Starman? David Bowie Perhaps....

In an effort to shoehorn the various personifications of Father Christmas into a gallery, American and Western pundits have often hit upon the the curious figure of the 'Starman' as the Polish candidate.

Romantic texts written by Western writers decades ago appear to confirm the Starman myth, a genial fellow who allegedly hails from Starland.

''Deep snow lies on the ground'' wrote Monica Gardner in 1917 about the Polish Wigilia - Christmas Eve. ''The cold is intense, dry and frosty. There is the gay sound of tinkling bells as the guests, muffled in furs, drive up in sledges, little bells ringing on the horses heads. All is ready for the supper; but it must not begin till the first star appears in the sky, which in Poland would be about 6 o'clock...."

After supper things get more exciting:

"Towards the end of the supper, it is obvious that something special is going to happen. The children are all led away from the dining room into another apartment. In comes a personage dressed as Father Christmas, but who in Poland is called the 'Starman'. (He is traditionally accompanied by the Starboys, who carry a lighted star lantern and sing carols.) Very often he is the parish priest in disguise. He examines the children in their catechism, and reproves those who answer wrong, and sometimes, in extreme cases, arranged beforehand with the parents, has recourse to a little birch. (*A true bearer of good tidings then, our birch wielding Starman )

Presently at the sign from the mother, the Starman tells the children that he has brought them rewards for their good conduct, from his own country, Starland, and his helpers have been arranging them in the dining room. He leads the eager children back to the dining room, where a transformation scene has taken place. Fancy lanterns and lights of all descriptions illuminate the room. Beautifully decked Christmas trees adorn the corners; and we can guess the rest of the scene, because children are the same all over the world."

The interesting thing is that whilst Starman has been presented in Western childrens books and on festive toys, most Poles resolutely affirm that they have never heard of him. And not just the ones who think its cool not to believe in Father Christmas and his elves. As far as most Poles are concerned, Starman was never a feature of their culture, even in mythic form. On the other hand, some writers about Polish culture make references to a tradition that emerged solely in the Poznan area of Western Poland (Wielkopolska).

Either way, it is unanimously agreed that Swiety Mikolaj (Saint Nicholas) - as one would expect in this deeply Catholic Country - is the key figure when it comes to Christmas presents. St. Nicholas comes on December 6th (St Nicholas's Day). Children write letters to him, and if they are good, Saint Nicholas will rewards them.

Not wanting to completely give up the ghost on Starman, we have just detached a noble team of bearded ethnologists to Wielkopolska in search of any trace of this custom. Perhaps there is something to it yet. Watch this space for news of our discoveries....