Silent Night (6 page)

In his illness and depression, stuck in his lodgings with money running out, Dix was certain there was better to come. Why? Because Mary’s child, in a world that was not
His
home, had already gone through far worse to ensure there was better to come for everyone.

Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost
.

M
ATTHEW 1
:18

Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
.
Lullay, Thou little tiny Child
.
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
.

O sisters, too, how may we do
,
For to preserve this day;
This poor Youngling for whom we sing
,
Bye, bye, lully, lullay
.

M
any carols get criticized for focusing on the party aspect of Christmas without ever mentioning Christ or the salvation He brought to the world. “Coventry Carol” might be seen as equally remiss—but it is far from a party song.

It focuses on an aspect of the Nativity often overlooked in the celebrations. The major character is King Herod, which gives a big hint as to the subject matter.

First written down by Robert Croo in 1533, the carol dates from the previous century and was part of the mystery plays performed in the English town of Coventry. The “mystery” here was not of the whodunit type; rather, it concerned the mystery of Christ’s birth, death, and resurrection. These plays were often performed on wagons in the streets with the actors changing underneath.

The somber subject of this particular play was the Massacre of the Innocents by a vengeful King Herod.

Jesus and His family escaped Herod’s wrath by fleeing to Egypt, but Herod had many children and babies put to the sword in the hope of killing the Messiah. “Coventry Carol” is sung from the point of view of young Bethlehem mothers, shushing their babies in the forlorn hope that the soldiers would pass by. Sadly, they didn’t.

The “lully, lullay” with which the mothers soothed their children may have gone on to become our modern
lullaby
. In the carol, it soon turns to “woe is me.”

Those little ones are still remembered in
Childermas
, or the Feast Day of the Innocents, celebrated on the twenty-eighth of December.

The haunting tones of “Coventry Carol” are a reminder that the first Christmas, though a time of joy, was dearly bought—and is all the more precious because of it.

Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men
.

M
ATTHEW
2:16

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning
.

S
ome carols seem designed to have us scratching our heads. “I Saw Three Ships” is one of them. Ships sailing into Bethlehem? They would have to cross many miles of dry land first!

The origins of the song and its author are lost in history. Some claim the tune is merely a more upbeat version of “Greensleeves.” Legend has Henry VIII as the author of that particular song.

“I Saw Three Ships” made its first appearance in print in John Forbes’s
Cantus
in 1666. By the beginning of the twentieth century, Cecil Sharp, a collector of English folk songs, found there were many different versions being sung around the country.

One referred to “New Year’s Day in the morning”; another sang about guests coming to a wedding. In some versions the occupants of the ships were “our Savior Christ and His Lady.” In others the sailors were Joseph and Mary or simply three pretty girls; “One could whistle and one could sing. The other could play on the violin.”

The three ships themselves have variously been thought to be Columbus’s fleet; faith, hope, and charity; or the camels of the three wise men.

The apparent nonsense of the content and the repetition of the lyrics have caused the carol to be seen as a children’s song. It is much likelier that the “nonsense” is actually complex symbolism, the key to which has been lost.

None of the above should detract from the pleasure found in singing a happy, upbeat carol. Where believers are gathered together to sing in celebration to their Lord, the lyrics are surely of secondary importance.

Except, perhaps, the ones that say, “And all the souls on earth shall sing on Christmas Day in the morning.”

Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him
.

M
ATTHEW
2:1–2

On the first day of Christmas
,
My true love sent to me
A partridge in a pear tree
.

On the second day of Christmas
,
My true love sent to me
Two turtledoves
,
And a partridge in a pear tree
.

W
e rightly worry that Christmas might be too much about fun and games and not enough about Christ—but that doesn’t mean fun and games should be done away with! “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is one of the season’s most enjoyable carols. Not only does it take strong lungs and good breath control; it’s also a workout for the memory.

The intentions of the original writer are lost in history. Appearing in print for the first time in eighteenth-century England, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is much older and probably French in origin. Since then different cultures have reinterpreted the gifts or even replaced the originals with presents that fit better locally.

Much of the original sense has been lost or misinterpreted over the centuries. “Calling birds” may originally have been “colly” or “coal-y” birds, that is, birds as black as coal—blackbirds. The famous “five golden rings” weren’t jewelry; they were probably “ring-necked” pheasants. The pear tree the partridge perches in on the first day might be a corruption of
perdrix
, pronounced “per-dree,” which is simply French for “partridge”!

Devoid of any spiritual meaning or reference to the Nativity, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” may have been intended to be sung
after
Christmas in the twelve days between Boxing Day and the Feast of the Epiphany. Christmas Day itself would rightly be a time for devotions. Present giving might then continue right up to the big party on twelfth night. Then partygoers might recount all the presents they had received and challenge others to recite their lists—to music!

Legend has the song being a religious code for those persecuted under the reign of England’s Henry VIII, but human nature sometimes creates a mystery where there is no obvious explanation.

In the end, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” may simply be a game, a fun song for the whole company. Surely there’s a place for that at Christmas, too.

Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit
.

1 C
ORINTHIANS
12:4

The first Noel the angels did say
Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay–
In fields where they lay keeping their sheep
On a cold winter’s night that was so deep
.
Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel!
Born is the King of Israel!

I
s it “Noel” or
“Nowell”
? That depends on whether you were living in France in the sixteenth century, or a few miles across the Channel in England at the same time. Both countries were keen on “mystery” plays, dramatizing and putting to music the mystery of Christ’s birth.

Basically, the spelling of that old word for Christmas depended on which king the singers lived under. Such was the rivalry between France and England that they might have separate kings or be ruled by a king across the water. After William of Normandy’s dramatic 1066 victory, the spelling was finalized. It would be “Noel” in the language of the ruling elite.

Ironically, the song in question celebrated the birth of the king who would make all others redundant and end the divisions of language and nationality.

In the tradition of the mystery play, “The First Noel” faithfully recounts the story of the star, the birth, the shepherds, and the wise men. In 1833 William B. Sandys put the words and music into print in his
Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern
. It may have been he who added the often omitted last verse, “If we in our time shall do well, we shall be free from death and hell, for God hath prepared for us all a resting-place in general.”

The carol is English, probably Cornish, but the word
Noel
is of French origin. It may have come from the Latin
natalis
, meaning “birth,” but it is more likely to have come from the ancient Gaulish term
neu helle
. The pagan Gauls used
neu helle
to refer to the winter solstice and the coming of the sun. It means “new light.”

When the faithful get to that “resting-place in general,” they will undoubtedly find that the new light of Jesus Christ still shines just as brightly as it did all those centuries ago—on that first noel.

And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name Jesus
.

L
UKE
1:31

The holly and the ivy
,
When they are both full grown
,
Of all the trees that are in the wood
,
The holly bears the crown
.
O the rising of the sun
,
And the running of the deer
,
The playing of the merry organ
,
Sweet singing of the choir
.

A
s Christianity spread throughout the world, it adopted and adapted many of the customs it came across. Sometimes this was very problematic, other times less so. Many pagan beliefs elevated aspects of creation. Christianity gave pagan people a Creator, a reason behind the wonders and marvels they worshipped.

“The Holly and the Ivy” takes elements of the natural world already revered by Druidic societies and lightly compares them to the birth of Christ. It’s a gentle marrying of two traditions, one older but the other far more significant. The partnership continues in the happy repetition of pagan images liking running deer and the midwinter sun alongside Christian images of organ music and choral singing.

“The Holly and the Ivy” is first mentioned in print in 1710, but the song itself may be more than a thousand years old. Undoubtedly English, it is thought to have originated in the Somerset and Gloucester area.

While both holly and ivy were known for their ability to survive even the harshest winters and for their possible medicinal value, in many cultures the former actually symbolizes masculinity while the latter represents femininity.

An early version of the song reinforces this idea in what it calls “the contest between the Holly and the Ivy.” In this version the holly is indoors, plainly master of the house, while the ivy hangs around the door weeping and wishing she could come in.

Perhaps the contest is still reflected in the modern carol where it says that “the holly bears the crown”—but it must be remembered that the crown was a crown of thorns. The red berries adorning it represent the drops of blood on Christ’s brow.

The contest between men and women may continue. But as we sing, may it be true that the real master of all our houses is not the man—but the Son of Man!

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the purple robe. And Pilate
saith unto them, Behold the man!

J
OHN
19:5

Lo, how a Rose e’er blooming
from tender stem hath sprung!
Of Jesse’s lineage coming
,
as men of old have sung
.
It came, a floweret bright
,
amid the cold of winter
,
When half spent was the night
.

I
f you believe God is Lord of all, then it follows that nothing happens by accident.

“Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” has journeyed through religious upheavals and been written or rewritten by more than seven different composers. Add to that the fact that the “Rose” in the title originally referred to Mary, not Jesus, and the
“ros”
referred to may have been a
“reis”
or sprig (or branch), and you might expect the confused remains of a holy song. Instead, what you get is a much-loved Christmas carol, beautifully come into its own.

“Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen”
first appeared in either 1582 or 1588 in
Gebetbuchlein des Frater Conradus
. Originally it contained nineteen verses dedicated to Mary, the mother of Christ. Its composer may have been an anonymous monk who, walking in the woods on Christmas Eve, found a midwinter rose.

Martin Luther wanted to downplay Mary’s role and refocus on Christ. Michael Praetorius, a Lutheran hymn writer, harmonized and recorded the hymn in his 1609
Muses of Zion
, changing the focus to Jesus (a “branch” or “reis” from the stump of Jesse).

In 1844 Freidrich Leyritz reissued the song after changing the third and fourth stanzas so that both Catholic and Protestant worshippers might feel comfortable singing it. New York–born Theodore Baker translated the first two stanzas from the original German in 1894, and Harriet Reynolds Kraugh seems to have given us the English version we have now.