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Christmas in Ritual and Tradition

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Erika Zimney
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« Reply #15 on: December 25, 2008, 10:49:16 pm »

The singer goes on to tell how he went with his fellow-shepherds and shepherdesses to Bethlehem:—

“Nous dîmes tous une chanson


Les autres en vinrent au son,


Chacun prenant


Son compagnon:


Je prendrai Guillemette,


Margot tu prendras gros Guillot;


Qui prendra Péronelle?


Ce sera Talebot.


Laissez paître, etc.


Ne chantons plus, nous tardons trop,


Pensons d'aller courir le trot.


Viens-tu, Margot?—


J'attends Guillot.—


J'ai rompu ma courette,


Il faut ramancher mon sabot.—


Or, tiens cette aiguillette,


Elle y servira trop.


Laissez paître, etc.


*       *       *       *       *


Nous courumes de grand’ roideur


Pour voir notre doux Rédempteur


Et Créateur


Et Formateur,


Qui était tendre d'aage


Et sans linceux en grand besoin,


Il gisait en la crêche


Sur un botteau de foin.


Laissez paître, etc.p. 61


Sa mère avecque lui était:


Et Joseph si lui éclairait,


Point ne semblait


Au beau fillet,


Il n’était point son père;


Je l'aperçus bien au cameau (visage)


Il semblait à sa mère,


Encore est-il plus beau.


Laissez paître, etc.”


This is but one of a large class of French Noëls which make the Nativity more real, more present, by representing the singer as one of a company of worshippers going to adore the Child. Often these are shepherds, but sometimes they are simply the inhabitants of a parish, a town, a countryside, or a province, bearing presents of their own produce to the little Jesus and His parents. Barrels of wine, fish, fowls, sucking-pigs, pastry, milk, fruit, firewood, birds in a cage—such are their homely gifts. Often there is a strongly satiric note: the peculiarities and weaknesses of individuals are hit off; the reputation of a place is suggested, a village whose people are famous for their stinginess offers cider that is half rain-water; elsewhere the inhabitants are so given to law-suits that they can hardly find time to go to Bethlehem.

Such Noëls with their vivid local colour, are valuable pictures of the manners of their time. They are, unfortunately, too long for quotation here, but any reader who cares to follow up the subject will find some interesting specimens in a little collection of French carols that can be bought for ten centimes. 3-9 They are of various dates; some probably were written as late as the eighteenth century. In that century, and indeed in the seventeenth, the best Christmas verses are those of a provincial and rustic character, and especially those in patois; the more cultivated poets, with their formal classicism, can ill enter into the spirit of the festival. Of the learned writers the best is a woman, Françoise Paschal, of Lyons (b. about 1610); in spite of her Latinity she shows a real feeling for her subjects. Some of her Noëls are dialogues between the sacred personages; one presents p. 62 Joseph and Mary as weary wayfarers seeking shelter at all the inns of Bethlehem and everywhere refused by host or hostess:—

“Saint Joseph.


Voyons la Rose-Rouge.


Madame de céans,


Auriez-vous quelque bouge


Pour de petites gens?


L'Hôtesse.


Vous n'avez pas la mine


D'avoir de grands trésors;


Voyez chez ma voisine,


Car, quant à moi, je dors.


Saint Joseph.


Monsieur des Trois-Couronnes,


Avez-vous logement,


Chez vous pour trois personnes,


Quelque trou seulement.


L'Hôte.


Vous perdez votre peine,


Vous venez un peu tard,


Ma maison est fort pleine,


Allez quelqu'autre part.” 3-10


The most remarkable of the patois Noëlistes of the seventeenth century are the Provençal Saboly and the Burgundian La Monnoye, the one kindly and tender, the other witty and sarcastic. Here is one of Saboly's Provençal Noëls:—

“Quand la mièjonue sounavo,


Ai sautà dóu liech au sòu;


Ai vist un bèl ange que cantavo


Milo fes pu dous qu'un roussignòu.


Lei mastin dóu vesinage


Se soun toutes atroupa;p. 63


N'avien jamai vist aquéu visage


Se soun tout-d'un-cop mes à japa.


Lei pastre dessus la paio


Dourmien coume de soucas;


Quand an aussi lou bru dei sounaio


Au cresegu qu'ero lou souiras.


S'eron de gent resounable,


Vendrien sèns èstre envita:


Trouvarien dins un petit estable


La lumiero emai la verita.” 24 3-11


As for La Monnoye, here is a translation of one of his satirical verses:—“When in the time of frost Jesus Christ came into the world the ass and ox warmed Him with their breath in the stable. How many asses and oxen I know in this kingdom of Gaul! How many asses and oxen I know who would not have done as much!” 3-12

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