Evening star., 1929-12-21

expressive Of feeling. In q restricted
sense, a poem or song not from the
Bible, used in worship as opposed to
psalm. Phillips meaning Of the word
CAROL evidently Is that Of the second
part Of the second definition.
Music there had been for hundreds
Of years, in pagan ceremonial and in
the temple worship, but the very first
Christmas carol ever heard by mortal
ears was that which was sung by the
angels over the fields Of Bethlehem
when our Lord was born, GLORY be to
God on high, and on earth peace, good
will toward men," from which, in the
course Of many years, was evolved our
Gloria in Excelsis," which, strangely
enough, Is almost never used In many
churches save at the service in COM
memoration of the death and passion
of our Lord. OF these words there
were many settings, and scattered here
and there in different countries there
were other carols of the Christ's birth.
But the first carols to live and grow
and by the vital spark that was within
them to burn and multiply in the hearts
and on the lips Of the people were sung
in tiny italian village called Grecia.
near Assist, more than ZOO years after
the angels song.
HOW CAROLS SPREAD.
And this Is the story: A great heresy
called Manicheism, brought from Asia
Minor into Bulgaria in the ninth CEN
tury, had spread over all Of Southern
Europe. This heresy denied many of
the teachings held sacred by the church.
notably the virgin birth Of Christ and
the doctrine Of the incarnation. Now,
the good st. Francis of Assist, that
great mystic of the Middle Ages, was
heavy of heart because Of the coldness
of the people, and he pondered much
on how he might bring to their minds
knowledge and true understanding of
the birth of our Lord. While Journey
ing from Rome In the year 1928 to stay
over Christmastide at Grecia, near
Assist, suddenly the way to do this be-
came clear to him, and when he
reached Grecia. having obtained per-
mission, he caused a manger, an OK and
an ass and all the trappings of stable
to be prepared and placed in the
church as a visible representation of
the occurrences of the night at Beth
knew how the details of the surround
ings Of the first Christmas. The popu-
lation Of the whole neighborhood, be-
cause of their love for st. Francis, gath
cred round the village church with
tapers and torches, making luminous
the December night. The brethren
within the church and the crowds of
the faithful who came and went with
their lights in and out of the darkness
poured out their hearts In praises 10
God, and great revival Of faith was
among the followers of our Lord and
they sang new canticles. or carols. OF
the Savior's birth. These songs were
received with much eagerness by all the
people, accustomed as they were to wan
dering minstrels and to whom they
we're all the food for the intellect and
imagination to be had. The historian
tells us that st. Francis stood by this.
his simple theatrical representation Gor
such indeed 1t was, no shame to HIM
"aIl the night long, signing for Joy and
filled with unSpeakable sweetness" One
of Francis friends. Giovanni, dreamed
of a beautiful child, dead in the man.
ger, who woke and smiled and stretched
out his arms as st. Francis bent over
the humble bed. It was the Christ
child, dead in the hearts Of q careless
people and a wicked world, but now
waking to life by the strength Of the
love In the good st. Francis heart.
MYSTERY PLAYS DEVELOP.
From this simple performance came
the growth not only of the Christmas
CAROL but also Of the Christmas mystery
plays. In many churches at Christmas
tide the manger or crib of st. Francis
can yet be seen, while the singing Of
carols still goes on. The only break it
the making and singing OF carols oc-
Cured during the period OF the Refor-
nation, when all such manifestations
of Joy were suppressed. But during
the fourteenth, f1fteenth and sixteenth
and first part of the seventeenth centu-
ries carol making and singing contin-
ued. From then on the art Of carol
writing declined, and only In recent
years has been revived, except for rare
instances.
Originally the word "carol" implied
not only singing. but dancing as well.
and the combination Of dancing and
singing existed from time immemorial,
the Romans having their religious
dances like the DruidS. and there seems
no doubt that II found its way from
pagan ritual into the Christian church.
| Poets have used the word carol" 20
denote both singing and dancing. and In
the paintings OF Fra Angelica the
Christmas angels not only sing, but
also dance. while BOttlcelli's angels IN
the Nativity picture are mnst graceful
examples ot poetry In motion.