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I have always thought that this was just a cute little song and had no idea it had a religious meaning behind it. I thought I would share it with you all.
Subject: History lesson
You may already know this, but I thought it interesting. There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world do
leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the
partridge who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with
Christmas? Today I found out, thanks to the Internet. From 1558
until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice
their faith openly.
Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for
young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden
meaning known only to members of their church.
Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality
which the children could remember.
The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.
Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
The four calling birds were the 4 gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John
.
The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books
of the Old Testament.
The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of
creation.
Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy
Spirit: Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution,
Leadership, and Mercy.
The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit: Love,
Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness,
and Self Control.
The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief
in the Apostles' Creed.
So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me
and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that
strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.
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Interesting! I saw this explanation a year or 2 ago and I have obviously heard this song all my life and never heard this application of it before then. Thanks for posting it. (I had forgotten the meanings.) Merry Christmas!
I'm hate to be the killjoy on this one, but it was debunked by Snopes. If you look at it, there's really no theology that is specifically Roman Catholic (as opposed to Anglican).
I'm hate to be the killjoy on this one, but it was debunked by Snopes. If you look at it, there's really no theology that is specifically Roman Catholic (as opposed to Anglican).
I was never really sure that this was the absolute origin of the song, but it could be applied this way and still be meaningful!
I'm with you, KayKay. Whatever the origin of the story, it really is not that important, in this instance. Legends, stories, and myths are very important to us all, as humans. It makes for interesting reading, and as you said, it certainly can be applied this way.
I read it and thought it was interesting, whether true or not.
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