What in the world do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge who won't come outof the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
This week, I found out...
From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
-The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
-Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
-Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
-The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
-The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.
-The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
-Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy,Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.
-The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
-Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.
-The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
-The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
-The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol.
2 comments:
I never can remember what all the things symbolized, but I knew it was a Catholic teaching tool. I seem to recall Jesus and the 4 gospels, but lose the rest. It's a catchy toon though, isn't it?
Now, do you know why Christian use a very simple fish symbol to signify that they are Christian?
How about the "X" used in XMas (which totally used to annoy me until I found out the reasoning)?
Don't you love it when your wife gives you homework? Maybe you're having a slow day at work :)
I FOUND YOU!!! Small world, isn't it? I must say I'm impressed with your blog. And I love the motorcycle.
I was searching "William Durrenberger" to see who came up. In particular I was curious if there was anything about my Dad, your Grandfather, "Kai." He would be 106 years old on Saturday, the 28th. Mom, your Grandma Dorothy, would be 99 years old on Sunday. That blows me away.
TTFN, and I hope I can find an easier way to connect with you all. Ask your Dad for my email address as this post will not allow me to post my address.
Your Uncle Paul
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