The half-goat and half-demon character Krampus is the star of this year's 'Perunfest', a festival celebrating Slavic mythology held outside the Croatian capital.

The annual two-day event draws scores of visitors dressed as characters from traditional folktales and includes a series of mythology-inspired workshops and activities for children and adults.

What to do with naughty children? Boil them in a witch's cauldron!

This kind of gruesome cooking is just part of the fun in Turopolje, just 20 minutes from Zagreb.

"Every year the festival has this concept that we put one (mythical) creature at the centre of attention. This year in the centre of our attention is the well-known Krampus,” says Margareta Biskupic Culra, Turpolje Museum director.

According to folklore, Krampus can see into children’s hearts and if he finds out they are bad, he punishes them by leaving a lump of coal or a stick for them.

The naughtiest of the children, he simply takes away.

He's being brought to life by actors such as Ivor Karner Koruznjak.

"As the sun starts setting earlier and days grow colder and colder, we come out from the underworld. Then we move around the villages, then we take children away and we strike fear into their hearts,” he says menacingly.

Even older visitors are keen to see the demon that they feared when they were children.

As darkness falls, children and adults gather around to hear spooky tales.

The darkness is lit up by spectacular fire shows and fire pits.

Perhaps they will cast enough light to see Krampus coming, before he grabs children to take back to the underworld.

A new generation now too have something to fear in the night.

AP video shot by: Tina Smole