Greatfather Winter
- This article is about the legendary figure. For the actors who portray him, see Greatfather Winter (Ironforge) and Great-father Winter. For the tauren, see Greatfather Winter (Highmountain).
Greatfather Winter (also called Great-father Winter,[1] Great Father Winter,[2] or Father Winter)[3] is the central figure of the Feast of Winter Veil, a holiday that celebrates the renewal of the land during Azeroth's winter season. He is a supernatural being (believed by the dwarves to be linked to the titans) who is said to bring about winter by walking across the world and covering it in snow. In recent years, the goblin Smokywood Pastures have popularized a more commercial depiction of Greatfather Winter[4] as a jolly, bearded, red-clad old dwarf or orc who brings gifts to well-behaved children,[5] rides a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer, and is assisted by troops of Little Helpers and snowmen.
Legendary origin
Greatfather Winter is a being referred to in many cultures. He walks Azeroth late in the seasons with winter itself as his billowing cloak, blanketing the land in snow (described as him casting his "wintry veil" over the world, hence the name of the holiday). In this way, he gives the land time for rebirth and renewal. During his wanderings, he is said to provide a bounty to those who welcome his presence, which gave rise to the tradition of communities coming together and feasting in anticipation of the land's renewal.[4]
The dwarves celebrate Winter Veil as a recognition of Greatfather Winter himself, whom they consider a personification of one of the titans. Much as they claim descent from creations of the titans, they consider their snowy homeland of Dun Morogh the prime example of Greatfather Winter's blessings.[4]
Conversely, the tauren, with their shamanistic and druidic understanding of winter, focus almost entirely on the renewing aspects of the season and leave "legend worship" to those races (as they view it) less in tune with the nature of things.[4] To the tauren, winter is the Earth Mother's time of rest, during which An'she and Mu'sha guide the elements to bring about cold and storms and allow new life to arise while their mother sleeps.[6] That said, the tauren still believe in Greatfather Winter's existence and that he plays a role in bringing about said renewal.[7]
A being who is presumably the real Greatfather Winter appears at the end of I Got What Yule Need, watching the Winter Veil festivities of people across Azeroth. He appears ethereal, as if he is made out of the blowing snow around him.
Modern observation
In the modern day, other cultures have begun to observe the Feast of Winter Veil, but often only as a chance for celebration and gift-giving with little relation to the traditional legend. The image of Greatfather Winter is sometimes used as well, but "more as a harbinger of commercial exploit than as a supernatural titan".[4] In particular, Smokywood Pastures, a goblin company, have revived Winter Veil for their own purposes[8] of selling holiday treats and toys[5] and have adopted Greatfather Winter as a mascot.
The company depicts the Greatfather as a jolly old man in a red suit and a long white beard[9] who brings gifts in the form of Smokywood Pastures products to well-behaved children.[5][10][11] He is said to own magical workshops[12][13] where his gnome and goblin workers, known as Little Helpers, spend all year making toys and other items in preparation for Winter Veil.[14][15] He rides a magical sleigh[16][17] pulled by eight flying reindeer:[18] Mercer, Chilton, Jordan, Kaplan, Nagle, Pardo, Goodman, and Metzen.[19] He is accompanied in his journeys across Azeroth by troops of snowmen.[10][20] He says "Ho ho" as a catchphrase[5][10][21][9] and enjoys eating gingerbread cookies and milk.[9][22]
Every year in the weeks leading up to Winter Veil, Smokywood Pastures hires actors to play the Greatfather—a dwarf playing "Greatfather Winter" for the Alliance and an orc playing "Great-father Winter" for the Horde—to "spread cheer" and promote their products in Ironforge and Orgrimmar.[10] Children are invited to write letters with wishlists to the "Greatfather"[23][24] or visit him in person to sit in his lap and tell him what gifts they hope to receive.[5][21][25][26] On the night between Winter Veil Eve and the day of the Feast of Winter Veil, the Greatfather—with the "generous support" of Smokywood Pastures—leaves wrapped gifts under decorated trees in Ironforge and Orgrimmar, to be opened the next morning.[10][25][11] He also supposedly visits people's homes carrying bags of gifts[9] which he leaves in specially-hung sockings.[25] Children that have been nice during the year receive treats,[5][10] while those that have been bad receive coal.[25][26]
In the Smokywood Storytime story "A Very Smokywood Winter Veil", the goblin Krizz is forced to play Greatfather Winter in Ironforge after the dwarven actor passes out drunk on Winter Veil Eve. Krizz is ultimately drawn into helping a gnome girl, Fala Fizzlesprocket, rescue her father, who has been kidnapped by Dark Iron dwarves and forced to make a giant robot dressed like Greatfather Winter as part of a plot to steal riches from Ironforge. After the heroes foil the Dark Irons and save the holiday, Fala reveals that she knew all along that Krizz wasn't the real Greatfather Winter, since "everyone knows that [he] doesn't have ears like that".[25] In another Smokywood Pastures story, A Winter Veil Carol, Greatfather Winter appears in the role of the "spirit of Winter Veil present", the second of three ghosts who appear to the miser Ebonizer Scrounge to admonish him for keeping his wealth to himself instead of spending it on Smokywood Pastures products. His appearance is not described other than that he is a brightly glowing being with a booming, cheerful voice accompanied by "the sound of a thousand Winter Veils".[27] During the Sons of Lothar's Winter Veil reunion feast in the Arcantina, Kurdran Wildhammer played the part of Greatfather Winter by dressing up in a hooded red cloak and bringing a bag of gifts.[9]
Some more traditionally-minded dwarves and tauren scoff at these modern depictions of Greatfather Winter as a "bumbling fool [in a] red suit" and argue that the goblins have "polluted" the true meaning of the holiday.[7]
A Highmountain tauren version of Greatfather Winter appears on Highmountain Peak, riding a sled pulled by white moose, during the holiday. He wears clothing similar to the Smokywood Pastures versions and hands out gifts in the form of Order Resources.
In other games
Hearthstone
- Greatfather Winter (referred to as "Great Father") hosts the Gift Exchange Tavern Brawl during the yearly Winter Veil event. He is not seen directly, but his voice (which has a dwarven accent) can be heard as he flies his sleigh over the battlefield and drops gifts for players to break open. One of his lines mentions that he lives with a "Mrs. Winter", a character not mentioned in canon.
- The Wacky Waxy Winter's Veil Tavern Brawl, a Kobolds & Catacombs-themed version of the same Brawl, is attributed to a kobold version of the character named Greatfather Kobold.
- Magni Bronzebeard, a warrior hero, has an alternate Greatfather Winter skin which depicts him playing the part of the Greatfather Winter actor in Ironforge.
- In the Battlegrounds mode, the hero skin Greatfather Thorim and the bartender Greatfather Boom respectively depict Thorim and Dr. Boom dressed up as Greatfather Winter. In the Siege of Iceforge storyline, the Lich King attempts to take over the Greatfather's throne to become Greatfather Lich King, and sends the Scourge to take over Ironforge to force its tinkerers to make weapons instead of Winter Veil toys.
Heroes of the Storm
Malfurion, Rehgar, and Stitches all have Winter Veil skins that depict them dressed up as Greatfather Winter, or "Great-father" in Rehgar's case. The latter's description reads: Some people believe that Great-father Winter is just a symbol of commercialization created by Smokywood Pastures. Those people get coal shoved up their stockings.
Notes and trivia
- Some curmudgeonly people enjoy telling children that Greatfather Winter doesn't exist.[2]
- The human archbishop Alonsus Faol was often compared to Greatfather Winter in life due to his kindly demeanor and long snow-white beard.[28][29]
- The Feast of Winter Veil was introduced to Lordaeron by the Ironforge ambassador Muradin Bronzebeard after the Second War.[30] The Lordaeronian Turalyon was familiar with Greatfather Winter as early as the Invasion of Draenor[31] in 8 ADP.[32]
- From 2010 to 2017, a yearly Winter Veil tradition on the WoW Blog was for Blizzard to invite players to "write letters" (post comments) to Greatfather Winter with their World of Warcraft-related holiday wishes.[33][34][23][35][26][24][36]
- Greatfather Winter is, of course, the Warcraft equivalent of Santa Claus. The Greatfather's legendary background is reminiscent of the older religious and mythological figures that contributed to the image of Santa Claus, such as Father Christmas and Old Man Winter, while the goblin commercialization of the character parodies real-world corporations' commercialization of Santa Claus and Christmas. The appearance of "Greatfather/Great-father Winter" in Ironforge and Orgrimmar is based on mall Santas.
Speculation
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This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.
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It is possible that Hodir is the original Greatfather Winter (which goblins later commercialized) as he has been referred as "father figure" (see Sons of Hodir) and connected to ice and snow. Hodir uses the phrase "the veil of winter" in Ulduar[37] and previously resided in the Temple of Winter. Since it appears that the story of Greatfather Winter started with the dwarves and since the dwarves are descended from cursed earthen, the Greatfather Winter story may have originated as the story of Hodir being passed to future generations with small changes over time erasing his name.
Gallery
Great-father Winter in the Winter Veil 2016 promotional art.
Great-father Winter handing out presents in promotional art for the 2021 Holiday Sale.
Fizzlesprocket's robot dressed up as Greatfather Winter.
Kurdran Wildhammer dressed up as Greatfather Winter.
Pepe dressed up as Greatfather Winter.
Greatfather Winter Malfurion in Heroes of the Storm.
Great-father Winter Rehgar in Heroes of the Storm.
Greatfather Winter Stitches in Heroes of the Storm.
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References
- ^ Great-father Winter
- ^ a b
[Curmudgeon's Payoff]
- ^ Greatfather Winter's Helper and Great-father Winter's Helper quotes
- ^ a b c d e
[The Feast of Winter Veil]
- ^ a b c d e f
[10-80] Greatfather Winter is Here! / 
[10-80] Great-father Winter is Here!
- ^ Eyes of the Earth Mother
- ^ a b
[10-80] The Reason for the Season
- ^ [10-80] The Feast of Winter Veil
- ^ a b c d e Seasons
- ^ a b c d e f Game Guide: Events - Feast of Winter Veil
- ^ a b [1-80] Winter's Presents
- ^
[Rotten Helper Box]
- ^
[Lump of Coal]
- ^
[Green Helper Box]
- ^
[Red Helper Box]
- ^ Greatfather Winter's Sleigh
- ^
[Mitzy]
- ^
[80] Metzen the Reindeer
- ^
[Metzen's Letters and Notes]
- ^
Nebu 2012-12-14. The Feast of Winter Veil is Nigh!. Archived from the original on 2025-01-24. “Historically, Greatfather Winter has always been accompanied in his journeys across Azeroth by his loyal snowmen. They can be found wandering around Ironforge and Orgrimmar, bringing the chill breath of winter into even the warmest climes.”
- ^ a b Greatfather Winter and Great-father Winter quotes
- ^ [10-80] Treats for Greatfather Winter / [10-80] Treats for Great-father Winter
- ^ a b Nethaera 2013-12-19. ‘Tis the Season: Dear Greatfather Winter. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28.
- ^ a b Blizzard Entertainment. Dear Greatfather Winter:. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22.
- ^ a b c d e I Got What Yule Need
- ^ a b c Kaivax 2015-12-18. Your Letters to Greatfather Winter. Archived from the original on 2015-12-20.
- ^ Smokywood Pastures Presents: A Winter Veil Carol
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 5
- ^ Before the Storm, chapter 8
- ^ Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 8
- ^ Beyond the Dark Portal, chapter 5: "Turalyon might have been Greatfather Winter himself the way Mekkatorque reacted."
- ^ World of Warcraft: Chronicle Volume 2, pg. 182
- ^ Nethaera 2010-12-20. Letters to Greatfather Winter. Archived from the original on 2010-12-23.
- ^ Nethaera 2012-12-19. Dear Greatfather Winter:. Archived from the original on 2012-12-26.
- ^ Kaivax 2014-12-22. Your Letters to Greatfather Winter. Archived from the original on 2014-12-26.
- ^ Blizzard Entertainment 2017-12-17. Dear Greatfather Winter:. Archived from the original on 2025-12-09.
- ^ Hodir Ulduar quotes