Grandfather Frost, Ded Moroz, or Morozko is a seasonal character from Slavic folklore easily mistaken for Saint Nicholas or Father Christmas. He has a long white beard, wears a full-length red or blue coat and hat, and brings presents to good children. He is sometimes accompanied by his granddaughter, Snegurochka the snow maiden, who is made of snow.
But Grandfather Frost is a pre-Christian spirit, once denounced as demonic by the Orthodox church. His character also encompasses the darker side of winter.
In a traditional tale collected by Alexander Afanasyev in the 19th century, a little girl is abandoned in a forest in winter. Grandfather Frost finds her and, when she is polite to the old man, he rewards her with fine clothes and a casket of jewels. But, when her greedy mother leaves her two other daughters in the same place in the hope of a similar outcome, they are rude and call the stranger an old fool. Their frozen corpses are found the next day.
Morozko is a popular character in Russia, credited with bringing gifts at new year. Perhaps his harsh aspect reflects the severe winter, which also brings gifts: beautiful snowy landscapes and frost flowers at the window. But those who do not treat the winter weather with the proper respect may suffer the consequences.
