The mythology of Southeast Asia is rich in cultural diversity because it is an area made up of 11 countries, namely Burma, Brunei, Cambodia, the Philippines, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, and Vietnam, each with its own cultures and beliefs.
History of the name Southeast Asia
Formerly called Jack Oerland, he is a mischievous, calm, and cheerful character who works with Santa Claus independently. The characteristic sign of this legend is that he announces his arrival by leaving crystal patterns in his wake, specifically on tree leaves and windows.
Likewise, his legend revolves around his arrival at the end of November to usher in the change of climate towards winter and establish all the conditions prior to Santa Claus’ arrival at children’s homes. He is always looking for fun and maximum enjoyment of this time of year before the delivery of gifts.
It should be noted that there is an antithesis to this character known as Dark Frost, who uses his powers for frozen evil.
How is Jack Frost perceived?
As there are different versions of this legend, each nation has its own particular way of appreciating Father Winter. The best known for their characteristic features are:
Germany
Of Teutonic origin, the goddess Holda or Hulde is known as Mother Snow (Frau Holle), the owner and ruler of winter and magic. She has her origins in the goddess Hell, the daughter of Loki in Norse mythology, who is recognized as the lady of hell, which in her world is represented by ice and not fire.
Russia
In this area, the mythical character is known as Ded Moroz (Father Frost), a blacksmith who forged water and chained it to the earth. This gave rise to the idea of winter icicles, as well as the tradition of flowers turning to ice and lakes and rivers turning into mirrors.
In certain parts of Russia, this character is known to have a wife or daughter, recognized by the locals as Snegurochka or Miss Snow, and both work to control the winter season.
It should be noted that for Russians, Ded Moroz is a local Saint Nicholas who, according to tradition, together with Snegurochka, rides a sleigh pulled by three horses, one white, one red, and one black, to deliver gifts. In addition, there is no separation between what is known as Christmas and winter.
North America
In this region, his story is better known as that of a mischievous young man who decorates houses with ice and comes out every winter to play with children in the snow, leaving when Christmas is over.
Modern adaptations of Jack Frost
As this is a somewhat modern character, many artists, directors, and producers have transformed his story as they see fit. Some of these were:
1) In 1864, in the weekly edition of Harper’s, an artist painted him as a general wielding icicles as swords, showing the cold and cruel nature of winter.
2) In 1969, the first snowman, Frosty, appeared in that year’s Christmas special.
3) In 1976, a sequel to Frosty was made, in which Frosty, who lives at the North Pole, returns to the city every winter to be with his friends, who create a snowwoman named Crystal to accompany him on his return home.
Film interpretations
A) In 1996, Jack Frost appeared in a movie as a violent killer in the form of a murderous snowman in the movie Jack Frost.
B) In 1998, he is portrayed as a snowman again, embodied by the soul of a man who died in a fatal accident on Christmas Eve and needs to settle unfinished business.
C) In the film Santa Claus 3, he is a thief who wants to destroy Santa Claus to take his place at Christmas.
D) In 2005, The Tale of Jack Frost was released, inspired by the play of the same name written by David Melling and published in 2004. This film depicts the mythical character from his birth, which, contrary to expectations, tells the story of a boy who gets lost in a frozen forest and is saved by elves, who turn him into one of their own to prevent him from dying of hypothermia.
E) In 2012, he was brought to the big screen as an animated character in “The Guardians,” a film in which he, along with Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Sandman (Morpheus), must fight together to protect children from the Boogeyman so that their Christmas is not ruined and they do not lose faith in them.
