The Story of Santa Klaus
William S. Walsh
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
Who was Santa Klaus? Did he exist? In this study of custom and folklore, the author looks at the real and the legendary man, according to various traditions around the world. - Summary by LynneT (3 hr 22 min)
Chapters
| Who is Santa Klaus | 20:48 | Read by Ted Perkins |
| Strange Adventures of the Saint’s Body | 11:11 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| Christ-kinkle and Christ-kindlein | 5:52 | Read by Beeswaxcandle |
| The Evolution of Christmas | 10:27 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| Silenus, Saturn, Thor | 11:26 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| A Terrible Christmas in Old France | 9:31 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| The Christmas Tree in Legend | 14:59 | Read by Greg Giordano |
| The Christmas Tree in History | 12:31 | Read by Greg Giordano |
| The Christmas Tree in Europe | 10:39 | Read by Greg Giordano |
| The Christmas Tree in England and America | 10:07 | Read by Greg Giordano |
| The Story of the Three Kings | 21:17 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| Some Twelfth Night Customs | 8:20 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| St. Nicholas in England | 11:12 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| Father Christmas and His Family | 14:23 | Read by Beeswaxcandle |
| Pantomime in the Past and Present | 6:41 | Read by Beeswaxcandle |
| Saint Nicholas in Europe | 17:02 | Read by Gloria Loughry |
| Saint Nicholas in America | 5:51 | Read by Stacey Malcolm |
Reviews
Interesting!
Luella
This was an interesting and rather odd read. Its about a lot more than just Santa Claus and his origins. It is written in a rather child-like tone, but some parts are far too violent for children. Especially 'A Terrible Christmas in France' - skip that section if you have a weak stomach. It felt disjointed from the rest of the book anyway and I really don't see why it was included at all. There was something about the author's tone when he commented on Christian vs. pagan practices and origins that I didn't appreciate. I think his was a christian perspective, but you wouldn't necessarily think so from his somewhat derogatory tone. Anyway... My favorite part was the fairy story in the second half of the chapter on the legends of the Christmas tree. I'd never heard it before! Overall I did enjoy the overview of all the other traditions also, even if I did not always appreciate everything in the author's tone.