The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1875-01-02
Christmas Carols.

Carol IS said to be derived from cdit-
tare, to sing, and roLe, an interiection
of Joy That quaint writer, Jeremy
Taylor, observed that g Glory to God III
the highest: on earth, peace ana good
will to men, which the angels sang at
the birth Of Christ, was the first Christ
mas carol
In Shakspeares time carols were
sung in the streets at night during
Christmas By the waits, who expected
to receive gratutities for their singing.
The wakeful ketches on Christmas
Eve" are mentioned by many writer Of
Old times and customs. 4 ter the
Reformation, the singing of Latinhymns
was abolished in the churches. and the
sweet Christmas carols substituted.
There were two kinds of Christmas
carols, those of areligious nature, which
were sung not only in the churches, but
also through the streets from house to
house, on Christmas Eve, and, after
that, morning and evening until Twelfth
day; the others are of a livelier charac-
ter, and adapted to the revel and the
feast. Some of these latter were also
called wassail songs, and originated
with the AnglO-NOrmans, who were of
a most convivial nature. No Christmas
entertainment was considered complete
without the singing of carols, and thence
came the old motto, "No song, no sup
per" for every one at the table was eX-
pected to join in the carol Says an
English squire at his Christmas feast:
Not man here shall taste my March beer.
Till Christmas carol he does sing.
Itare oil claimed tbaIv hands and lbGntaI
sung
Til the hall and the parlor did ring.
From a quaint old work we clip the
of the revel is, after dinner and supper,
to sing carroll, or song, and to com
mand the other gentlemen present to
sing with him and the cOmpanie.
Some of these Christmas carols had
queer titles enough, and they seem to
have referred to all sorts of subjects.
Here Is the dedication. pretixed to one
in the last century:
Christmas carol on 'Peko Tea "a
sacred carol, which, like tea that is per-
fectly good and fine, Will be most CRATE
ful and useful all the year round. from
Christmas to Christmas forever. Hum
bly, addressed to Queen Caroline and
the Princess Caroline and the Royal
Family. BY Frances Hoffman. Lon
don, 1929
\ curious piece OF antiquity is the old
carol entitled ChristUs Rdtus est. 1t
was something in this manner: The
cock croweth. Christus ndtus est
Christ Is born. The raven asked, guam
do when? The crow replied, HUc
Roctc-this night. The OK cryeth out,
/ Lbio Ebio-where where? The
sheap bleated out, BetheleD1-Bethe-
lem. A voice from heaven sounded,
+ Gloria ia erceisis-glOry be on high.
Another carol represents the Virgin
contemplating the birth of the Divine
Infant:
He neither shall be clothed
In purple nor IN pail,
But all in fair linen,
As were babies all;
He neither shall be rock d
But III a wooden cradle
That rocks on the mould.
4 The poet Southery refers to the
singing of carols and other customs at
/ Christmas. in his Joan of Arc,
where he speaks of a faithful servant
who fell upon the plain of Patay.
a. T., TIM. lords castle dwelt for many year
well beloved servant: he could sing
! Carols for Shrove-tide. or for CandIemas.
Songs for the wassel, and when the boar's
head
/ Crovnd with gay garland, and With rosemary
SmOak' Il on the Christmas board