In Die Nativitatis
Alternate Title: The Boar's Head
Compare: The Boar's Head Carol
See: Boar's Head Carols
Words and Music: Attributed to Richard Smert, Devonshire, circa 15th Century.
Source: William Sandys, Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern (London: Richard Beckley, 1833)
This carol requires the installation of the "Junius Modern" font for best display.
See notes in F A Q
Nowell, nowell, nowell, nowell
Tydyngs gode y thyngke to telle.
1. The borys hede that we bryng here
Be tokeneth a prince with oute pere,
Ys born' this day to bye vs dere,
Nowell.
2. A bore ys a souerayn beste,
And acceptable in euõy feste,
So mote thys lord be to moste and leste,
Nowell.
3. This borys hede we bryng wt song
In worchyp of hym that thus sprang
Of a virgyne to redresse all wrong,
Nowell.
Sandys' Note:
This [is] from Addit. MSS. 5665. (formerly in Ritson's possession,) being a collection of church services, hymns, carols and songs in score, made (as it supposed) in the time of Henry VIII [1491-1547, reign 1509-1547].
This [is] also printed in Ritson's Ancient Songs. The music of them, with some others, is published in Mr. Stafford Smith's "Music Antiqua."
Also found in William Sandys, Christmas-tide, Its History, Festivities and Carols, With Their Music (London: John Russell Smith, 1852). p. 223.
Also found in Joseph Ritson, Ancient Songs and Ballads From The Reign of King Henry the Second To The Revolution. 1790. W. Carew Hazlitt, ed., Third Edition. London: Reeves And Turner, 1877. Repr. Detroit, MI: Singing Tree Press, 1968, p. 160.
Mr. Ritson's notes:
This, and the following ancient Christmas Carol [I Am Here, Syre Christmasse] are given, merely as curiosities, from the editors folio MS., where each is accompanied with a musical composition for three voices; but which, neither in point of merit nor antiquity, seems to deserve a place in this work.
Nowel, Nowel (the old French name for Christmas), and a great cry at that period, was the usual burden to this sort of thing. Many instances of which may be found in No. 2593. Bib. Sloan.
It was likewise the name of this sort of composition, which is equally ancient and popular. Books of carols were cried about the streets of Paris in the thirteenth century. "Noel, noel, à moult grant cris."
No music was provided in the edition that I consulted. The version provided by Ritson was largely the same as that given by Sandys. The differences were virtually imperceptible, e.g., "wth" vs. "with".
