This section expands on the manufactured superstition used to obscure the true horror.
The Krampus hysteria originated from the 1982 lodge murders, where cultists framed Karl Muller's death as a Krampus-inspired psychotic episode, leveraging a folk book in his possession. Villagers, already superstitious due to postwar hardships and missing children, adopted Krampus as an explanation for anomalies. By 1987, the cult amplifies this: "goat-like" sightings near the lodge are staged to mimic Krampus (horns, chains), encouraging fervent Christmas decorations (tinsel, bells, birch switches) as "wards." Conspiracy theorists tie disappearances to "naughty children" taken by Krampus, deflecting from sacrifices. During the curse, hysteria peaks—people barricade with ornaments, pray for "holy night" mercy, and attribute shibito bites to "punishment rods." This red herring keeps eyes off the cult/idol, as rational minds dismiss it as folklore while the superstitious focus on appeasement rituals. The shrine family rejects it, tormented by true visions, highlighting the fallacy's effectiveness in dividing perceptions.