Boar's Head Carol
The "Boar's Head Carol" is a macaronic 15th century English Christmas carol that describes the ancient tradition of sacrificing a boar and presenting its head at a Yuletide feast. Of the several extant versions of the carol, the one most usually performed today is based on a version published in 1521 in Wynkyn de Worde's "Christmasse Carolles". History and origins. According to folklorists, the boar's head tradition was: In Scandinavia and England, Saint Stephen may have inherited some of Freyr's legacy. Saint Stephen's feast day is 26 December, and thus he  came to play a part in the Yuletide celebrations which were previously associated with Freyr (or "Ingwi" to the Anglo-Saxons). In old Swedish art, Stephen is shown as tending to horses and bringing a boar's head to a Yuletide banquet. Both elements are extra-canonical and may be pagan survivals. Jacob Grimm noted that the serving of a boar's head at banquets may also be a reminiscence of the "sonargöltr", the boar sacrificed as part of the celebration of Yule in Germanic paganism. Lyrics. <poem>The boar's head in hand bring I, (Or: The  boar's head in hand bear I,) Bedeck'd with bays and rosemary. And I pray you, my masters, be merry (Or: And I pray you, my masters, merry be) "Quot estis in convivio" (Translation: As many as are at the feast) "CHORUS" "Caput apri defero" (Translation: The boar's head I bear) "Reddens laudes Domino" (Translation: Rendering praises to the Lord) The boar's head, as I understand, Is the rarest dish in all this land, Which thus bedeck'd with a gay garland Let us "servire cantico". (Translation: Let us serve with a song) "CHORUS" Our steward hath provided this  In honour of the King of Bliss; Which on this day to be servèd is "In Regimensi atrio". (Translation: In the hall of The Queen’s [College, Oxford]) "CHORUS"</poem> There is also an alternative version of the same song with lyrics modified to fit poultry being served, replacing "The boar's head in hand bring I" with "The fowl on the platter see", and "The boar's head, as I understand/Is the rarest dish in all this land" with "This large bird, as I understand/Is the finest dish in all this land". Modern processions. As of 2008 , the tradition of processing with the Boar's Head whilst singing the carol was believed still to be observed at the following locations: In England. The Queen's College celebrates the tradition by three chefs' bringing a boar's head into the hall, with a procession of a solo singer who sings the first verse, accompanied by torch bearers and followed by a choir. The procession stops during verses and walks during the chorus. The head is placed on the high table, and the Provost distributes the herbs to the choir and the orange from the Boar's mouth to  the solo singer. In the United States. In the United States, the "Boar's Head Carol" and procession are often a part of madrigal dinner performances, even though the main dish is usually chicken.