Carl Larsson (Swedish painter, 1853-1919) Brita as Iduna (Iðunn), title page for the Christmas edition of Idun, 1901
Monday, December 25, 2023
Christmas by Carl Larsson (Swedish painter, 1853-1919)
English Country Church on Christmas Morning...
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
Melozzo da Forli (Italian Renaissance artist, 1438-1494) Angel
Martin Luther (1438-1546) in Wittenberg, Germany, wrote often of Advent & Christmas. One of his students wrote of Luther saying: For this is indeed the greatest gift, which far exceeds all else that God has created. Yet we believe so sluggishly, even though the angels proclaim & preach & sing, & their lovely song sums up the whole Christian faith, for “Glory to God in the highest” is the very heart of worship.
The Angels' Annunciation to The Local Shepherds is 1st
Illuminated Manuscript Annunciation To The Shepherds By Meister Der Reich.Shepherds South Cross, County Tipperary, Ireland. 8C
One of my favorite Christmas stories is the immediate announcement to the common shepherds, in fields near Bethlehem, of the birth of the Baby Christ Child. That annunciation emphasized the symbolism of Jesus' birth. Whom did the angels tell first? The community's outcasts, including some women working with the wool, who lived in the countryside year-round with dogs & sheep. And Mary immediately welcomed them to visit her New-Born Baby. Only later did the important; wealthy nobles from the East arrive. The common man came first, & these lovely little hand-drawn manuscript illustrations imagine the stunned herders hearing The Good News.
The annunciation to the shepherds in the Christian Bible, is in verses 8–20 of the 2nd chapter of the Gospel of Luke. Shepherds are portrayed tending their flocks out in the countryside near Bethlehem, when they are terrified by the appearance of an angel. The angel explains that it is a message of good news for all people, "Today in the town of David, a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths & lying in a manger."
After this, a great many more angels often appear, praising God with the words "Glory to God in the highest heaven, & on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests." Deciding to do as the angel had said, the shepherds travel to near-by Bethlehem, & find Mary & Joseph with the infant Jesus lying in the manger, just as they had been told. The adoration of the shepherds follows.
It is generally considered significant that this message was 1st given to shepherds, who were located on the lower rungs of the social ladder.
The annunciation to the shepherds appeared as a subject for art in the 9th century, & it became less common as an independent subject in art from the late Middle Ages, but depictions continued in later centuries.
In Renaissance art, drawing on classical stories of Orpheus, the shepherds are sometimes depicted with musical instruments. Actually, many Christmas carols mention the annunciation to the shepherds, with the Gloria in Excelsis Deo being the most ancient.
Phillips Brooks'(1835-1893) "O Little Town of Bethlehem" (1867) has the lines "O morning stars together, proclaim the holy birth, / And praises sing to God the King, & peace to men on earth!" The originally German carol "Silent Night" has "Shepherds quake at the sight; / Glories stream from heaven afar, / Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!"
Charles Wesley's (1707-1788) "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (1739) begins:
Hark! The herald angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, & mercy mild,
God & sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th'angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Anglo-Irish poet & lyricist, Nahum Tate's (1652-1715) carol "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks" (1700) is entirely devoted to describing the annunciation to the shepherds, & the episode is also significant in "The First Nowell", "Angels We Have Heard on High," & several others.
The carol "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day", written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) during the American Civil War, reflects on the phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" in a pacifist sense, as does "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."
The phrase "Peace on earth, good will to men" has been widely used in a variety of contexts. For example, Samuel Morse's (1791-1873) farewell message in 1871 read "Greetings & thanks to the telegraph fraternity throughout the world. Glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, good will to men. – S. F. B. Morse."
More recently, Linus recites the scene verbatim at the climax of Charles M Schultz (1922-2000) A Charlie Brown Christmas, explaining that "that's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."
When Jesus is Born, Angels Tell the Shepherds 1st
One of my favorite Christmas stories is the immediate annunciation to the lowly shepherds of the birth of the Baby Christ Child. That announcement emphasized the symbolism of Jesus' birth. Whom did the angels tell first? The community's outcasts, including some women working with the wool, who lived in the countryside year-round with dogs & sheep. And Mary welcomed them to visit her New-Born Baby. Only later did the important nobles arrive. The common man came first, & these lovely little illustrations imagine the stunned herders hearing The Good News.
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
Melozzo da Forli (Italian Renaissance artist, 1438-1494)
Martin Luther (1438-1546) in Wittenberg, Germany, wrote often of Advent & Christmas. One of his students wrote of Luther saying: For this is indeed the greatest gift, which far exceeds all else that God has created. Yet we believe so sluggishly, even though the angels proclaim & preach & sing, & their lovely song sums up the whole Christian faith, for “Glory to God in the highest” is the very heart of worship.
1555 The Adoration of the Shepherds
+Adoration+of+the+Shepherds.jpg)
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
1500s The Adoration of the Shepherds
%2BAdoration%2Bof%2Bthe%2BShepherds.jpg)
There were shepherds in the same country staying in the field, and keeping watch by night over their flock. Behold, an angel of the Lord stood by them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said to them, "Don't be afraid, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be to all the people. For there is born to you, this day, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. This is the sign to you: you will find a baby wrapped in strips of cloth, lying in a manger." Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly army praising God, and saying,
"Glory to God in the highest,
on earth peace, good will toward men."
It happened, when the angels went away from them into the sky, that the shepherds said one to another, "Let's go to Bethlehem, now, and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us." They came with haste, and found both Mary and Joseph, and the baby was lying in a manger. When they saw it, they publicized widely the saying which was spoken to them about this child. All who heard it wondered at the things which were spoken to them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these sayings, pondering them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, just as it was told them. Luke 2:8-20
When Jesus is Born, Angels Tell the Shepherds 1st Illuminated Manuscripts
..jpg)
.jpg)
%2C%2Bc1240)%2Bshelfmark%2BArundel%2B157%2Bf.3v..jpg)
%2BAnnunciation-to-the-Shepherds.jpg)
1400s The Adoration of the Shepherds
Domenico Ghirlandaio (Italian artist, 1449–1494) Adoration of the Shepherds
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 King James Version of The Bible.
1522 The Adoration of the Shepherds
+(Italian+painter,+c+1489-1534)+Adoration+of+the+Christ+Child+by+the+Shepherds+on+the+Holy+Night+1522+-the-holy-night-1522(2)_jpg!Blog.jpg){kind=link}
Correggio (Antonio Allegri) (Italian painter, c 1489-1534) Adoration of the Christ Child by the Shepherds on the Holy Night 1522
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, good will toward men. Luke 2:8-14 King James Version of The Bible.
HARK! the Herald Angels sing Glory to the new-born King!
%2B%2BAngel%2BPlaying%2Bthe%2BViolin%2C%2Bfresco.jpg)
Sunday, December 24, 2023
Gathering supplies on Christmas Eve...
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B93.jpg)
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B94.jpg)
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B96.jpg)
.jpg)
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B%2B92.jpg)
Christmas Carols
+A+Carol.jpg)
Christmas songs - the oldest ones are the best
BBC History Magazine - Monday 9th December 2013 "Christmas carols were mostly a Victorian tradition along with trees, crackers and cards. Eugene Byrne explains the why the popularity of Silent Night has never faded, why there’s always a place for Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, and why the British fondness of Good King Wenceslas has not yet subsided.
"Although Christmas was celebrated in song in the Middle Ages, most carols in use now are less than 200 years old. Only a handful, such as I Saw Three Ships or the decidedly pagan-sounding The Holly and the Ivy, remind us of more ancient yuletides. Carols fell from favor in England after the Reformation because of their frivolity and were rarely sung in churches until the 1880s when EW Benson, Bishop of Truro (later Archbishop of Canterbury) drew up the format for the Nine Lessons and Carols service, which has remained in use ever since.
"Silent Night (1818)
"Words: Josef Mohr - Music: Franz Xaver Gruber
"Arguably the world’s most popular Christmas carol comes in several different translations from the German original. It started out as a poem by the Austrian Catholic priest Father Josef Mohr in 1816. Two years later, Mohr was curate at the parish church of St Nicola in Oberndorf when he asked the organist and local schoolteacher Franz Xaver Gruber to put music to his words.
"An unreliable legend has it that the church organ had been damaged by mice, but whatever the reason, Gruber wrote it to be performed by two voices and guitar. It was first performed at midnight mass on Christmas Eve 1818, with Mohr and Gruber themselves taking the solo voice roles.
"Its fame eventually spread (allegedly it has been translated into over 300 languages and dialects) and it famously played a key role in the unofficial truce in the trenches in 1914 because it was one of the only carols that both British and German soldiers knew.
"Good King Wenceslas (1853 or earlier)
"Words: John Mason Neale - Music: Traditional, Scandinavian
"The Reverend Doctor Neale was a high Anglican whose career was blighted by suspicion that he was a crypto-Catholic, so as warden of Sackville College – an almshouse in East Grinstead – he had plenty of time for study and composition. Most authorities deride his words as “horrible”, “doggerel” or “meaningless”, but it has withstood the test of time. The tune came from a Scandinavian song that Neale found in a rare medieval book that had been sent to him by a friend who was British ambassador in Stockholm.
"There really was a Wenceslas – Vaclav in Czech – although he was Duke of Bohemia, rather than a king. Wenceslas (907–935) was a pious Christian who was murdered by his pagan brother Boleslav; after his death a huge number of myths and stories gathered around him. Neale borrowed one legend to deliver a classically Victorian message about the importance of being both merry and charitable at Christmas. Neale also wrote two other Christmas favourites: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (1851) and Good Christian Men, Rejoice (1853).
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B(1836).jpg)
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (1739 or earlier)
"Words: Charles Wesley - Music: Felix Mendelssohn
"Charles, the brother of Methodist founder John Wesley, penned as many as 9,000 hymns and poems, of which this is one of his best-known. It was said to be inspired by the sounds of the bells as he walked to church one Christmas morning and has been through several changes. It was originally entitled Hark How All the Welkin Rings – welkin being an old word meaning sky or heaven.
"As with most of his hymns, Wesley did not stipulate which tune it should be sung to, except to say that it should be “solemn”. The modern version came about when organist William Hayman Cummings adopted it to a tune by German composer Felix Mendelssohn in the 1850s. Mendelssohn had stipulated that the music, which he had written to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the invention of the printing press and which he described as “soldier-like and buxom”, should never be used for religious purposes.
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B%2B(1836).jpg)
"God rest you merry, Gentlemen" Origin unknown
"This is thought to have originated in London in the 16th or 17th centuries before running to several different versions with different tunes all over England. The most familiar melody dates back to at least the 1650s when it appeared in a book of dancing tunes. It was certainly one of the Victorians’ favourites.
"If you want to impress people with your knowledge (or pedantry), then point out to them that the comma is placed after the “merry” in the first line because the song is enjoining the gentlemen (possibly meaning the shepherds abiding in the fields) to be merry because of Christ’s birthday. It’s not telling “merry gentlemen” to rest!"
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B(1836).jpg)
%2BChristmas%2BBook%2Bwith%2Billustrations%2Bby%2BRobert%2BSeymour%2B(1798-1836)%2B%2B95.jpg)
Beware! Do not kiss an unwilling maid under the mistletoe in the 18C
"Christmas gambols, or a kiss under the mistletoe" (etching published by Laurie & Whittle, 1794)
Christmas gambols, or a kiss under the mistletoe depicts servants in an English kitchen. A groom wearing spurred top-boots holds the cook round the waist under a bunch of mistletoe. She (smiling) nourishes a ladle and holds his pigtail queue. Two men-servants seated on a settle (left), one with a frothing tankard, watch with amusement, as does a fourth man standing on the right. Behind is a large open fire with a cauldron hanging from a chain. Cooking-utensils, a lantern, &c, are ranged on the chimney-piece. Above the settle is a sporting picture. Below the image, a poem is included.
'Bridget the Cook on Christmas day,
When all was Mirth & Jollity,
Was rudely kissed, by Saucy Joe;
And that beneath the Mistletoe,
But she returned it with the Ladle,
And laid about, when he was Addle,
For Maids are not to be thus taken
And all their Virgin Honor shaken.'
Published 22d. Octr. 1794 by Laurie & Whittle, N°.53, Fleet Street, London.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)