Olentzero: Two Versions

The Missourian published an article about Santa Claus, Poinsettias and other Yule Season related stuff in an article titled "Weird holiday wonders".

Strangely enough, it mentions the "Basque Santa", Olentzero.

Not only that, it tells two different versions of the Olentzero tale. First a sort of gruesome one:

Then there’s Olentzero, from the Basque region of Spain. Instead of arriving on a sleigh with a bag full of goodies, he clambered down from the mountains with a sickle and a heart full of contempt. The story of Olentzero began with a group of giants who one day noticed a burning object in the sky. Only one could look at it and he confirmed their fear: It was a sign of the coming of Jesus Christ. While climbing down the hill, they all tripped and fell to their deaths except one, Olentzero. He marched down the mountain with his sickle and then cut the throats of any of the town’s people who ate too much on the day before Christ’s arrival.

And then, the one we are familiar with today:

In the last century a new version appeared: Olentzero is abandoned as a child and adopted by a beautiful fairy. He grows up to become a collier, making coal from wood and crafting toys for the town’s children in his spare time. Once he had a bag full of goodies, he’d come to town and spend the whole day passing out gifts. One day he came to town and a house had caught fire. Olentzero ran in and lowered frightened children from the second-story window. After he’d saved them all, he went downstairs to get out of the house, but it collapsed on him before he could escape. Suddenly, the people of the town saw a burst and a flash of light toward the sky. The fairy who’d adopted the benevolent Olentzero had decided that he should not be allowed to die, but should live forever making gifts for the children.

I'm gonna have to check into the first version as soon as I can.

.... ... .