The most popular story about the origin of Père Fouettard was first told about the year 1252. An innkeeper (or a butcher in other versions) captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enroll in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them. One gruesome version tells that they drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel. St. Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. After this, Père Fouettard repents and becomes St. Nicholas' partner. A slightly different version of this story claims that St. Nicholas forced Père Fouettard to become his assistant as a punishment for his crimes. Another story states that during the Siege of Metz (a city in Eastern France) in 1552, an effigy of king Charles V was burned and dragged through the city. Meanwhile, an association of tanners created a grotesque character (also a tanner) armed with a whip and bound in chains who punished children. 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 St. Nicholas, hence Père Fouettard became his "bad cop" counterpart. In the 1930s, Père Fouettard appeared in the United States under the translated name Father Flog or Spanky. Although almost identical to the original French personification, Father Flog had nothing to do with Christmas and also had a female accomplice named Mother Flog. The two doled out specific punishments for specific childhood crimes (e.g. cutting out the tongue for lying).

He is typically depicted carrying a bag which contains candy for the children, which he tosses around, a tradition supposedly originating in the story of Saint Nicholas saving three young girls from prostitution by tossing golden coins through their window at night to pay their dowries.

He is usually accompanied by the Houseker (similar to the concept of Black Peter), his fear-inspiring dark companion, who gives twigs to children who have misbehaved.

The backstory is that long ago, Schmutzli was an innkeeper who robbed three boys on their way to boarding school, killing them in the process. Upon hearing this, Saint Nicholas took pity on the children and their gruesome fate, ultimately bringing them back to life. As punishment, Père Fouettard must become Saint Nicholas’ servant for eternity.