Original cover1
Yule Carols
collected by Myth
Original cover1
Wassail Carol
Chorus:
Wassail, Wassail all over the town,
Our bread it is white and our ale it is brown;
Our bowl it is made of the white maple tree;
With the wassailing-bowl, we'll drink to thee.
Here's to the ox and to his right horn;
Pray God send our master a good crop of corn,
A good crop of corn that we may see;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee!
Chorus
Here's to the cow and to her long tail;
Pray God send our master a good cask of ale;
A good cask of ale that we may see;
With the wassailing bowl we'll drink to thee!
Chorus
Here's to the maid in the lily white smock,
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the lock;
Who tripped to the door and pulled back the pin,
For to let these jolly wassailers walk in.
Chorus
Come, butler, come fill us a bowl of the best,
And we shall pray your soul ever be blest;
But if you do bring us a bowl of the small,
To hell with butler, bowl, and all!
Chorus2
Twelve Days of Yuletide
On the _____ day of Yuletide
My true love gave to me...
1st: A circle around the Yule tree.
2nd: Two drinking horns, and
3rd: Three furry cats,
4th: Four quarter candles,
5th: Five magick rings,
6th: Six fires blazing,
7th: Seven swords a'shining,
8th: Eight herbs a'hanging,
9th: Nine cauldrons cooking,
10th: Ten stones a'standing,
11th: Eleven wands a'witching,
12th: Twelve Pagans dancing,3
Tannenbaum
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
Thy leaves are green forever.
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
Thy leaves are green forever.
They all are green in summer's prime,
They all are green at winter's time.
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
Thy leaves are green forever.
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
A flame with lights and splendor.
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
A flame with lights and splendor.
Thy boughs shine forth with candles glow,
And flash on eager eyes below.
O tannenbaum O tannenbaum,
A flame with lights and splendor.4
Have Yourself A...
Have yourself a merry little Solstice;
Let your heart be light!
From now on, our troubles will be out of sight.
Have yourself a merry little Solstice;
Make the Yuletide gay!
From now on, our troubles will be miles away.
Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore;
Faithful friends, who are dear to us,
Gather near to us, once more.
Through the years, we all will be together
If the Fates allow--
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough!
And have yourself a merry little Solstice now...5
Deck the Halls
Deck the halls with boughs of holly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Tis' the season to be jolly,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Troll the ancient Yuletide Carol,
Fa la la, la la la, la la la,
Don we now our gay apparel,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
See the blazing Yule before us,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Strike the harp and join the chorus,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Follow me in merry measure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
While I tell of Yuletide treasure,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Fast away the old year passes,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Hail the new, ye lads and lasses,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Sing we joyous, all together,
Fa la la la la, la la la la.
Heedless of the wind and weather,
Fa la la la la, la la la la la la la la.6
Joy to the World
Joy to the World, the Light has come,
Let Earth receive her King!
Let every heart, prepare him room.
Chorus:
And Heaven and Nature sing,
And Heaven and Nature sing,
And Heaven and Heaven and Nature sing!
Light we the fires to greet our Lord
Our Light, our Life, our King!
Let every stone, pour out its song!
Chorus7
Here We come A-Wassailing
Here we come a-wassailing
Among the leaves so green,
Here we come a-wand'ring
So fair to be seen:
Chorus:
Love and joy come to you,
And to you a-wassail, too.
The Gods bless you, and send you
A happy new year,
The Gods send you a happy new year.
We are not daily beggers
That beg from door to door,
But we are neighbors' children
Whom you have seen before:
Chorus
Good Master and good Mistress,
As you sit beside the fire,
Pray think of us poor children
Who wander in the mire:
Chorus
Gods bless the Master of this house,
Likewise the Mistress too;
And all the little children
That round the table go:
Chorus8
I Saw Three Ships
I saw three ships come sailing by,
On New Year’s Day, on New Year’s Day;
I saw three ships come sailing by,
On New Year’s Day in the morning.
And what was in those ships all three
On New Year’s Day, on New Year’s Day;
And what was in those ships all three
On New Year’s Day in the morning?
Three pretty maids were in them there,
On New Year’s Day, on New Year’s Day;
Three pretty maids were in them there,
On New Year’s Day in the morning.
One maid could whistle and one could sing,
On New Year’s Day, on New Year’s Day;
And one could play on the violin,
On New Year’s Day in the morning.9
Gods Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk
Gods rest ye merry Pagan folk,
Let nothing you dismay
Remember that the Sun returns
Upon this Solstice Day!
The growing dark is ended now
And Spring is on its way.
Chorus:
O, glad tidings of comfort and joy!
Comfort and joy!
O, glad tidings of comfort and joy!
The Winter's worst still lies ahead
Fierce tempest, snow and rain!
Beneath the blanket on the ground
The spark of life remains!
The Sun's warm rays caress the seeds
To raise Life's songs again!
Chorus
Within the blessed apple lies
The promise of the Queen!
For from this pentacle shall rise
The orchards fresh and green.
The Earth shall blossom once again
The air be sweet and clean!
Chorus10
Glory to the Newborn King
Hark, the little faeries sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Gardens sleeping, forests wild
Celebrate the Winter Child!
Now the time of glowing starts!
Joyful hands and joyful hearts!
Cheer the Yule log as it burns!
For once again the Sun returns!
Chorus:
Hark, the little faeries sing
Glory to the newborn King!
Through the wind and dark of night
Celebrate the coming light!
Sun's glad rays through fear's cold burns
Life through death the Wheel now turns--
Gather round the Yule log and tree,
Celebrate Life's mystery!
Chorus11
We Wish You A Merry Solstice
Chorus:
We wish you a merry Solstice!
We wish you a merry Solstice!
We wish you a merry Solstice
And a happy New Year!
Good tidings to you
And all of your friends;
We wish you a merry Solstice
And a happy New Year!
Chorus
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding!
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding!
Oh, bring us some figgy pudding
And bring it out here!
Chorus
We WON’T go until we get some!
We WON’T go until we get some!
We WON’T go until we get some!
So bring it right here!
Chorus
Good tidings to you
And all of your friends;
We wish you a merry Solstice
And a happy New Year!
Chorus12
Many thanks to Green Egg (Yule 1991), and those annonymous authors of traditional folksongs, some of which remain unchanged for this Yuletide collection.
~~~Thus Endth the Original Collection~~~
I have added some seasonal songs not in the orginal collection. If any of you would like to share some more, please email me at jesterbear@verizon.net.
Jingle Bells
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.
Dashing through the snow in a one-horse open sleigh
O'er the hills we go, laughing all the way.
Bells on Bob's tail ring, making spirits bright,
What fun it is to ride and sing a sleighing song tonight!
Jingle bells, jingle bells, jingle all the way.
Oh! what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh.13
Joy to the World
Joy to the World, the Light has come
Let Earth receive the King
Let ev'ry heart, prepare Him room
And Heaven and Nature sing
And Heaven and Nature sing
And He-av'n and Nature sing!
Welcome our Lord, who brings us Light
Our Lady gives him birth!
His Living Light, to warm our hearth,
And wake the sleeping Earth
And wake the sleeping Earth
And wa-a-ke the sleeping Earth!
Light now the Yule to greet our Lord
Our Light, our Life, our Lord!
Let every voice, sing our praise
And Heaven and Nature sing
And Heaven and Nature sing
And He-av'n and Nature sing!
14
Good King Wenceslas
Good King Wenceslas looked out
On the Feast of Stephen.
When the snow lay round about
Deep and crisp and even
Brightly shone the moon that night
Though the frost was cruel,
When a poor man came in sight
Gath'ring winter fuel.
"Hither, page, and stand by me
If thou know'st it, telling
Yonder peasant, who is he?
Where and what his dwelling?"
"Sire, he lives a good league hence
Underneath the mountain
Right against the forest fence
By Saint Agnes' fountain."
"Bring me flesh and bring me wine
Bring me pine logs hither.
Thou and I will see him dine
When we bear him thither."
Page and monarch forth they went--
Forth they went together,
Through the rude wind's wild lament
And the bitter weather.
"Sire, the night is darker now
And the wind blows stronger
Fails my heart, I know not how,
I can go no longer."
"Mark my footsteps, my good page,
Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage
Freeze thy blood less coldly."
In his master's steps he trod,
Where the snow lay dinted
Heat was in the very sod,
Which the Saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure
Wealth or rank possessing
Ye who now will bless the poor
Shall yourselves find blessing.
15
Jolly Old Father Yule
Jolly Old Father Yule,
Incline your ear this way;
Listen very carefully,
I have a lot to say;
Yuletide season will be here---
Very, very quick!
Help me if you can, old man,
You might do the trick!
In the bleak of winter time,
You come once a year;
Around the dark, longest night,
You bring a lot of cheer:
Peaceful home, and goodwill
All among my kin.
Remember us, Old Father Yule;
We need your Yuletide grin!
You bring holly; you bring fun;
You bring Yuletide joys!
I know some other kids
Might want some Yuletide toys.
Some might like some books to read;
Some need more than me--
Some might need a warm coat;
Some might want a tree.
Bring us holly; bring us joy;
Bring us Yuletide Bright!
We will give in charity,
While calling back the Light.
As for me, Old Father Yule
On your list you’ll see,
“Peaceful home” and “goodwill,”
That’s all I need for me!
Jolly Old Father Yule,
Incline your ear this way;
Listen very carefully,
I have a lot to say;
Yuletide season will be here---
Very, very quick!
Help me if you can, old man,
You might do the trick!
16
The Wren Song
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds,
Saint Stephen's Day was caught in the forest.
Although he was little, his honor was great,
Jump up, me lads, and give us a treat.
We followed the wren three miles or more
Three miles or more, three miles or more,
Through hedges and ditches and heaps of snow,
At six o’clock in the morning.
Rolley, Rolley, where’s your nest?
'Tis in the bush that I love best
It’s in the bush, the holly tree
Where all the boys do follow me.
As I went out to hunt and all
I met a wren upon the wall
Up with me wattles and gave him a fall,
And brought him here to show you all.
I have a little box under me arm,
A tuppence or penny'll do it no harm,
For we are the boys that came your way
To bring the wren on Saint Stephen's Day!
17
The Thirteen Days of Yule
The King sent his Lady on the first Yule day,
A papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the second Yule day,
Two partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the third Yule day,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the fourth Yule day,
A goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the fifth Yule day,
Three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the sixth Yule day,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the seventh Yule day,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the eighth Yule day,
Three ducks a-merry laying, a bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the ninth Yule day,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the tenth Yule day,
An Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the eleventh Yule day,
Three hinds a-merry hunting, an Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the twelfth Yule day,
Three maids a-merry dancing, three hinds a-merry hunting,
An Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
The King sent his lady on the thirteenth Yule day,
Three stalks o merry corn, three maids a-merry dancing,
Three hinds a-merry hunting, an Arabian baboon,
Three swans a-merry swimming, three ducks a-merry laying,
A bull that was brown,
Three goldspinks, three starlings, a goose that was grey,
Three plovers, three partridges and a papingoe, aye.
Who learns my carol and carries it away.
18
ENDNOTES
| 1 | Yule Carols | |
| The first section of these songs was orginally collected and printed--a 5 page hand-stapled booklet--on a dot matrix printer and shared at Free Sprit Alliance Yule celebrations back in 1992. (Perhaps the booklets were distributed as early as 1991, but I honestly think I first made them up in 1992.) | ||
| The Yule carols were not a major hit at the 1992 FSA Yule, but I (Myth Woodling) sometimes distributed photocopies to attendees at other Yules. I may have also passed some out at EveCon or Darkover. | ||
| These endnotes at the bottom are a new addition. | ||
| 2 | Wassail Carol | |
| There are several versions of the lyrics of this old English Wassail song, which is not unusual with traditional songs. The word "wassail" can be found in the mid-12th century, and derives from Old Norse ves heill meaning "be healthy," or "be hale" and is related to the Anglo Saxon wes hal ("be whole"). A "wassail" was a toast to "Good Health" meaning "Be thou well!" | ||
| The word, "wassailing," meaning a custom of singing carols house to house at Yuletide, is recorded in 1742. The carolers at some point became known as "wassailers." Eventually, "wassail," was the name of the hot drink which was offered to the "wassailers," whilest they wandered "wassailing." Wassailing songs are some of the finest festive midwinter holiday songs. The customs associated with wassail are pure celebrations of drink, food, and song. If they are not truly ancient, they are at least hoary with age. There are two wassailing songs in this collection which I assembled for FSA Yules. | ||
| The lyrics of this Wassail Carol wishes "good health" to the farm animals as well as wishing prosperity to the master of a great house. Interestingly, the farm servants assumed they would partake in their master's prosperity. | ||
| One of the longer versions of this carol named several more animals, including horses and cows, "Broad Mary" (cow), "Filpail" (cow), "Dobbin" (horse), and "Colly" (black horse or dog?). This longer version was reportedly sung in 1864, in the little village of Over, near Gloucester, by a group of wassailers from the neighbouring village of Minsterworth. Hence, another name for this Old English song is the "Gloucestershire Wassail." | ||
| I first heard a version of this "Wassail Carol" or "Gloucestershire Wassail" in 1984 when I discovered the album, The Christmas Revels in Celebration of the Winter Solstice (1978). These are not the same lyrics as on that album, which I urge all people to purchase. | ||
| 3 | Twelve Days of Yuletide | |
| This is a filk written by Myth Woodling and published in Free Spirit Rising. It was inspired by the different American and British versions of the well-known, The Twelve Days of Christmas. | ||
| The Twelve Days of Christmas,, derived originally from a French nonsense counting song for children, with purely secular origins. This French language origin explains why the English song lyrics do not mention something more religious like “three wise men,” instead naming "three French hens." The "three French hens" originally were "trois poules." The French phrase "trois poules," means “three hens.” Unfortunately, a literal English translation does not meter with the tune. Hence, the word “French” was added to third day gift--"three French hens.” | ||
| The 12 Days of Yuletide can be simply sung as a fun holiday song. Adventurous Neo-Pagans can attempt to sing 12 Days of Yuletide as holiday memory game. I suggest basing the rules on how the 18th-century British memory-and-forfeit singing game was played. | ||
| The first known English language version of The Twelve Days of Christmas, first appeared in a children's book titled, Mirth Without Mischief in England way back in 1780. In Mirth Without Mischief, it appears to be a simple memory game, rather than a song intended to hold any Christian religious significance tided to the Nativity. Actually, one can argue that the modern American English versions of song The Twelve Days of Christmas, itself is centuries old memory game to which modern Americans forgotten the rules. | ||
| The object of the 18th-century British game was to have the first player start out reciting the first verse, with each of the following players repeating previous versed and then adding one. (I’m guessing there were several different ways to play it.) It was a memory-and-forfeit singing game, similar to American elimination games like The Wonder Ball Goes Round and Round, Musical Chairs, and Simon Says. These are games where players sit in a group in a circle, and each round, one or more players is “out” and eliminated from the game. The more verses that are added, the more difficult it becomes, the tension builds, and it can be goodly amusement. When a player missed a verse or made some kind of error like getting tongue-tangled, s/he could keep from being “out” by paying a forfeit--such handing someone a treat from the food table to someone else. | ||
| The 18th century forfeit games for adults often suggested giving a chaste kiss, because this was a game often played by adults. In any case, this game soon grew to be very popular at Twelfth Night parties. | ||
| Below is a French version of the song. Alas, I was unable to track down a 18th-century French version. | ||
| 12 Jours de Noel Paroles
Le premier jour de Noel | ||
| When I wrote Twelve Days of Yuletide with verses about drinking horns, three furry cats, and four quarter candles, Iwas drawing on Neo-Pagan and Wiccan images. I knew nothing about about the Scottish traditional song, The Thirteen Days of Yule. (Look at endnote 18 for more information about, The Thirteen Days of Yule song.) | ||
| 4 | Tannenbaum | |
| This carol is one of the many English translations of Ernest Anschatz's "O Tannenbaum," written in 1824 and therefore in public domain. Many of these English translations--including this one--are from unknown authors. A tannenbaum is a fir tree (die Tanne). Ironically, the original song lyrics did not describe a modern bauble-bangled fir tree covered with tinsel (Lametta) and glass German ornaments (Weihnachtsbaumschmuck). In Anschutz's original German, the tree is never called der Weihnachtsbaum or Christbaum. Weihnachtszeit refers to the time of Weihnachs, the German mid-winter festival celebrating the birth of Jesus, known in English as Christmas. | ||
|
"O Tannenbaum" Literal English translation of German lyrics using Hyde Flippo's information Traditional melody
O Tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
O Tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
O Tannenbaum, o tannenbaum
"Tannenbaum"
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum!
O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum! | ||
| Anschutz based his song on a 16th century folksong. | ||
| 5 | Have Yourself a... | |
| This song is a gentle satire or filk of Hugh Martin's and Ralph Blane's 1943 "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," originally sung by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. The film actually centers around a year in the life of the Smith family and has little to do with the celebration of the American mid-winter religious holiday. In the context of the film, the family is somewhat depressed that they may have to move away from St. Louis. Thus, due to this plot point, the song had a very doleful tone. | ||
| Several well known modern singers, including Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, and John Denver with Rowlf the Dog, have recorded different versions, with slightly different lyrics, of the original. Many of these artists created recordings that were more upbeat and merrier in tone than the way Garland sang the song for the film. | ||
| The satire is this song for the collection of Yule Carols is intended as a more cheerful song, as opposed to the version originally composed for the movie. This filk is intended to have a more nostalgically sweet tone, reflecting upon Pagan "golden days of yore." The lyrics also look forward to future years with friends on the longest night of the year. (I admit I toyed with altering one line to read "Hang a five point star upon the highest bough.") | ||
| In any case, other Neo-Pagans have performed their own different versions. I have found referemce two others. Jim Cohen has a different Neo-Pagan filk version, "Have Yourself a Merry Little Solstice" with different lyrics. There is also a filk version titled, "Have Yourself A Merry Winter Solstice." | ||
| 6 | Deck the Halls | |
| This old English carol has several slightly different versions which are sung to a traditional Welsh melody. This version remains my favorite. Admittedly, it is not the earliest version of the 19th century English words, which have been attributred to Thomas Oliphant. These lyrics mention the customs of singing ("Yuletide carol"), the Yule Log ("the blazing Yule"), storytelling ("Yuletide treasure"), and being festively attired ("gay apparel") for the season. | ||
| In the context of this song, the verb "troll" comes from the Middle English trollen, "to run about" or "stroll, wander." In this case, the verb "troll" means to move or dance from the Middle High German trollen, "to run with short steps." | ||
| Interestingly, the term used for many old, mid-winter holdiays songs, "carol," is derived from a Medieval dance called a "carole" or in Italian, "carola." During the 12th and 13th centuries a "carole" or "carola" meant a ring dance, which incorporated singing by the dancers. | ||
| 7 | Joy to the World | |
| This carol is a shorter and slightly different version than the filk version published in the Yule issue of Green Egg in 1991. (I was running out of space for the five page, hand-stapled, dot matrix version.) I have included the longer version from Green Egg below in the extended section of Yule Carols. See that end note for more information. | ||
| 8 | Here We Come A-Wassailing | |
| This carol is another English traditional wassail song that was written circa 1850, therefore public domain. I originally learned a version in public grade school in 1967. This version is my own 20th century filk, from memory of the version I learned in grade school. In this filk, I have replaced the word "God" with "Gods." | ||
| Another modern version of this song is called "Here We Come A-Caroling". | ||
| 9 | I Saw Three Ships | |
| The earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" dates from the 17th century, but this version is based on a 19th-century variant, which has the three pretty girls observed sailing by the song's narrator. As a teenager, I personally identified the three women as representing the three Graces when I heard this sung in the late 1970's. (Why all three did not simply sing did puzzle me: more about these three later.) | ||
| Alice Bertha Gomme, in The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland with Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing According to Variants Extant Recorded in Different Parts of the Kingdom, Volume 2 1898, recorded a couple of different variants. One was called "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing By." Gomme explained that this song was a singing game or "dance game." | ||
|
I saw three ships come sailing by, Sailing by, sailing by, I saw three ships come sailing by, On New Year's Day in the morning.
And what do you think was in them then,
Three pretty girls were in them then,
And one could whistle, and one could sing, | ||
| Another version in Gomme's book was "Three Little Ships Come Sailing By." | ||
| In my college years, I read the version above in a very large tome about nursery rhymes in the college campus library. (Yes, I spent my college years having fun, poking around, reading about history and folklore rather than getting "commode hugging drunk.") | ||
| At this time, I came up with a different personal theory as to who these women might be. They probably were not the Grecco-Roman Graces. However, they could be three powerful enchantresses, or perhaps some witchy supernatural beings sprung from British Isles folklore. My notion was based on the following. | ||
| According to British Isles folklore, it is bad luck to whistle aboard a boat or ship, because one might inadvertently whistle up a wind storm that could sink the craft. | ||
| In folktales, the violin or fiddle is associated with magic. In European stories, an enchanted violin can force listeners to dance and keep dancing until the music stops. In the 17th century, many players were said to be taught this instrument by the devil. | ||
| It is not quite a superstition, yet I had also read literature references involving singing to "still the waves" or "calm the rough seas." | ||
| Alas, I have never found any other scholar who agrees with me. In the 19th century, Walter Crane identified the three girls as performers for a wedding held on New Year's Day. | ||
| This 19th century singing game may also be related to the singing game nursery rhyme, "Dame, Get Up and Bake Your Pies," as it used the same traditional tune. This traditional tune is the same tune as used in the carol singing about Jesus, Mary, and Joseph sailing in three ships. | ||
| 10 | Gods Rest Ye Merry Pagan Folk | |
| This song is a filk of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen", which is a traditional 18th century English carol, also known as "God Rest You Merry People All" and "Come All You Worthy Gentlemen." The earliest version is dated to a broadsheet published in 1760. The word "merry" meant not only "happy," but also "prosperous" and "bountiful." There seem to be several different versions of the verses created very early. This filk version was published in a Yule issue of Green Egg in 1991. | ||
| 11 | Glory to the Newborn King | |
| This song is a filk of "Glory to the Newborn King," aka "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing," which was written in 1739 by Charles Wesley. This hymn is in public domain. Wesley was a leader in the Christian Methodist movement. There are several versions of Wesley's hymn used by Christians. | ||
| This Neo-Pagan filk describes the faery spirits of nature celebrating the rebirth of the Sun child on the solstice. There are several different Neo-Pagan filks of this song. However, this version is the only one I know mentioning the faery spirits. | ||
| 12 | We Wish You A Merry Solstice | |
| A filk of the traditional English carol "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" which may date back as far as 16th century England. The orginal song is clearly about the custom of wassailing for food and drink. | ||
| I actually have a rare and happy memory regarding the original song. At age six, I was caroling with my 15-year-old sister's Girl Scout troop in Florida. I'm not sure why I was tagging along, but I clearly remember we went to several brightly lit houses and sang a song or two at each one. | ||
| At the last house we stopped at, we joyfully sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," and were--to my amazement--invited inside for hot drinks and holiday foods. I remember the hot drinks were hot tea and cocoa. The food was a large buffet of holiday treats spread out upon a festively colored tablecloth. | ||
| At age six, I was aware that someone living there had put a great deal of preparation into having us warm up and snack there. (In retrospect, this house must have been the home of one of the Girl Scout troop's members.) It was quite a fancy spread and I seem to remember that there might have even been some genuine figgy pudding, which I did not eat. I do vaguely remember seeing nothing on the table that looked pudding-like. I do also remember politely requesting a second cup of hot cocoa. | ||
| Why--the person in the peanut gallery might ask--why change one word of this song from "Christmas" to "Solstice"? It was sometime in my early teens that I realized that I was never actually celebrating Christmas. | ||
| Christmas--as any good Christian will tell you--is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, who brings to Christians the promise of salvation in heaven. It was a sobering thought to realize that I had NEVER celebrated that. | ||
| In the sixth or seventh grade, I had learned about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). | ||
| All of December--and the entire Christmas season--was very stressful in my family, for what I now understand to be a number of reasons. However, learning about SAD gave me an important insight and understanding for my mother's anger alternating with her depression. | ||
| The articles I had read about SAD did not mention Christmas at all, but mentioned that the reduced number of daylight hours, warmth, and color can leave people feeling depressed, irritable, and overworn. I already knew the Winter Solstice, or shortest day of the year, in the northern hemisphere always fell sometime between December 20-23, just before the date of Christmas. | ||
| Suddenly, ALL the customs started to make sense...the candles, the Yule log, the bonfires, the electric colored lights...the preparation of types of rich foods...the emphasis of cheeful activities and songs, on charity and providing for others in the community...the focus on taking care of family members...All of it seemed to be related to attempting to stabilize moods. | ||
| I realized what my holiday revolved around was PRIMARILY the promise of the returning LIGHT. About four or five years later, I understood that the only thing I celebrated was that the mid-winter would pass and the merry Solstice would bring back the Light. | ||
| 13 | Jingle Bells | |
| "Jingle Bells" or "One Horse Open Sleigh" was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857 as a "merry little jingle." It is now in the public domain. These verses are simply about the fun of riding around in winter in a sleigh pulled by a horse. Nevertheless, "Jingle Bells" has become one of the most recognizable secular holiday songs in the USA. Pierpont's original version had extra verses, yet this version is the one most commonly sung by children in the USA. I remember thinking, at age 4, that "Jingle Bells" was the most perfect holiday song, because a person could shake bells to it as s/he sangt. (Pagan parents, I urge you to sing "Jingle Bells" with your kids. It's such an innocuous and fun holiday song.) When I assembled the original collection above, I had wanted to add Jingle Bells into the Yule carols. Alas, I had trouble fitting it on my hand-made cut-and-paste master copy. | ||
| 14 | Joy to the World | |
| The popular Christian hymn, "Joy to the World," by Isaac Watts, 1719, is now in public domain. This filk version of the popular Christian hymn was published in the Yule issue of Green Egg in 1991. (Yes, my original collection had a shorter and very slighly different version. I did that in the original collection largely to save space.) | ||
| 15 | Good King Wenceslas | |
| John Mason Neale wrote wrote the lyrics for this mid-winter holiday carol in 1853. The song is now in public domain. | ||
| The carol mentions the Feast of Saint Stephen the martyr (December 26), which is one of the days observed in the 12 days of the Christian mid-winter festival. At different times in history, gifts were not exchanged on December 25, as that was a time for church and prayer. December 26, Boxing Day in the United Kingdom (including Canada and especially England), was the time for charity and gift giving. | ||
| Neale's song is based on the legend of a historical figure. Good King Wenceslas was Saint Wenceslaus I, Duke of Bohemia, known as Svaty Vaclav in the Czech Republic (Bohemia). According to the the song, Good King Wenceslas, on the Feast of Stephen, took time to show charity to a poor man by taking firewood, food, and drink. | ||
| The Good King inspired 19th century English men of wealth to take time to show charity to the poor during the Victorian revival of Christmas celebrations in the era of capitalism. The story of his hagiography had already circulated Europe and influenced stories about a rex justus, or "righteous king." | ||
| Other legends have circulated about him, including that he still sleeps in the Blanik mountain (with a huge army of Czech knights) and will emerge to protect his country at its worst time, riding on his white horse and wielding the legendary hero Bruncvík's sword. | ||
| I never actually heard this carol sung until college. There may well be more than one version. I put this version here unchanged. I admit I considered changing "Christian men" to "honest folk," because otherwise this carol could fit neatly into almost any holiday collection. | ||
| You have to admit a song about a legendary "righteous king" who may one day arise to protect the land with his knights--much like some legends regarding King Arthur--bringing gifts of charity to an impoverished man is an interesting song! | ||
| If anyone has a Neo-Pagan filk of this song, I would be pleased to have you share it with me at jesterbear@verizon.net. I welcome people to share Neo-Pagan songs about Gift Givers. | ||
| 16 | Jolly Old Father Yule | |
| “Jolly Old Father Yule” is my 2016 filk (written by Myth Woodling.) The song "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" was published anonymously during the 19th century in New York. These were the original lyrics published in 1881:
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, The original song had often been assumed to have been written by Benjamin Hanby. According to research by music historian Mark C. Samples, it may well have been written by Emily Huntington Miller, as a version of it was printed as a poem in "The Little Corporal Magazine," December, 1865, under the title "Lilly's Secret" and attributed to Miller. It is traditionally performed to a melody which has been attributed to James Lord Pierpon in the 19th century. Others claim the composer of the melody remains unknown. The earliest known example of sheet music for "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" is from J. P. McCaskey, ed., Franklin Square Song Collection, No. 1, New York, Harper & Brothers, 1881, p. 80. However, the citation above that sheet music credits "School Chimes. Per. S. Brainard's Sons." In other words, the melody was credited to James Ramsey Murray, School Chimes: A New School Music Book. (Cleveland, Ohio: S. Brainard's Sons, 1874). Both the melody and song lyrics are in public domain. I grew up singing "Jolly Old Saint Nicholas," and it was after a late night of re-looking up some information on the historical Saint Nicholas at the end of December 2015 early /January 2016 that I stated dozing off with the tune in my head—only the lyrics changed to “Jolly Old Father Yule, incline your ear this way, listen very carefully, I have a lot to say…” I scribbled that down so I could fall asleep. I found scralled verse again when we trapped by the Maryland blizzard of 2016 and expanded it into the filk above. | ||
| 17 | The Wren Song | |
| This carol is not a modern filk. It is actually one version of a centuries old song, describing a genuinely old mid-winter custom, “Hunting the Wren.” Versions of this custom have been noted among the traditionally Celtic languages speaking people of Ireland, Wales, England, Scotland, the Isle of Man, and Brittany. | ||
| The lyrics here are taken directly from the wonderful album The Christmas Revels in Celebration of the Winter Solstice (1978), which I urge all people to purchase. | ||
| My personal guess is these lyrics here are derived from the Anglicized versions sung in Ireland known under the titles , “The Wran Song,” “The King of All Birds,” “The Wren Boys Song,” and “The Wren in the Furze.” In 1955, Liam Clancy recorded a version of the “The Wran Song, “ traditionally sung by the Irish wrenboys (age 8-15). “An Dreoilín” (“The Wren”) is the name of the song in Irish Gaelic. In these English lyrics from The Christmas Revels, the bird is referred to as “Rolley” which is an Anglicized mispronunciation of the Irish Gaelic, Droolin, meaning “wren.” | ||
| Compare the lyrics here with these two verses from Irish Song Lyrics: for Wren Song: | ||
|
As I was gone to Killenaule I met a wren upon the wall. Up with me wattle and knocked him down And brought him in to Carrick Town.
Droolin, Droolin, where’s your nest? | ||
| Folk music collectors have noted numerous different versions of “The Wren Song.” The author of the Proto-Indo-European Religion website piereligion.org in the Wren King Songs wrote: “There are at least eleven different songs, many with variations.” For example, there is the Welsh ("Hela'r Dryw"), the Manx ("Helg Yn Dreain”), and the Breton (“Maro al Laouenan”). Not only were different variants and versions sung, but different midwinter dates were used. On the Isle of Man the custom of Hunting the Wren was observed up into the 18th century on the morning of December 25. In Carrasson France, it was observed on the first Sunday of December in the 19th century. | ||
| However, in Ireland the custom--as stated in these lyrics--was traditionally held on December 26, Saint Stephen's Day, which is also known as Wren Day/Wren’s Day/Day of the Wren/ Hunt the Wren Day. In Irish Gaelic , the custom is known as La an Dreoilín. | ||
| In the 21st century, the Wren Day tradition largely consists of troupes of amateur singers known as “strawboys” or “wrenboys,” dressed up in straw suits, masks, and colorful motley clothing, traveling around with a fake “wren” on top a decorated pole. The singers solicit for monetary donations from the townsfolk. Other versions of the lyrics say this money is to pay to “bury the wren,” but actually the collected money is used for the same purpose as money collected by other guisers or mummers. It generally funds a social event of some sort later. | ||
| Before the 20th century, an actual bird was hunted by the wrenboys. The custom of killing wrens on December 26 was mostly stamped out in the British Isles by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, according to William S. Walsh in Curiosities of Popular Customs and of Rites, Ceremonies, Observances, and Miscellaneous Antiquities, (1898). | ||
| To modern eyes, Hunting the Wren seems like an odd custom for a midwinter holiday and it has led to much speculation about its origins, age , and purpose. | ||
| As for its age, the custom of Hunting the Wren is first documented in 1696. A version of a wren hunting ritual was described in James Fraser’s Golden Bough (published in the late 19th early 20th century) in southern France (at Carcasonne). The Fête du Roi de l'Oiseau (Feast of the King Bird), was also recorded in 1524 at Puy-en-Velay. Apparently this custom seems to go back as far as the 17th century. It may be older, and possibly dates back to the 16th century. Several folklorists have speculated that it is an ancient tradition. | ||
| As to the custom’s origins and purpose, well--that takes one down several different historical roads of speculation. | ||
| A. One speculation is to tie this custom to King Charles I, who ruled as monarch from 1625 until 1649 over England, Scotland, and Ireland. Those who espoused this theory point out that King Charles I was executed in 1649 for high treason, due to losing a power struggle with Parliament. Some speculate the custom may be a veiled reference to the death of King Charles. This speculation strikes some as a bit of a stretch. However, in Galicia, Spain, the people of Vilanova de Lourenza would hunt down a wren and, tie it to a pole, and then would parade the bird around. Eventually, they would bring it to the abbot of the local monastery. This traditional ritual was known as the Caceria del rey Charlo (Chase of King Charles). | ||
| The custom might somehow likewise relate to Oliver Cromwell, who became Lord Protector of England--and likewise had authority over Scotland and Ireland--after the execution of Charles I. During the rule of Cromwell (1653-1658), the celebration of Christmas was banned. Cromwell's political party was comprised of extremely conservative Christians, who believed the customs associated with the mid-winter holiday were immoral--and not Christian. Eating a special meal with meat and sweet treats embraced gluttony, not piety. Raising a glass in honor of the Christ Child was likewise sinful and illegal. Likewise, singing--including Christmas songs--was banned on December 25, as were social events. All such frivolity was illegal. People were expected to go to church services on December 25 and then return to work, because sloth was also impious. | ||
| Some clever Irish fellow might have invented the custom or adopted/adapted the custom from France, possibly after the English campaign in Ireland (1649-1650) when Cromwell invaded to quell the Irish Royalists, who supported the return of the monarchy. | ||
| Any kind of seasonal party or event was banned on December 25--and all traditional and obviously Christmas customs--were banned, thus one solution would be to have had a seasonal activity on December 26 and avoid all mention of religious activity. | ||
| (If you are curious about whatever happened to Cromwell: after his death from natural causes in 1658, Oliver Cromwell was buried in Westminster Abbey. Yet, after the Royalists returned to power in 1660, they had his corpse dug up, hung in chains, and beheaded.) | ||
| B. Some say the clue to this custom is that it occurs on the Feast of Saint Stephen. Saint Stephen was the first Christian martyr celebrated on December 26 in the Western Church. Saint Stephen's story can be found in Acts 6:8-15. After Stephen gave a long speech in Acts 7, Stephen's stoning was described in Acts 7:55-60. He was accused of blasphemy and was then stoned to death in accordance with Old Testament law. According to this theory, the killing of the wren by being stoned by wrenboys is a reenactment of the death of Saint Stephen. | ||
| C. The custom may also have been influenced by the Welsh Celtic legend of Lleu Llaw Gyffes, a hero who wins his name by killing a wren with a stone. His mothe,r Arianrhod, exclaimed, "It is with a skillful hand that the fair-haired one has hit it!" At that Gwydion, his foster father, revealed himself, saying "'Fair-haired-one-with-the-skillful-hand' is his name now." For that is the meaning of Lleu Llaw Gyffes. | ||
| D. Others speculate that the origin of this custom is pre-Christian and lies within the misty roots of Proto-Indo-European religion. From the influence of Frazer, the wren, who is the King of All Birds, represents the sacrificial king who must die to bring back the sun. According to Frazer, Hunting the Wren was a memory of an ancient human sacrifice performed at mid winter. | ||
| In another version of this theory, the Hunting of the Wren is a remembrance of the myth of the archtypal battle between the Holly King (winter lord) and Oak King (summer lord). It is the cycle of the Dark King, who rules when the daylight hours are shorter, versus the Sun King, who rules when the daylight hours are longer. | ||
| Famous Wiccan authors, Janet and Stewart Farrar, speculated that if the custom of hunting the wren and the Wren Song were linked to this cycle of the Solstices, the Wren would be tied to the Holly King. Many versions of the lyrics describe locating the King Wren "in the holly tree," plus the wren died annually on Saint Stephens day, near the Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice marks the time when the daylight hours begin to grow longer and the Holly King yields his rule to the Oak King. The Farrars commented that there should be a corresponding custom or song about Cock Robin dying at the Summer Solstice. This comment had led others to speculate that the Hunting of the Wren is the culmination of a folk cycle or myth of the Wren who killed Cock Robin. It should be added that some Neo-Pagans point out these summer and winter archtypal cycles probably never involved any form of human sacrifice. Personally I think Frazer's tendency to assume every unusual custom relates to an ancient human sacrifice was extreme. | ||
| Historians, folklorists, and other more learned than I, have not agreed on the origin of this odd custom. The song doesn't seem to be sung much by 21st century Neo-Pagans. However, I've added it to this collection as a curiosity. I hope that some Neo-Pagans may yet enjoy singing it. | ||
| 18 | The Thirteen Days of Yule | |
| This song is not a filk. This song is alternatively known as “The Yule Days,” or "The Thirteen Yule Days.” According to Mama Lisa's World, International Music & Culture, “The 13 Days of Yule was sung in Scotland as far back as the early 1800’s, to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.” A druid friend of mine brought a version of this "Thirteen Days of Yule" to a Yule party. I only located this version on the web in 2016. | ||
| Below is some information regarding the sundry “gifts” which “The king sent his lady…” | ||
| The number three was a sacred number that ancient Celts absolutely adored in their stories and songs. Within this Scottish song, the number three is prominently featured. There are nine items given in threes, and three items given singly: | ||
|
Day 1: a papingoe Day 2: three plovers Day 3: three partridges Day 4: a grey goose Day 5: three starlings Day 6: three goldspinks Day 7: a brown bull Day 8: three ducks a-merry laying Day 9: three swans a-merry swimming Day 10: an Arabian baboon Day 11: three hinds a-merry hunting Day 12: three maids a-merry dancing Day 13: three stalks o merry corn | ||
| I assume folks are familiar with what is meant by a grey goose, brown bull, and Arabian baboon. I am also certain that most people are familiar with the following items: partridges, starlings, ducks, swans, and maids. | ||
| According to the Dictionary of the Scots Language, a “papingo” or “papyngo” is a parrot. “Papingo” was a 13th century variant of "papegay." Robert Chambers in Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusements of Scotland (1842) collected a different version that had “pippin” instead of “papingo.” A ”pippen” is simply a newly hatched baby bird. Interestingly in The popular rhymes of Scotland, with illustrations, collected by R. Chambers (1870) the word “papingo” was used instead. | ||
| A note in Alice Bertha Gomme’s book indicated that “papingo” could be interpreted to mean a ” peacock,” Yet, if I remember correctly, my Druid friend had us singing a version that replaced “papingo” with “parrot.” | ||
| Plovers are a widely distributed group of wetland birds known as “waders” or “shorebirds.” In Scotland, the Golden plovers inhabit during summer the upland moorlands in the S Uplands and Highlands of Scotland. In colder months, Golden plovers will winter over in Scottish lowland fields, forming large flocks. There are two other types of plovers commonly seen in Scotland and the UK: the Grey plover and the Dotterel. The three plovers could refer to either Golden plovers, Grey plovers, or Dotterels. | ||
| According to the Dictionary of the Scots Language, the "goldspink" or "gowdspring" is a 16th century name for the little goldfinch bird. The three goldspinks are goldfinches. | ||
| Hinds are female deer and could refer to Red deer which are native to UK; the majority of these Red deer are found in the Scottish Highlands and islands. Thus the “a-merry hunting” reference to the three hinds refers to three female deer, likely hunted in winter for the meat. | ||
| In the British Isles, the word “corn” could refer to any type of grain--and also can be used to refer to any small item, like a peppercorn. The English word “corn” derives from the Old Saxon korn and German korn meaning "grain” from Proto-Germanic *kurnam, "small seed." (In the USA, “corn” means the plant Zea mays native to the New World, and the grain produced from that plant.) In Scotland, “corn” (grain) could have refered to oats, bere (a type of barley), rye, or wheat. The “Three stalks o merry corn” were likely straw grain stalks tied together a decoration known as a “countryman's favour,” also commonly called a “corn dolly” or “corn maiden.” The “countryman's favour” was usually a plait of three straws tied into a loose knot, representing a heart, with the grain heads attached. |
These song lyrics are shared here for educational or personal use. They are in the Practical Preps and Celebrations section, because just like the first version I had, these songs can be reprinted for Neo-Pagan folk to sing at community events.
The extensive endnotes are to share the joy of folklore, history, and offer other observations and comments.
Myth Woodling, December 1992, 2014, 2015, 2016
Sources
Robert Chambers, Popular Rhymes, Fireside Stories, and Amusements of Scotland, 1842.
Robert Chambers, The popular rhymes of Scotland, with illustrations, collected by R. Chambers, 1870.
Walter Crane, The Baby's Opera, 1877.
George F. Baker High School Lesson Books, Jolly Old St. Nicholas , Tuxedo Union Free School District, PO Box 2002, Tuxedo Park, NY 10987, accessed 1/23/16.
Hyde Flippo, German Christmas Carols: O Tannenbaum, accessed 1/2/2016
The Hymns and Carols of Christmas, Jolly Old St Nicholas, 1996-2016, accessed 1/23/16.
Alice Bertha Gomme, The Traditional Games of England, Scotland, and Ireland With Tunes, Singing-Rhymes, and Methods of Playing According to Extants Recorded in Different Parts of the Kingdom, Volume 2, 1898.
Irish Music, Song and Ballad Lyrics for: Wren Song, accessed 1/6/16.
Mama Lisa's World, International Music & Culture, accessed 1/6/16.
Revels, Inc., The Christmas Revels in Celebration of the Winter Solstice, 1978.
Proto-Indo-European Religion, Wren King Songs, accessed 1/6/16.
Songs Celebrating the New Calendar Year
The civil calendar year--by the reckoning in the Gregorian calendar--ends on December 31 (aka New Year’s Eve) and then the New Calendar Year on begins January 1 (aka New Year's Day). The Gregorian calendar is the civil calendar in the USA and internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It is named for Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in 1582, but it is a refinement to the Roman Julian calendar created by Julius Caesar.
While Wiccan’s celebrate the spiritual new year at Samhain not all Neo-Pagans are Wiccan. In the original collection of Yule Carols, I had already included one New Year’s song, “I Saw Three Ships.” I have decided to add a couple more.
Ring Out, Wild Bells!
Chorus:
Ring! Ring! Ring! Dong!
Ring! Ring! Ring! Dong!
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light:
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.
Chorus
Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.
Chorus
--The lyrics for this song are two verses excerpted from a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson. Published in 1850, the poem in the public domain. I seem to remember Burl Ives singing these word to organ music on a holiday album owned by my parents in circa 1966.
Auld Lang Syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne?
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll take a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Chorus
And there’s a hand my trusty friend!
And give me a hand o’ thine!
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
For auld lang syne.
Chorus
--These lyrics were part of a poem written by the Scottish poet, Robert Burns in 1788.. It was later set to the tune of a traditional folk song and sung on New Year’s Eve, aka the Scottish Hogmanay. The original copy of Burns poem contained 5 stanzas; these three verses are those most commonly sung in the USA. These lyrics are also an English translation Burns’ original verse in the Ulster or Lowland Scots dialect. These lyrics are in the public domain.
The Scottish word “auld” means "old" and “lang syne” means "long since;" the first line of the chorus is often assumed to mean For days long since gone, but "For auld lang syne," could be loosely translated as For times since past,, or For (the sake of) old times. The melody that these verses are sung may not have been the tune that Burns intended, but it is widely used in Scotland and in the rest of the world.
The lyrics, "We'll take a cup o' kindness yet," refers to the tradition of raising a glass of drink in good will, friendship, and remembrance. The custom of drinking toast for "well-being" at a holiday is reminiscent of the old custom “wassail.”
I have read that it is a Hogmanay custom in Scotland that each person joins hands with the person next to her/him, forming a single large circle around the room, while singing this song.
These song lyrics are shared here for educational or personal use. They are in the Practical Preps and Celebrations section, because just like the first version I had, these songs can be reprinted for Neo-Pagan folk to sing at community events.
--January 2016, Myth Woodling
Krampus Songs
Krampus is often described as a Germanic winter spirit. Indeed, his name derives from the Old High German word for "claw," krampen. Krampus is a hairy, scary creature with claws and goat horns. It is said that Krampus accompanies Saint Nicholas (English), Heiliger Nicklaus (German), San Nicola/San Nicolò (Italian) during the darkest of the winter season, begining with December 5 (Krampusnacht) through December 25 (Christmas). Krampus threatens to punish or remove the bad children. Krampus is extremely well known in Germany and Austria, but he frequently puts in an appearance in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Scandinavia, Switzerland, and northern Italy (around the area of the Italian Alps), etc. There are those who claim Krampus is a pre-Christian winter spirit from the alps. Others claim he simply evolved within the Austrian holiday traditions.
Da Krampus Is Coming To Town!
Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Da Krampus is coming to town!
He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out
Who's naughty or nice.
Da Krampus is coming to town!
He sees you when you're sleeping,
He knows when you're awake.
He knows if you've been naughty or bad,
So be good for your own sake!
Oh...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Da Krampus is coming to town.
Lazy little kids,
Whiny little tots.
Rudy-toot-toots,
and jumping on the cots.
Da Krampus is coming to town.
The Krampus works for St Nick,
he will have Krampus-spree.
He'll snatch up all the bad kids
from round the Christmas tree.
Break your Mom's vase,
Loose your homework,
Make a sad-peas-face,
Or tear your new shirt.
Da Krampus is coming to town.
The Karampus throws children
Into his burlap sack
We don't know where they go,
But they are never coming back!
So--You better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:
Da Krampus is coming
Da Krampus is coming
Da Krampus is coming
To town!!!
--2010 filk parody by "jesterbear," apologies to J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, Santa Claus Is Coming To Town, 1934.
Krampus Bells (sung to Jingle Bells)
Chorus:
O, Krampus bells, Krampus bells, ringing loud and clear,
O, what fun it is to run since Krampus-time is here,
O, Krampus bells, Krampus bells, ringing loud and clear,
O, what fun it is to run since Krampus-time is here.
Walking through the streets, with Krampus dark and grey,
Jinggling rusty chains, Krampuslauf-ing on the way,
Krampus time is here, giving folks a-fright,
O, what fun it is run, and sing Krampus songs tonight.
--A 2014 parody, or filk, of the 1847 song by James Lord Pierpont "Jingle Bells." This song can be used while walking around on Krampusnatch (December 5) or another night during a Kampuslauf (Krampus Run). Krampussen are often wearing bells or carrying staffs with bells. I began signing this version--making it up as I walked along--when my husband and I attended Baltimore's first Krampuslauf in December 2014.
These song lyrics are shared here for educational or personal use. They are in the Practical Preps and Celebrations section, because just like the first version I had, these songs can be reprinted for Neo-Pagan folk to sing at community events.
Practical Preps and Celebrations
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