The fyrst day of ȝole have we in mynd

For Christmas

Words and Music: Traditional English
Bodleian Library. MS. Eng. poet. e. 1. XV Century.

Source: Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (London: The Percy Society, 1847), Song #19, printed verbatim from a manuscript probably owned by a professional musician, and apparently written in the latter half of the fifteenth century, circa 1471-1485.

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See notes in F A Q

Make we myrth
For Crystes byrth,
    And syng we ȝole tyl Candelmes.

The fyrst day of ȝole have we in mynd,
How God was man born of owre kynd;
For he the bondes wold onbynd
    Of all owre synnes and wykednes.

The secund day we syng of Stevene,
That stoned and steyyed up even
To God that he saw stond in hevyn,
    And cronned was for hys prouesse.

The iij. day longeth to sent Johan,
That was Cristys dariyng, derer non,
Whom he betok, whan he shuld gon,
    Hys moder der for hyr clennesse.

The iiij. day of the chyldren ȝong,
The Herowd to deth had do with wrong,
And Crist thei coud non tell with tong,
    But with ther blod bar hym wytnesse.

The v. day longeth to sent Thomas,
That, as a strong pyller of bras,
Held up the chyrech, and sclayn he was,
    For he sted with ryȝtwesnesse.

The viij. day tok Jhesu hys name,
That saved mankynd fro syn and shame,
And circumsysed was for no blame,
    But for ensample of meknesse.

The xij. day offerd to hym kynges iij.
Gold, myr, and cense, thes gyftes free,
For God, and man, and kyng was he,
    Thus worschyppyd thei his worthynes.

On the xl. day cam Mary myld,
Unto the temple with hyr chyld,
To shew hyr clen that never was fylyd,
    And therwith endyth Crystmes.

---

Note from Wright:

"Another copy of this song or carol is in the Sloane MS., fol. 33. v⁰."

Concerning the verse which begins "The v. day longeth to sent Thomas..." Wright notes: "This stanza, relating to St. Thomas of Canterbury, has been blotted out in the MS. by a later hand."

There are four versions of this carol on this website, including this page:

• The fyrst day of yole have we in mynd – Sandys

• The First Day Of Yule – Husk, with note

• The ferste day of yol we han in mynde - Thomas Wright, Specimens of old Christmas Carols (1841)

• The fyrst day of yole have we in mynd - Thomas Wright, Songs and Carols Now First Printed, From a Manuscript of the Fifteenth Century (1847)

Note:

• Feast day of St. Stephan the First Martyr is December 26; See: Hymns to St Stephen

• Feast day of St. John the Apostle and Evangelist is December 27; See: Hymns To St. John The Evangelist

• Feast day of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs, is December 28; See: The Hymns Of The Holy Innocents

• Feast day of St. Thomas, Bishop and Martyr is December 28;

• January 1 is the Octave of Christmas, and the start of the New Year;

• Twelfth Day is Epiphany, January 6;

• Candlemas (the blessing of the candles) is February 2;

• The Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary is February 2. The Presentation of Christ in the Temple is also celebrated on this day. See: Candlemas

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