/Origins_files/Christmas.htm.

[76] Holly In Holiday Tradition. , Virginia Klara Nathan. Virginia Cooperative Extension.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/departments/envirohort/factsheets2/landsnurs/dec93pr1.html

[77] "Santalady's Favorite Antique Post Cards and Related Traditions Picture," www.santalady.com/cards.html

[78] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Pub., 1995, p. 111

[79] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 69

[80] Roger Highfield.. science editor of The Daily Telegraph in London. Modern Santa and Meaning The Physics of Christmas.
http://www.enotalone.com/article/4019.html

[81] http://rumela.com/events/christmas_santa.htm

[82] Santa Claus, "Ho! Ho! Ho! I Am God!" The Onion, 29 Nov. - 5 Dec., 1994, p. 7

[83] Santa, The Imposter. http://www.baptistpillar.com/bd0282.html

Danish priest HANGS 'elf' from gallows outside his church, saying they must not be associated with Christmas as they serve Satan

Great post to go with the Santa, Pretender to the Throne series.  Good to see that there's at least one pastor left on the peninsula not afraid to call the elves what they are - demons.

Priest from Lxkken, Denmark, says children should not be taught elves are linked to Jesus

He also offers to exorcise elves from people's homes

A priest sick of 'mixed' Christmas messages has declared war on Santa's elves by hanging one from a noose attached to the front of his church.
Jon Knudsen, 45, from Lxkken, Denmark, believes elves are historically minions of Satan and they should not be associated with the Christian festival.
Jon claims there is a Trojan horse effect associating previously bad cultural creatures such as elves with the birth of Jesus.

Hanged: The elf swings from a rope attached to the church's gallows

In Scandinavia elves were historically thought of as evil spirits in the home which had to be banished by priests.
As these bizarre pictures show Jon has now decided to hang an effigy of the cheery Christmas character from the front of his church.
Under the prostrate elf hangs a sign reading: 'We renounce the devil and all his deeds
and all his being'.
Jon has been hanging elves since 2010. He said: 'I think elves are house demons.

Chase them out of house and gnome! Jon Knudsen says elves historically served Satan

Jon, who offers to exorcise elves from homes, said people should not 'worship false idols'

'In the old times before Christianity came to Scandinavia they were evil spirits which did bad things to people.
'When Christianity came, people asked priests to help them banish the elves which the priests did in the name of Jesus Christ.
'So now it is against Christianity to have these creatures associated with the birth of Jesus.
'People have tried to mix elves with Christmas and it is not right.'
Jon - who now offers exorcisms for elves from homes in Denmark - said hanging one from his church was a message that people should not worship false idols.


Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2526438/Priest-HANGS-elf-gallows-outside-church-saying-not-associated-Christmas-serve-Satan.html#ixzz2o5OEYUet

Siri I-Phone "The Beast Speaks" Closing The Gates Of Hades

This is about as strange as it gets...how this got programmed into the phones is beyond me.  Is July 27th the opening of the Abyss?  We will see...

The "Beast" speaks as Siri I-Phone App says September 3, 2014 "Closing the gates of hades" http://www.paulbegleyprophecy.com also Larry Britt You Tube Channel

Update! Comet ISON - What do I think?

As usual, a hopefully sober Thornews points out the bizarre story of Comet ISON and the fact that "authorities" never seemed to tell the same story twice.  And we still wait to see if we have meteorite showers because of ISON remnants come January.  By the way, just what did cause ISON to come apart?  Again, language warning ahead.

http://www.youtube.com/thornews Well here you go Comet c/2012 s1 ISON WTF NASA Professional Science & Earth part 51 - What do I think? I've taken a break since the bizarre Thanksgiving Perihelion fiasco blunderbuss. Grieved over the loss of ISON and thought a wrote a ton of stuff. So over the next few weeks I'll be catching up covering some new slants on old ground and keeping an eye on December 26th-January 17th. The Dusting Period shall be interesting!
Be cool.
God bless everyone,
Stay Cool,
T
http://www.isoncampaign.org/Present
http://brucegary.net/ISON/
http://digilander.libero.it/infosis/h...
http://www.solarsystemscope.com/ison/
http://solarimg.org/artis/
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"Strange Way To Save the World" by 4HIM

This is a recent addition to our songs of Christmas, written by the contemporary Christian group 4HIM.  They perform it here set to scenes from the movie "The Nativity".

It is the story of Christmas, the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ, an event we have celebrated for over two thousand years. Of all the ways God could have chosen to save the world, He decided to send His very own son as a baby, born in a manger, to be the perfect sacrifice for my sin and your sin. Jesus came and died so that you and I could have everlasting life through Him. For Mary and Joseph, and even you and I, it may appear as a "Strange Way to Save the World", but God's perfect plan demonstrated His amazing love for us. It is the greatest gift of all!

Out of Egypt I Called My Son

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:13-15)

That last verse has caused lots of consternation.  The Holy Family goes to Egypt, and this somehow fulfills Hosea’s reference to Israel’s exodus? As I mentioned last week, at first glance it looks like Matthew is connecting the dots by the slimmest of connections.
Here’s what we read in Hosea 11:1-4:

When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols.Yet it was I who taught Ephraim to walk; I took them up by their arms, but they did not know that I healed them. I led them with cords of kindness, with the bands of love, and I became to them as one who eases the yoke on their jaws, and I bent down to them and fed them.

Clearly, Hosea, speaking for the Lord, is harkening back to the Exodus. He is remembering when Israel was just a little toddler of a nation and God delivered them out of bondage in Egypt. “Many years ago, by Moses and the plagues and all that, I called my son Israel out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery”–that’s what Hosea 11 is about.

But look again at Matthew. “Out of Egypt I called my son” here refers to God hiding Jesus away in Egypt to avoid Herod’s decree and then calling him back from Egypt when Herod is dead. This seems to be unrelated to anything Hosea was talking about. How can Matthew say this flight to Egypt fulfilled the words of the prophet Hosea when the two events seem connected by no more than the word Egypt? How can this possibly be a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy?

Swing and a Miss

That’s a tough question and one that has generated a lot of bad answers. Some, with good intentions, have said “Look, Matthew says Jesus fulfilled this prophecy, so it must be that Hosea is a direct prophecy about the Messiah and only about the Messiah. Hosea knew he was predicting something about the Christ.” That does try to make sense of Matthew’s language, but you really have to get creative with Hosea to make it look like he was knowingly predicting a Messianic flight to Egypt.
Others have suggested that Matthew was just making a loose connection between two events that had to do with Egypt. He’s just playing free association with Biblical prophecy. “Jesus came out of Egypt. Here’s something in the prophets about Egypt. So let’s put the two together.” Not only does this make Matthew look a bit silly and throw into question some basic beliefs about biblical inspiration, this sort of loosey-goosey prophetic fulfillment simply doesn’t fit with the rest of Matthew’s gospel.

Matthew, more than any gospel writer, goes to great lengths to show that Jesus’ birth, life, and death, are rooted firmly in the Old Testament. Jesus was born of a virgin (fulfilling Isaiah 7:14). He was born in Bethlehem (fulfilling Micah 5:1-2). He was sought out to be killed by Herod (fulfilling Jeremiah 31:15). He was preceded by John preparing the way (fulfilling Isaiah 40:3). He healed diseases (fulfilling Isaiah 53:4). He spoke through parables (fulfilling Psalm 78:2). He came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey (fulfilling Zechariah 9:9). Matthew is very deliberate with his use of the Old Testament. So his citing of Hosea 11 must be more than just a connection with the word Egypt.

Jesus as the True Israel

So how do we make sense of this prophecy in Hosea and fulfillment in Matthew? The first step toward understanding Matthew’s purpose is to look more carefully at the word “fulfill.” The Greek word is pleroō. And it simply means to fill up. That’s what Matthew is at pains to demonstrate–that Jesus was filling up the Old Testament. Sometimes this meant very specifically that the Old Testament predicted the Messiah’s birthplace would be in Bethlehem and Jesus was, in fact, born in Bethlehem. There you go. That’s fulfillment. But fulfillment can be broader than that. It can refer to the filling up of the Old Testament; that is, the bringing to light what previously had been in shadows.
Take Mark 1:14-15, for example. “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” When Jesus said “the time is fulfilled,” he did not mean “right now a specific prediction of Scripture is coming to pass.” He meant, “with my preaching of the gospel, the time has been filled up and the kingdom is here. The Old Testament is reaching its climax.” Likewise, I don’t believe Matthew thought Jesus’ flight to Egypt was predicted in Hosea 11:1. But I do believe that Matthew thought Jesus’ flight to and return from Egypt was filling up Hosea 11:1.

So what exactly is Jesus fulfilling, or filling up in Matthew 2:15? Jesus, as Matthew correctly understands the situation, is filling up the redemptive historical purposes of the nation. In other words, Matthew can claim that this Hosea passage, which talks about the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt, is fulfilled in Jesus, because Jesus is the embodiment of Israel.

Matthew looked back and saw an analogical correspondence between the history of the nation Israel and the history of the Messiah…the Hosea 11:1 quotation by Matthew is not an example of arbitrary exegesis on the part of a New Testament writer. On the contrary Matthew looked back and carefully drew analogies between the events of the nation’s history and the historical incidents in the life of Jesus (Biliotheca Sacra 143:325).

In the gospel of Matthew, Jesus is cast as the true and faithful Israel. Matthew is retelling Israel’s well known story, but he’s putting Jesus right in the middle as the main character in the story. Jesus is the new Israel.

• Chapter one starts with the genealogy of Jesus. The very first words, in Greek, are “biblos geneseos Iesou Christou”–a book of the beginning of Jesus Christ. Now why is that significant? Well, because that word geneseos is a form of the word genesis, as in the first book the Bible. I don’t think Matthew is trying to be tricky here, but surely he knew the first book of the Bible and realized that when he begins his gospel with “a book of the genesis of Jesus” he is, at least, strongly suggesting that this story of Jesus Christ marks a new beginning for the people of God. The story is starting over. This suggestion is supported by another parallel with the first book of the Bible. Genesis is broken up into ten toledoth sections. Ten times in the book of Genesis, we read “these are the generations (toledoth) of…” Interestingly enough, these toledoth sections are, in a couple of places, translated into the Greek Septuagint with biblos geneseos (Gen. 2:4; 5:1), which further points in the direction that Matthew understood Jesus to be a new generation, a new genealogy, a new beginning for the nation of Israel.

• Not only is Jesus the new Genesis, his life embodies the new Exodus. Shortly after Jesus birth, he was rushed away to safety to avoid the wrath of a jealous king who had ordered all the young boys to be killed. Where else does this happen in the Bible? Exodus 1. Pharaoh fears the Hebrews and so he orders that every baby boy be thrown into the Nile. But Moses was spared because his mother hid him in a basket in the river. Likewise, Jesus was spared Herod’s decree because his mother hid him in Egypt.

• Following right on the heels of Jesus’ exodus out of Egypt, we come to his baptism in the Jordan in Matthew 3. Again, I don’t think Matthew is trying to be speak in secret code, and he certainly isn’t making the stories up, but he has arranged the material in such a way as to retell Israel’s story, with Jesus now as the true Israel. So just like the Israelites left Egypt and then passed through the Red Sea (baptized into the sea according 1 Cor. 10:2), Jesus too leaves Egypt and passes through the waters in his baptism.

• Just to point out one more parallel, think what happens to the Israelites after they pass through the Red Sea. They wind up in the desert where they wander for forty years. And where is Jesus in Matthew 4 after his baptism? He is in the desert about to be tempted after having fasted for forty days and forty nights.

Matthew clearly wants to portray Jesus as fulfilling Israel’s history and bringing it to a climax. Matthew didn’t think Hosea 11:1 was a direct prophecy about Jesus and his family going to Egypt. And Hosea certainly didn’t mean it as such. The passage is about Israel’s Exodus out of Egypt and about her subsequent idolatries and adulteries. Matthew understood that. He wasn’t trying to give Hosea 11 a new meaning. But he did see something Messianic in Hosea’s words. Jesus would be the faithful Son called out of Egypt, filling up what was lacking in the first faithless son, Israel. From his genesis to his exodus to his baptism in the Jordan to his forty days in the wilderness, Jesus was identifying himself with the covenant people. He was the embodiment of Israel.

With Him He Was Well Pleased

And so when Jesus fled Herod and went to Egypt, it brought to a climax the work of deliverance that began in the Exodus of Israel and was now coming to completion in the Exodus of Jesus. That’s why Matthew can say “this was to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet.” But whereas the first Israel, God’s son, broke the covenant and deserved God’s wrath, when God beholds his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, he says in Matthew 3:17, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
Far from being a barely connected prophetic fulfillment, this word from Hosea 11 filled up in Matthew 2, is a robust piece of New Testament theology. This text says something weighty about the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the one who came to complete all that Israel was designed to perform. All the adulteries and idolatries and rebellion and waywardness that characterized Israel would be recast in the true Israel Jesus Christ. God sent his Son to do himself what his people could not do for themselves. This is the meaning of fulfillment of Hosea 11 and the true meaning of Immanuel, God with us.

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Santa Claus - Pretender to the Throne - Part 3

The Model For Nast’s Santa..

The startling fact is, Santa Claus is not the Bishop St. Nicholas – but his Dark Helper!

In certain German children’s games, the Saint Nicholas figure itself is the Dark Helper, a devil who wants to punish children, but is stopped from doing so by Christ. [48]
 
Black Pete, the ‘grandfather’ of our modern Santa Claus. Known in Holland as Zwarte Piet, this eighteenth-century German version, is—like his ancient shamanic ancestor—still horned, fur-clad, scary, and less than kind to children. Although portrayed as the slave helper of Saint Nicholas, the two are, in many villages, blended into one character. This figure often has the name Nikolass or Klaus, but has the swarthy appearance of the Dark Helper. [49]

Artist Thomas Nast is rightfully credited for conceiving the image of our modern day Santa, but Nast’s model for Santa was not the Bishop St. Nicholas but his dark companion, the evil Pelznickle.

[IPS Note: Nast was an immigrant from Bavaria and was familiar with Pelznickle]

The Christmas demon Knecht Rupprecht first appeared in a play in 1668 and was condemned by the Roman Catholic as being a devil in 1680. . . To the Pennsylvania Dutch, he is known as Belsnickel. Other names for the same character are Pelznickle, "Furry Nicholas," and Ru-Klas, "Rough Nicholas." From these names, it is easy to see that he is looked upon as not merely a companion to St. Nicholas, but almost another version of him. [50]

In Thomas Nast: His Period and His Pictures, biographer Albert Bigelow Paine, documents that Nast’s Santa was Pelznickle.

But on Christmas Eve, to Protestant and Catholic alike, came the German Santa Claus, Pelze-Nicol, leading a child dressed as the Christkind, and distributing toys and cakes, or switches, according as the parents made report. It was this Pelze-Nicol – a fat, fur-clad, bearded old fellow, at whose hands he doubtless received many benefits – that the boy in later years was to present to us as his conception of the true Santa Claus – a pictorial type which shall lone endure. [51]

Santa historian and author, Tony van Renterghem also documents Nast’s Santa Claus was not Saint Nicholas, but the evil Black Pete–the devil.

Thomas Nast was assigned to draw this Santa Claus, but having no idea what he looked like, drew him as the fur-clad, small, troll-like figure he had known in Bavaria when he was a child. This figure was quite unlike the tall Dutch Sinterklaas, who was traditionally depicted as a Catholic bishop. Who he drew was Saint Nicholas’ dark helper, Swarthy, or Black Pete (a slang name for the devil in medieval Dutch). . . [52]

Santa researcher, Phyllis Siefker, echoes Renterghem’s conclusion:

It seems obvious, therefore, that Santa Claus can be neither the alter ego of Saint Nicholas nor the brainchild of Washington Irving. . . If we peek behind the imposing Saint Nicholas, we see, glowering in the shadows, the saint’s reprobate companion, Black Pete. He, like Santa, has a coat of hair, a disheveled beard, a bag, and ashes on his face. . . In fact, it is this creature, rather than Irving’s creation or an Asian saint, who fathered Santa Claus. [53]

By the way, St. Nicholas did not come down the chimney. It was his fur-clad, dark companion that came down the chimney. One of the reasons his sidekick was called the "Dark One" or "Black Peter" was because he was normally covered in soot and ashes from his chimney travels. The "dark companion" also carried the bag, distributed the goodies and punished the bad boys and girls.

Children [in Holland] are told that Black Peter enters the house through the chimney, which also explained his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks or a small bag with salt in the shoe instead of candy when the child had been bad. [54]

It is significant that Black Peter, Pelze-Nicol, Knecht Rupprecht and all of St. Nicholas companions are openly identified as the devil.

To the medieval Dutch, Black Peter was another name for the devil. Somewhere along the way, he was subdued by St. Nicholas and forced to be his servant. [55]
 
In Denmark, Sweden, and Norway creatures resembling both the Schimmelreiter and the Klapperbock are or were to be met with at Christmas. . . People seem to have had a bad conscience about these things, for there are stories connecting them with the Devil. A girl, for instance, who danced at midnight with a straw Julebuk, found that her partner was no puppet but the Evil One himself. 56]
 
Thus, in parts of Europe, the Church turned Herne into Saint Nicholas’ captive, chained Dark Helper, none other than Satan, the Dark One, symbolic of all evil. [57]

One of the bizarre jobs of St. Nick’s devilish helper was to "gleefully drag sinners" to hell!

On the eve of December 6, the myth told that this bearded, white-haired old ‘saint,’ clad in a wide mantel, rode through the skies on a white horse, together with his slave, the swarthy Dark Helper. This reluctant helper had to disperse gifts to good people, but much preferred to threaten them with his broom-like scourge, and, at a sign of his master, would gleefully drag sinners away to a place of eternal suffering. [58]

The shocking truth is Santa Claus originated from a character identified as the devil or Satan.

The Miracle Plays

This section is almost entirely excerpted from Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.)

Something else that fashioned our modern day Santa was the popular medieval Christmas plays of the tenth through the sixteenth century. These miracle, moral, mystery and passion dramas acted out scenes from the scriptures and the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church. Combining humor and religion, they flourished during the fifteenth century. It is significant that St. Nicholas was a dominant theme among these plays. Much of the myth and outlandish miracles of St. Nicholas originated from these dramas. And much of the bizarre characteristics of Santa were planted in these Christmas plays.

In the classic, Teutonic Mythology, author Jacob Grimm provides us with some revealing detail into St. Nicholas’ transformation into Santa. Notice in the following excerpt from Teutonic Mythology where Nicholas converts himself into the Knecht Ruprecht [the devil], a "man of Clobes" or a "man of Claus." Grimm states, the characters of Nicholas and Knecht Ruprecht "get mixed, and Clobes [Claus] himself is the "man."

The Christmas plays sometimes present the Saviour with His usual attendant Peter or else with Niclas [St. Nicholas]. At other times however Mary with Gabriel, or with her aged Joseph, who, disguised as a peasant, acts the part of Knecht Ruprecht. Nicholas again has converted himself into a "man Clobes" or Rupert; as a rule there is still a Niclas, a saintly bishop and benevolent being distinct from the "man" who scares children; the characters get mixed, and Clobes himself acts the "man." [59]

From Grimm’s account, in the early 1100’s, the transformation of St. Nicholas into Santa Claus from the devil Knecht Ruprecht was in full throttle.  

Ho! Ho! Ho!

There is not enough space in this book to adequately document the influence and inspiration of the medieval plays into the making of Santa, but let us examine Santa’s trademark "Ho! Ho! Ho!". Most people have no idea where this came from, and more importantly whom it came from. In The Drama Before Shakespeare - A Sketch, author Frank Ireson, describes the popular Miracle Play. Notice the description of the devil as "shaggy, hairy," etc. (as Santa), and notice the devil’s trademark "exclamation on entering was ho, ho, ho!":

Besides allegorical personages, there were two standing characters very prominent in Moral Plays—the Devil and Vice. The Devil was, no doubt, introduced from the Miracle Plays, where he had figured so amusingly; he was made as hideous as possible by his mask and dress, the latter being generally of a shaggy and hairy character, and he was duly provided with a tail: his ordinary exclamation on entering was, "Ho, ho, ho! what a felowe [sic] am I." [60]

Siefker also collaborates the devil’s trademark "ho, ho, ho."

In these plays, the devil’s common entry line, known as the "devil’s bluster," was "Ho! Ho! Hoh!" [61]

The devil’s trademark "ho, ho, ho" was carried over from the early medieval Miracle Plays to the popular old English play "Bomelio," as the following lines from the play verify:

What, and a' come? I conjure thee, foul spirit, down to hell! Ho, ho, ho! the devil, the devil! A-comes, a-comes, a-comes upon me,. . . [62]

[IPS Note: In the above instance it is probable that the Ho, ho, ho is being used much as it is in the Bible in Zechariah 2:6,7. The Hebrew word translated Ho is [hôy ] and means oh! ah, alas, O, woe. IN other words the person is saying ‘Alas! The devil comes].

Author Tony Renterghem, concludes his extensive research into the origin of Santa with the following statement: [Emphasis Added]

I can only conclude that the original ancestor of our modern Santa Claus is none other than the mythological Dark Helper-a faint memory of Herne/Pan, the ancient shamanic nature spirit of the Olde Religion. [63]
 
Note: Herne or Pan is the horned god. It is common knowledge that Pan and Herne are popular names for Satan. The Satanic Bible lists Pan as one of the Infernal Names of Satan. [64]

After researching scores of books and material on the origin of Santa Claus, by far, the best book on this subject is Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, authored by the late University of Kansas associate, Phyllis Siefker. This is no child’s book, but a scholarly exploration into the origin of Santa Claus. It is published by the prestigious McFarland Publishers, a leading publisher of reference and academic books. This book carries no Christian bias, but is simply a secular, non Christian scholastic study. With that in mind, the following analysis by Siefkler is even more alarming [Emphasis Added]

The fact is that Santa and Satan are alter egos, brothers; they have the same origin. . . On the surface, the two figures are polar opposites, but underneath they share the same parent, and both retain many of the old symbols associated with their "father" . . . From these two paths, he arrived at both the warmth of our fireplace and in the flames of hell. [65]

Santa.. The Name

An Anagram?

Much has been said about ‘Santa’ being an anagram for ‘Satan’. While I am not sure how much importance to attach to this, the fact that Sanat Kumara is obviously an anagram for Satan gives me pause for thought. According to some of the teachings derived from modern Theosophy, i.e. the teachings of Alice A. Bailey, C. W. Leadbeater, Guy Ballard, Elizabeth Clare Prophet and Geraldine Innocente, Sanat Kumara is the Lord or Regent of Earth and of humanity. It is believed by some that he is the founder of the Great White Brotherhood, and that he lives in a city on the etheric plane called Shamballa located above the Gobi Desert in Mongolia.

[Read More About Alice Bailey and The Reappearance of ‘The Christ’]

[Also Shamballa]

Jolly Old St. Nick

Nick or Old Nick is a well-known appellation of the Devil. The name appears to have been derived from the Dutch Nikken, the devil, which again comes from the Anglo-Saxon nac-an, to slay--for as Wachter says the devil was "a murderer from the beginning."

Old Nick: A well-known British name of the Devil. It seems probable that this name is derived from the Dutch Nikken, the devil... [66]
 
Nick, the devil. [67]
 
Devil: Besides the name Satan, he is also called Beelzebub, Lucifer . . . and in popular or rustic speech by many familiar terms as Old Nick . . . [68]

Kriss Kringle?

One of the most perturbing aspects of this whole story is the seemingly innocent, friendly, jingle-jangle name of Kriss Kringle which is German for "little Christ Child".

Kriss Kringle A US name for Santa Claus derived from the German Christkindl (little Christ child). [69]

Whatever the truth behind the legend, it is one further step in the whole sorry saga of ‘Santa’.

According to legend, Martin Luther was distressed over the growing popularity of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas (who is the patron saint of sailors, children and unmarried maidens) has long been associated with giving gifts at Christmas time to children and is still popular in many parts of Europe, especially The Netherlands. However, Martin Luther thought the belief in Saint Nicholas took away from the true meaning of Christmas, which was to celebrate the birth of Jesus. Therefore, he is credited with introducing the Christkindl to Germany and parts of Switzerland. The Christkindl, usually portrayed by a young girl with a golden crown and wings, is the main attraction at Christmas parties, as she passes out presents to the other children. During the 18th Century, German and Swiss immigrants, settling in Pennsylvania, brought the tradition of the Christkindl with them. Over time, as English settlers began to populate the area, the word Christkindl was simplified to Kriss Kringle, and became another name for Santa Clause. [70] 

Santa’s Little Helpers?Santa has some “cute” little helpers called elves, however Webster’s Dictionary has an interesting definition for the friendly elf:

ELF1. A wandering spirit; a fairy; a hobgoblin; an imaginary being which our rude ancestors supposed to inhabit unfrequented places, and in various ways to affect mankind. . .
2. An evil spirit; a devil. (Webster's Dictionary “elf”)

The Encyclopedia of Witches & Witchcraft is a 417 page paperback by Rosemary Ellen Guiley who is known as a thorough researcher. The following descriptions of elves are as quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins.

A host of supernatural beings and spirits who exist between earth and heaven. . . Fairies [Elves] are fallen angels. When God cast Lucifer from heaven, the angels who were loyal to Lucifer plunged down toward hell with him. [71]
 
Some fairies [elves] were said to suck human blood like vampires. [72]
 
elves, "love to visit new born babies of mortals. . ." [72]
 
 
"Many contemporary Witches believe in fairies [elves] and some see them clairvoyantly." [73]
 
Read more at - http://www.inplainsite.org/html/santa_claus.html#Popularity
 
Notes:
 
[48] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 105
[49] Ibid p. 98
[50] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, pp. 93,94
[51] Paine, Albert Bigelow. Thomas Nast: His Period and His Pictures. New York: Chelsea House, 1980, p. 6
[52] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, pp. 95-96
[53] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 15
[54] "Saint Nicholas," Wikipedia Encyclopedia. < en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas>
[55] Del Re, Gerard and Patricia. The Christmas Almanack. New York: Random House, 2004, p. 44
[56] Miles, Clement A. Christmas in Ritual and Tradition Christian and Pagan. New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912, p. 202
[57] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 97
[58] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 111
[59] qtd. in Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 69
[60] Ireson, Frank. "The Drama Before Shakespeare - A Sketch." 1920. Also http://www.oldandsold.com/articles11/culture-44.shtml
[61] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 69
[62] Dodsley, Robert. A Select Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. VI. The Project Gutenberg Ebook.
www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext06/7oep610.txt>) [Also http://www.fullbooks.com/A-Select-Collection-of-Old-English-Plays-Volx54484.html
[63] Renterghem, Tony van. When Santa Was a Shaman. St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1995, p. 93)
[64] LaVey, Anton Szandor. The Satanic Bible. New York: Avon Books, Inc., 1969 p. 144
[65] Siefker, Phyllis. Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., 1997, p. 6
[66] Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology, p.650. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[67] Walter W. Sleay, Concise Dictionary of English Etymology, p. 304. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[68] Oxford English Dictionary Vol III D-E. As Quoted in Santa Claus The Great Imposter by Dr. Terry Watkins
[69] Brewer's Dictionary of Twentieth-Century Phrase and Fable, p. 334
[70] Lori Mealey. Martin Luther and Christmas. http://german-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/martin_luther_and_christmas
[71] Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, p. 115
[72] Ibid p. 116
[73] Ibid p. 117