It seems quite likely that the kindly, fat, old, child loving, present giving Santa Claus we all know and love is actually the king of the Norse Gods, Odin, in disguise. Don't believe me? Click here, Jackson, and see for yourself! While Coca-Cola and countless low-budget animated TV specials have tried desperately to transform him into a cuddly, saccharine-sweet eunuch with the sole aim of selling as much cheaply made tat as possible during the Christmas season, some of Odin's edge can still be found in popular depictions of the original Big Red Cheese.
While the brief appearance he makes in The Martian Invasion of Mars is not one in which he shows off his more "Die Hard" side, we here at the Emerald City Zen Center really dig a tough-guy Santa. Here are our 3 favourites.
1. Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014) - This year's Doctor Who Christmas special featured comedian Nick Frost as a take charge, no nonsense Santa Claus that rides Rudolph like the Lone Ranger rides Silver. He's a monster fighting, tough talking, monster stomping Kris Kringle come to the rescue of Clara and The Doctor as they try to find their way out of the Inception-esque dream puzzle the creepy Dream Crabs have trapped them in.
| Hi-ho, Rudolph! |
2. The Rise of the Guardians (2012) In this animated team up of Santa, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, Sandman and Jack Frost, St Nick is a sword wielding, powerfully built, tattooed Russian known as "North" (played by famed Hollywood whacko Alec Baldwin) who leads his team of folkloric children's heroes in battle against the forces of the Boogieman. Adding cool points is the fact that along with the traditional elves, this Santa has an army of yeti assisting him.
| North ready to whittle down that naughty list |
3. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950) This is probably the most disturbing depiction of Santa but does fit in with his old Norse roots. In the novel that kicks off The Chronicles of Narnia series of allegorical Christian-themed children's fantasy books, Santa shows up to deliver weapons to the Pevensie kids with which to wage war with. As thoroughly creepy as a weapons dealing Santa Claus might be, it is one of the least problematic aspects of the C.S. Lewis' Narnia work. Still, there is something so perverse about Kris Kringle doling out lethal weapons to kiddies as though they were toys, that you kind of have to respect Lewis for the audacity.
| Here's the jolly old war monger |
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