How Rudolph became part of Christmas
The team of flying reindeer helping Santa Claus deliver presents are a traditional part of Christmas. In fact the origin of Santa's reindeer was a poem called ‘The Night Before Christmas' written by Clement Clarke Moore in 1822; the relevant section goes as follows:-
‘With a little old driver so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles, his coursers they came,
And he whistled and shouted and called them by name:
Now Dasher! Now Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall! Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!'
So that was how Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donder and Blitzen were created, but Rudolph was not ‘invented' until 1939 when Robert L May wrote a Christmas promotional children's book for the US Department Store, Montgomery Ward. The story told of how Rudolph was shunned by the other reindeer until his shiny nose saved the day one foggy night.
After publication of that book the Rudolph phenomenon really took off. Rudolph was then immortalised in the song ‘Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' recorded by Gene Autry in 1949 and came to be the ninth reindeer, and one of our favourite Christmas characters.
What are Reindeer?
Reindeer are semi domesticated Caribou; when living wild in northern Canada they are called Caribou, but when domesticated in the Arctic of Sweden, Finland and Russia they are known as reindeer. In the Arctic they were domesticated by the nomadic tribes many thousands of years ago and are still an essential part of their existence. Reindeer are used by the nomadic herdsmen for transport (pulling sleighs) as well as for meat, clothing and shoes (from their skin); llamas are used in similar way in South America.
Male reindeer are called bulls, and females cows. Both male and female reindeer have antlers, though those on the male tend to be larger. They shed their ‘rack' of antlers in the winter/early spring and then quickly grow them again. Their antlers are composed entirely of bone but while they are growing in the spring/early summer they are covered with a think furry skin called ‘velvet'. This skin is very fragile and carries blood vessels to the growing tips of the antlers; when the antlers are fully grown, usually about October, the velvet is shed and the bone underneath is revealed.
Reindeer have evolved to live in the Arctic where there are long summer days which can be quite warm, but very long and very cold winters. So in the summer they have a short coat and in the winter it grows much thicker to keep them warm. They do not have sweat glands so in hot weather they open their mouths and pant, a bit like a dog.
The feet of reindeer are very unusual and are splayed; this spreads their weight and enables them to walk on very wet boggy ground, or on deep snow, without sinking in.
Their feet are also useful for scraping the snowy ground to find food underneath. Reindeer are said to have poor eyesight but a very good sense of smell which enables them to detect food under three feet of snow. Fortunately in Sussex we do not have three feet of snow but even if their eyesight is not very good the reindeer at the Llama Park can easily spot a yellow food bucket at 100 metres!
Another interesting feature of reindeer is their ‘clicking' feet. This noise is made by a tendon that rubs over a bone in their ankles as they walk or run. This enables the reindeer to keep track of one another in foggy or blizzard conditions. The young reindeer do not develop this clicking until about a year old.
Reindeer are ruminants, i.e. they chew the cud like a sheep or cow, and in the Arctic eat the coarse arctic grass and vegetation, lichens, and edible mushrooms. At Ashdown Forest Llama Park, in Ashdown Forest, you can see the resident reindeer, which came originally from Sweden, and learn more about them. They have proved to be very adaptable animals and have become accustomed to a diet of grass, barley straw and cattle feed. Their favourite treat is chopped carrots.
The reindeer at Ashdown Forest Llama Park will be in their stable adjacent to Santa's Grotto from 29th November.
Article written for Winter 2008 issue by Linda Johnson. Linda is also Chairman of the Ashdown Forest Tourism Association
www.ashdownforest.com
Ashdown Forest Llama Park
Wych Cross
Forest Row
RH18 5JN
01825 712040
