Abstract
Kinderschreck - the nightmare of children. A supervising, punishing, terrifying monster summoned by poor hygiene, overeating or disobedience.
Lured by a child's vulnerability, kinderschrecks appear across time and cultures. The kinderschreck is created by the combination of atavistic irrational fear and elements of sociocultural norms.
These monsters have no unified form; their appearance, characteristics, and even practices vary depending on time and setting. Kinderschrecks are a mirror of their time, reflecting the sociocultural changes that came with the Industrial Revolution as well as the invention of the printing press, radio broadcasting, television and the Internet.
The colour black is characteristic of many kinderschrecks, as it is easily associated with darkness and night. The ability to hide in poorly lit spaces, blend into the shadows, or merely resemble a shadow is significant to many kinderschrecks.
This is especially true for the Czech boogeyman (Bubák) and its international parallels. The boogeyman represents a kind of abstract evil whose physical representation is highly variable.
Its ability to disappear in the darkness instill fear in children. Same as auditory sensations such as screeching, scratching, or quiet wails and whispers..The ability to move around as a shadow gives boogeyman, among other things, the ability to observe children during the day.
In the (not only) Czech environment, the synthesis of the boogeyman with the devil is often found. Similar tendencies can be traced back to the eighteenth century.
Other popular kinderschrecks include polednice, klekánice, perchta or pucnoha. Kinderschrecks and their perception changes in time same as their main function.
From strictly educational function they are becoming source of amusement for people in all age categories.