Christmas gift-bringer the leader of the Wild Hunt at the time of Yule. Santa Claus's reindeer has also been compared to Sleipnir, the eight-legged horse of Odin in Norse mythology. Jacob Grimm ("Deutsche Mythologie") traces the threatening or scary companions of Saint Nicholas (such as the Krampus of the Austro-Bavarian dialect region) to Christianized versions of house-spirits (kobolds, elves). After Christianization, the benign mid-winter gift-bringer was associated with the 4th-century Christian Saint Nicholas of Myra. This association took place mainly in the territories of the Holy Roman Empire, including German-speaking Europe, the Low Countries, the Czech lands, Hungary and Slovenia. The basis
Merseburg charms Depictions found on Migration Period Germanic bracteates are often viewed as Wodan (Odin) healing a horse. Comparing Norse mythology, Wodan is well-attested as the cognate of Odin. Frija the cognate of Frigg, also identified with Freyja. "Balder" is Norse Baldr. Phol is the masculine form of "Uolla", but the context makes clear that it is another name of Balder. "Uolla" has been linked to Fulla, a minor goddess and a handmaid of Frigg. Sunna (the sun) in Norse mythology is Sól, though her sister Sinthgunt is otherwise unattested. The First Merseburg Charm (loosening charm)'s similarity to the anecdote in Bede's