Eight Maids a Milking

 

          I don't know about you, but I'd probably have gotten pretty bored rather quickly had I been a nightwatchman in an European town in the 1600s. Hence, it is no surprise to me that the watchmen of that time, as well as before and after, adopted the habit, often, of carrying an instrument with them and singing to mark the passing of time, and to let people know that they were on duty.

          Perhaps you weren't aware that the night watch were not only there to keep an eye out for any funny business and to protect honest people from brigands and trouble makers during the witching hours, but also to proclaim the time. The call, "Three O'clock and all's well!" Was a familiar sound if you happened to be up that early. Sometimes they would act like weathermen, embellishing things with a description of what things were like outdoors; "Four O'clock and clear skies!" They might say.

         Imagine if you lived back then, this was a ritual that would have been woven into your daily existence. It's no wonder then, that the English used the ubiquitous call of the night watchman as a basis for a traditional carol which has become one of my personal favourites for at least a dozen years now.

          I know I have shared this carol before, but it has been several years and I like to make a point of repeating some of the good ones every few years not just for the new readers who might have jumped on since then, but also for the old ones to be reminded. 

         In case I have any historians on my roster, I will note that the Christmas verses were actually penned fairly recently by George R. Woodward in the early 1900s, but the refrain and melody have been around since at least 1665, if not earlier. The verses, though, are highly reminiscent of that time, though, and fit perfectly with the dancing chorus:

       Once again, the song paints a picture of a cold night and travellers coming from the corners of the country and beyond to visit the Christ child. I love the way the final stanza completes it. 

      It is the way of those who have met with Christ, who carry His spirit within them, that they cannot let their friends, family, or strangers they meet along the way, go by without an earnest entreaty to go and see the one who was born king of the Jews, come and worship Him, Christ the Lord of glory!

        Do not stay you, I beg of you, if you have not confessed Him, today. Don't wait for a tomorrow that is not guaranteed. And if you have, then live like it, and rejoice in His birth this Christmastide!

         Until tomorrow,

                     ~ Christianna