Page 56 - Discover Winter 2021
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Carols CONTINUED


             Perhaps the most often lampooned                • The ten lords a-leaping are supposedly the
      traditional Christmas carol, “The Twelve               Ten Commandments
      Days of Christmas” was written in 16th
                                                             • Eleven pipers piping are said to be either
      century England. Legend has it that it is a
                                                             eleven thousand (meaning a lot) people who
      surreptitious means of teaching the Catholic
                                                             were martyred in the name of Christ, or the
      religion to children during a time when
                                                             eleven faithful disciples of Jesus
      practicing said faith was illegal. No evidence
      exists to support that claim, especially since         • The twelve drummers drumming are the 12
      the symbols in question represent shared               apostles (thus including Judas)
      beliefs between the Catholic and Anglican
                                                                    It has been argued that these
      faiths.
                                                             applications of meaning are more legendary
      As we all know, the gifts were given by “my            than true, but a similar song from the same
      true love”, which is said to be God himself.           era did assign religious meanings to the 12
                                                             days.
      • The partridge in the pear tree supposedly
      represents Jesus, because in ancient times,                   In case you were wondering, if you
      said bird was considered to be a symbol of a           were to receive all the gifts mentioned, it
      divine, sacred king                                    would be a total of 364 gifts, assuming that

                                                             each gift is repeatedly given on subsequent
      • The two turtle doves are the Old and New
                                                             days.
      Testaments of the Bible
                                                                    A discussion of Christmas carols
      • The three French hens represent the Holy
                                                             would not be complete without mentioning
      Trinity, or alternately, Faith, Hope, and Love,
                                                             “Deck the Halls”. It began as a 16th century
      the three gifts of the Holy Spirit
                                                             Welsh drinking song for New Year’s Eve
      • The four calling birds are the four Gospels          celebration, titled “Nos Galan”.


      • The five golden rings are our five senses                   Scottish folk music writer Thomas
                                                             Oliphant had a reputation for creating
      • The six geese a-laying are the six days of
                                                             new lyrics for old established melodies,
      creation, according to Genesis
                                                             and in 1862 he published “Deck the Hall”,
      • The seven swans a-swimming are the seven             substituting the rowdy lyrics for more
      gifts of the Holy Spirit (I’m not sure what            Christmasy sentiments. Later versions of the
      happened to the three?). Seven is a very               song replaced such lines as “fill the meadcup,
      popular number in the Bible, so it could               drain the barrel” with softer sentiments,

      mean a lot of things, such as the Sacraments           as in “don we now our gay apparel”. These
                                                             revisions were popularized in 1877 and 1881
      • Eight maids a-milking refers to the
                                                             sheet music printings.
      Beatitudes
                                                                    Regardless of their history or supposed
      • The nine ladies dancing are supposedly
                                                             hidden meanings, there is no denying the
      either the muses from Greek mythology, or
                                                             uplifting spirit of singing them, and making a
      the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians, 5:22)
                                                             joyful noise. Merry Christmas to all!


      54     Discover Smith Mountain Lake  WINTER 2020
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