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The Holly and the Ivy
| Article
# : |
18812 |
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Section : |
LIFE
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| Issue
Date : |
12 / 1991 |
2,322 Words |
| Author
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David Ehrlich
David Ehrlich is a frequent contributor to The World & I and
writes from his base in Washington, D.C. |
The holly and the ivy, when they
are both full grown,
Of all the trees that are in the wood,
the holly bears the crown.
The holly bears a blossom, as white
as the lily flower,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ
to be our sweet savior.
The holly bears a berry, as red as
any blood,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
to do poor sinners good.
The holly bears a prickle, as sharp
as any thorn,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
on Christmas Day in the morn.
The holly bears a bark, as bitter as
any gall,
And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ,
for to redeem us all.
(Refrain)
The rising of the sun, and the run-
ning of the deer,
The playing of the merry organ,
sweet singing in the choir.
-Traditional English Carol
It's a cold December night back in, say, the year 150 B.C. A company of fifty men clad in priests' robes are marching through a dank British bog shortly before dawn. Their destination is a ring of high stones raised on a low bluff.
Bowing solemnly to each other, they point in the direction of the rising sun. Evidently, what they see is satisfactory because they nod approvingly and begin a stately dance. Reaching under their cloaks, they pull out bouquets of thorny-leaved greenery; some of them laden with brilliant red berries, and place them at the base of the stones.
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