CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 305, 24 December 1924, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHRISTMAS CAROLS.

I heard the hells on Christinas Day, Their old familiar carols play. Anil wilil and sxveet, I The words repent. I Of peace on carth —goodwill to men. I j The original idea of carols had no connection at all xvith the birth of Christ, or. for that matter, with any Christian festival. The word "carol,-" j means "dance." and the early carols, | were sung in connection with the pagan [ festivals or revelries, when dancin_' i played -itch an important part. Many lof our customs, so long as t lie oldest j lean remember, which have Icon a part, jof Christmas, are derived from pagan ' ] folk lore, le-emi-. and fe-tival celebra- i j lions. The mistletoe ernes from an j 'ancient Druid observance; the burningl of the Christmas Yule log has been 1 transmitted to us from our Scandi- ; navian ancestors. and so also the | Christmas carol has come down to us j I through the ages. | I Looking back at tiic early days of; I Christianity, xve lind that mere wore | pagan customs existing about the time lof the winter solstice, tho period of the j Christian celebration of tho Nativity. I I The Bomans celebrated the festival of, i Saturn: "Saturnalia," they called it. I j The Cthic and Saxon festival was Jul, lor .lule; and the early I hri-t an minis i lor- experienced the utmost dilliculty ill ■inducing their converts from indulging j 'in the popular revelries connected with I i those te-iivals. s.. that to combat | 'pagan inll huiccs, the early Christians! ! took over many of the customs and' ' celebrations and iniuscl into them a i 'now spirit. Tho people wanted sting ! .and revelry: and the early church ! recognised the need, but changed the centre of attraction: the wa-sail bowl was discarded and tho manger took its j place. , Tho earliest known carols that have' I come down to us arc a strange mixture j ;of piety and revelry: — , LonlliiiL's. listen to our lay. We have c..ii,e from far away 'I',, se.-k Christinas. In ibis mansion, vv.- arc tobl. lie His ve.-irlv- feast ih.lh hold. "I'is 1., ilav. Mn.- .joy cum,, from C...1 above To all those who Christmas love. One begins, and continues in this strain until: — To English ale and Gascon wine— And French—doth Christmas uiiicU incline,

i i Wswwm | IKH3-r><K><HKHKH><HKK>t><>^ Here's tn thee, old apple tree, ; W'h.n thou may's! bud : And when thou inny'si blow. When Hi,oi inay'sl bear apples, so. Hals lull. I I'lips lull. Bushels, bushels, sacks full. And my pocket* full. Km. huzza I The oldest existing collection of Christmas carols was printed by Wynkyne de Worde in 1.V21, but only one page of this collection has come doxvn to us. This is in the Bodleian Library. | and contains txvo carols. "Tho Carol of

| ; while in the south: "Wa-s-iil. Wassail." all over ,!„■ low,, Our I i. il is while; ...ir al,-. ii is br..wn; luir bowl is iiia.le of a maple lrec- . XX'e be g 1 fellows all : I llrillli 1.. il.ee. is still hoard. Tbe 10-al carol-, however. are fewer than those -un ? generally, i The Christmas day has not yet dawned i - when "Christians," Awake," '"Cod Rest '■ 1 You, Merry Gentlemen," "The First , Xowell." ''C.ood King YVenoelas," to; . name only a fexv. have not been sung, 1 right heartily. The waits of old time!

-I>IKH><HKHKHKHKrt>tKKKKKH^ ! and the carollers of to-day join issue I | with: — Coil rest vim. mcrrv- gentlemen, Lei nothing v..11 ilislliav. I-'i.r .1.-sus Chrisi. ~,,,- Saviour. Was hern upon Ibis .lav. To save a- all from Satan's power XXli.-n we w.re -"in- astray. (Hi. li,lings of comfort ami joy : For Jesus Chrisi. ~ur Saviour. Was bora ~„ Chrisi,lias Day. lloxv "Hail. Smiling Morn," came to be included in the Christmas carols is • somewhat incomprehensible! The history of our Christmas carols can be traced back to ancient times, and there is evidence of gradual evolui tion, the more material side Icing subt jeeted to tie general idea of the Christ. \ very largo number of tho old carols j have been pri -crved. and one of the I 1 11 1- -1 and qiia:ule-t may 1 c quoted in pari. It i- '-The Holy Well." As it f.-ll out one May morning. And up. ii bright holiday. Sw.ei .l-sus a.-kcl of his dear mother If lie mil'lll g,l mil Io plnv. I Svv.et .1.-sus wenl ib.xvi, In vendor town. As far as ihe lli.lv Well. I Ami I here dill see as tine children As any tongue can tell. : The children, however, refused to play | with him because they wore the sons land daughters of nobility, while ho xvas | born in a .stable. I We owe io the Franciscan monks the j preservation of many of the old carols. ! They collected and altered the old-time songs ut revelry, purging them of their I pagan atmosphere an 1 mating them xvith ; monkish tunc-. They also wrote many ] new one-, pa rti.-ul'a: lv between tho I reigns of llenrv \ I. an 1 Henry VIM. j In'time. however, the .sir,,ls sixain 1,,-t j ; their pious mealing. .-., much so, that I , ( fomw .11 atiempted to put an end to | Christmas merry making, and elide iv-l iillled to oolili-.ate the extant coll-c-; ! lions of songs and carol-, which had iin his day hoc mc little better than I drinking songs. If I were a.-ked to sax which is the cininoncsl of all our carol songs. 1 j think I should name "Christian*. i \w,il c." It breathes the spirit of I Christmas. It is heard throughout the ' length of this king bun . f ours. It has ' app-al .1 -troti.lv to Knglish-peakiilg p ~1,1,. for almost ■* v xeats. ai.d its . am! or vas a v nil , ountry man. i"i 'In i-t ian-. Awake." vva- written in i voiingc-t -~n of a Maneiiesier mcrehaiit. I I'.vr.im i- i otter known for the s\-tc n j, f sliorthand ho inventod than fur the . i eaiitifnl 'md ho vvr, le. It xva- ; written a- -i birth,l iv gift to the ■ author'- daughter Dolly, for the origii mil of the carol i- marked "Christmas i Day." and bear- in pencil the words. | "for. l:,, lv." The words wore set to mi'si" by d.ilni Wainw right, a native of| Stockport, who for man-, years was, j orgaui-i at ,rt parish church. j I line might quote many carols, and yet not hit on everyone's favourite, but for lenlcruo-s and simplicity 1 know of | none in..re beautiful than the one | written by tie gri'.ll' and grim Martin ! Luther, w'lii, I, is a litt'ug conclusion t.. j this 1 lief survey: - ! Axvav in a maimer, im ,'„t for his bed. The little t.0r,l Jesus lav iIi.XVH Ills sWCe, I liea.l, : The stars in the bright sky looked down where he lav. ; The little Lent Jesus, asleep on the hay. ' The entile are lowing, the b.ihv awakes. j But little 1.0r.l Jesus, iw cryini he makes: I love thee. Lord Jesus, look down from the sky. Anil sun- by my cradle till morning is nigh.