[This is such a delightful book, and if the author had not responded to one of these blogs, I would never have known about the book -- and I would have missed a real treasure!]
Anyway, here's the story about that carol.
It was written about 500 years ago.
Our wonderful English language, with its vibrant words and phrases, is in constant change, and this carol is an example of how the meaning of many words changes through the years.
The text does not refer to "merry gentlemen," as though they were some giddy revelers. Nor is the word "rest" used as it is today. Five centuries ago it meant "make" or "keep." A modern paraphrase of the words might read, "May God keep you joyful, gentlemen. May He fill your hearts with gladness!" -- Robert Cottrill
[Also, there should be a comma between "Merry" and "Gentlemen" and many publishers forget to put that important punctuation in place.]
The poem then reminds us of the words of the angel in Luke 2:10: Do not be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy. And then in verse 11 we find the reason for that great joy: For there is born to you...a Savior....
So let's all sing it -- like Anna would have sung it -- sing it loudly and joyfully -- (Remember God loves to hear us sing -- He must, because He keeps reminding us to sing to Him and about Him!)
God rest ye merry, Gentlemen
Let nothing you dismay
Remember Christ our Savior
Was born upon this day
To save us all from Satan's power
When we were gone astray
O tidings of comfort and joy
O tidings of comfort and joy!
P.S. During the time of the Reformation (1500's) carols were very popular among the people. They were not sung in church, but were sort of folk songs -- expressing the joy of the common people during the Christmas season, and, in fact, they were sung throughout the year. (Maybe they understood the Gospel message better than most of the churchmen and religious leaders in those days.)
Then in the 1640's the Puritans took over the government of England and the Puritan Parliament outlawed the celebration of Christmas and all festivals -- saying they were all too pagan and worldly. Christmas carols could not be sung anytime. (My ancestors came to the New World from London in the 1640s -- I don't know exactly what prompted their voyage to this wilderness, but maybe they just wanted to keep singing Christmas carols!)
About 175 years later Queen Victoria came to the throne (1837) and she revived the practice of carol singing. She loved the carols herself and urged the clergy to begin teaching them to the congregations, and "God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" was one of the first!
That's why much of our Christmas imagery today has a "Victorian touch" - a reminder that Queen Victoria restored Christmas! And what a celebration it became!
P.P.S. Remember the White Witch in Narnia? While she ruled, it was "always winter and never Christmas." What a sad state of affairs....always winter...but never Christmas....
For those of us who have received the Gospel message -- it is always Christmas!
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