On A Christmas Carol Day, 10 things you might not know about the popular carol Away in a Manger:
It’s widely believed that Martin Luther wrote the original lyrics as a poem in German to his children in the early 1500s.
However, more recently it has been suggested the carol is of American origin, created by German Lutherans in Pennsylvania in about 1885, when it appeared in a book called Little Children’s Book for Schools and Families, a Sunday school collection published that year.
Prior to this, it had been printed in a Boston newspaper, in 1882, and titled Luther’s Cradle Song.
At that time, it only had two verses. The third verse didn’t appear in print until 1892, in Gabriel’s Vineyard Songs, compiled by gospel composer Charles H. Gabriel. It wasn’t attributed to anyone, and it’s thought that one of the publishers added it because they thought it should end with a prayer.
Evidence that Martin Luther didn’t write the words has been put forward by Rev. Carlton Young, editor of the UM Hymnal. He said that the German version of the carol must have been translated from English because the metrics are not natural to the German language. No-one has ever found an original German version by Martin Luther. It’s also been said that Away in a Manger was too sweet and soppy to be Martin Luther’s style.
It’s thought that this likely myth came about because 1883 was the 400th anniversary of Martin Luther’s birth.
The tunes most commonly used are Cradle Song by William J. Kirkpatrick (1895) and Mueller by James Ramsey Murray (1887).
There are in existence about 200 tunes these words have been sung to.
The lyric “no crying he makes” is considered heresy by some, because it suggests that the Little Lord Jesus behaved differently to any other human baby and it therefore suggests He wasn’t fully human. However, it’s apparently normal for a newborn baby to be woken by nearby sounds, in this case cattle lowing, and not cry unless there’s a reason like hunger, discomfort or needing a nappy change.
In Britain, it is one of the most popular carols; a 1996 Gallup Poll ranked it joint second.
A Very Variant Christmas
Last year, Jade and Gloria were embroiled in a bitter conflict to win back their throne and their ancestral home. This year, Queen Jade and Princess Gloria want to host the biggest and best Christmas party ever in their palace. They invite all their friends to come and bring guests. Not even the birth of Jade's heir just before Christmas will stop them.
The guest list includes most of Britain's complement of super-powered crime-fighters, their families and friends. What could possibly go wrong?
Gatecrashers, unexpected arrivals, exploding Christmas crackers and a kidnapping, for starters.
Far away in space, the Constellations, a cosmic peacekeeping force, have suffered a tragic loss. They need to recruit a new member to replace their dead colleague. The two top candidates are both at Jade and Gloria's party. The arrival of the recruitment delegation on Christmas Eve is a surprise for everyone; but their visit means one guest now faces a life-changing decision.
Meanwhile, an alliance of the enemies of various guests at the party has infiltrated the palace; they hide in the dungeon, plotting how best to get rid of the crime-fighters and the royal family once and for all. Problem is, they all have their own agendas and differences of opinion on how to achieve their aims.
Not to mention that this year, the ghosts who walk the corridors of the palace on Christmas Eve will be as surprised by the living as the living are by them.
Themes Christmas; superheroes; reunions; parties; life choices; shocking surprises; mistaken identity; kidnap and rescue.
Reasons not to read it
- It's a bit short. You could probably read it in one sitting.
- Most of the action takes place at a Christmas party. In a palace.
- It's all about Christmas but there doesn't seem to be a schmaltzy moral message.
- There are a couple of babies and some small children in it - and one nearly gets eaten.
- Santa appears in it, but he isn't really Santa.
- Superheroes. Again.
- Not to mention a whole bunch of super-villains. Again all new ones and not the ones we know from Marvel or DC.
- It's a bit short. You could probably read it in one sitting.
- Most of the action takes place at a Christmas party. In a palace.
- It's all about Christmas but there doesn't seem to be a schmaltzy moral message.
- There are a couple of babies and some small children in it - and one nearly gets eaten.
- Santa appears in it, but he isn't really Santa.
- Superheroes. Again.
- Not to mention a whole bunch of super-villains. Again all new ones and not the ones we know from Marvel or DC.
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