[1] He is known mainly in the far north and eastern regions of France, in the south of Belgium, and in French-speaking Switzerland, although similar characters exist all over Europe (see Companions of Saint Nicholas).

A slightly different version of this story claims that Saint Nicholas forced Père Fouettard to become his assistant as a punishment for his crimes.

After Metz was liberated, the charred effigy of Charles V and the character created by the tanners somehow assimilated into what is now known as Père Fouettard.

Events surrounding the city's liberation and the burning of the effigy coincided with the passage of Saint Nicholas, hence Père Fouettard became his "bad cop" counterpart.

The most common depiction of Père Fouettard is of a man with a sinister face dressed in dark robes with scraggly unkempt hair and a long beard.