Coventry Carol

Yesterday’s blog talked about the coming of the Magi celebrated on Three Kings’ Day and today, January 7, is the day that the Eastern Orthodox Church celebrates Christmas.  

The Coventry Carol is a traditional English Christmas carol.  This carol was originally sung in Coventry, England.  It was part of a mystery play called The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors.  The Coventry Mystery Plays were Medieval plays telling stories from the New Testament. 

The Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors depicts the Nativity from Chapter 2 in the Gospel of Matthew.  After the Wise Men spoke with king Herod, he sent the Magi off asking them to return and tell him where the child was. The Magi  followed the star to Bethlehem and brought their gifts to the newborn King. When the Magi left Bethlehem, they did not go back to Herod. Herald was upset and so he ordered all the children up to two years of age to be killed.

The lyrics tell of King Herod’s orders to slay all the children.  This has become known as the ‘Massacre of the Innocents.’  This is not very cheery at all.  The melody is very sombre, but also very beautiful.  The lyrics are heart-breaking.  The parents are saying good-bye to their children which King Herod had ordered to be killed. 

Our modern nativity plays tend to end with the visit of the Magi. The Medieval plays sharing the story of the ‘Massacre of the Innocents’ were originally put on for the feast of Corpus Christi.  Corpus Christi is a western Catholic feast held on the second Thursday after Pentecost not during the Christmas season. The Medieval plays wanted to show the very human cost of Christ’s birth.  

Here are the lyrics to the Coventry Carol.

Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, 

Bye, bye, lully, lullay. 

Thou little tiny child, 

Bye, bye, lully, lullay. 

O sisters too, how may we do

For to preserve this day 

This poor youngling for whom we do sing 

Bye, bye, lully, lullay. 

Herod the king, in his raging, 

Chargèd he hath this day 

His men of might, in his own sight, 

All children young, to slay. 

Then woe is me, poor child, for thee, 

And ever mourn and say; 

For thy parting neither say nor sing, 

Bye, bye, lully, lullay.

The Coventry Carol has been recorded and performed by many artists including Sting, The King’s Singers, and Celtic Woman.  

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