Grinch, indeed. Your wry smile is about right, San. The idea of hitting my thumb with a hammer (or, in my case, burning it on a hot pan of roasted chestnuts) and shouting "Erzgebirge!" -- well, that will be good to remember. ;-/

Of course after shooting my mouth off I had to go online and check. I found several pictures of Herod in Nativity scenes, in Poland, Russia, Austria and Germany. Herod often is hidden behind a curtain, or is glimpsed through a window, or is sensed through a menacing appearance of soldiers.

I first encountered Herod-in-the-creche through the contemplative monastic tradition in which each person would draw a name, and create a simple clay model of shepherd, magus, angel, ox, ass, ... or Herod, and contemplate the birth of Jesus through that point of view.

Herod wasn't in the stable. (Neither were the magi.) But his menace is part of the nativity story. Innocence and liberating joy are never safe, and the story in its full depth is not a children's story. Herod is real, as real as the magi.

"The infant Messiah is adored and persecuted, anticipating thus the future destiny of his person and mission. He remains a challenge to this day to both those who adore him and those who persecute him."
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Some more links--I enjoyed seeing all the different creches (sorry I'm not html proficient)

Germany (Erzgebirge)
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Austria <link>
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Poland <link>

Russia (Herod is the bottom picture)
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Dayton, Ohio <link>

Monastic tradition:
Story as a Way of Knowing, Kevin M. Bradt, Rowmay & Littlefield, 1997, pp. 212-213
“A drawing was held in which those present chose … the figure they would make for the crèche.… when all the figures, including Herod, had found their places and the year’s crèche was completed and assembled, a silent procession of adoration and prayer took place… the figure chosen (or, as most in the monastic community would say, the figure that chose you) became one’s personal guide and mentor into the Christmas story… the ancient mystery and story of the birth of Christ was perceived from the perspective of one of the characters….. “