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In traditional Western festive legend and popular culture,Santa Claus's reindeer are said to pull asleigh through the night sky to helpSanta Claus deliver gifts to children onChristmas Eve.
While various legends offer differing details, the 1823 poemA Visit from St. Nicholas (usually attributed toClement Clarke Moore) has proved the most enduring. It describes Santa's sleigh being pulled by a team of eight reindeer, best known as Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, and Blitzen.[note 1][2]
The popularity of the 1939 story "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer", and the1949 Christmas song of the same name, has resulted in Rudolph often being included among the team.
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The first reference to Santa's sleigh being pulled by a reindeer appears in "Old Santeclaus with Much Delight", an 1821 illustrated children's poem published in New York.[3][4] The names of the author and the illustrator are not known.[4] The poem, with eight coloredlithographic illustrations, was published by William B. Gilley as a small paperback book entitledThe Children's Friend: A New-Year's Present, to the Little Ones from Five to Twelve.[5] The illustration to the first verse features a sleigh with a sign saying "REWARDS" being pulled by an unnamed single reindeer.
The 1823 poem usually attributed toClement C. Moore,A Visit from St. Nicholas, is largely credited for the modern Christmas lore that includes eight named reindeer.[6]
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The poem was first published in theSentinel ofTroy, New York, on 23 December 1823. All eight reindeer were named, the first six being Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet and Cupid; the final two, "Dunder" and "Blixem", are from a Dutchoath meaning "thunder" and "lightning".[7][8][9] The relevant part of the poem reads:
More rapid than eagles hiscoursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and call'd them by name:
"Now! Dasher, now! Dancer, now! Prancer, and Vixen,
"On! Comet, on! Cupid, on! Dunder and Blixem;
"To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
"Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
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Moore altered the names of the last two reindeer several times;[9] first to "Donder" and "Blitzen" (to match GermanBlitzen),[8] as appears in his 1844 version of the poem. The relevant part reads:[10]
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!"
The modern German spelling of "Donner" started to become the standard spelling from the early 20th century, long after Moore's death,[9][8] though a few examples from the 19th century are known.[note 2]
L. Frank Baum's storyThe Life and Adventures of Santa Claus (1902) includes a list of ten reindeer, none of which match those inA Visit from St. Nicholas. Santa's principal reindeer are Flossie and Glossie, and he gathers others named Racer and Pacer, Reckless and Speckless, Fearless and Peerless, and Ready and Steady.[18]
Rudolph's story was originally written in verse byRobert L. May for theMontgomery Ward chain ofdepartment stores in 1939, and it was published as a book to be given to children in the store atChristmas time.[19] The 1949 Christmas song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" byGene Autry further popularized the character.
Media related toSanta Claus' reindeer at Wikimedia Commons