ES - Fwd: FW: Leaping Lords and French Hens

[Christine Huse]

I don't know if that is true or not, but it could very well make sense. 
After all one of the lines that are repeated in the song is, "my true love 
gave to me". I think that with this translation that "my true love" would be 
God. With Protestantism being firmly in place during this time period and 
Catholicism being a deadly religion to practice, it could very well be true.

However on the other hand (not being Protestant myself), why would a 
Protestant *not* have written the song? The translation seems to be beliefs 
that all Christian religions share.

My $.02,
Maria



>Anyone know if this is true or not?
>
>Borek
>********************
>
>There is one Christmas Carol that has always baffled me. What in the world
>do leaping lords, French hens, swimming swans, and especially the partridge
>who won't come out of the pear tree have to do with Christmas?
>
>Today, I found out that From 1558 until 1829,  Roman Catholics in England
>were not permitted to practice their faith openly.
>
>Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young
>Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden
>meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol
>has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.
>
>The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.
>
>Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments
>
>Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.
>
>The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
>
>The five golden rings recalled the Torah or Law, the first five books of
>the
>Old Testament.
>
>The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.
>
>Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy
>Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership,
>and Mercy.
>
>The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.
>
>Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy,
>Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self
>Control.
>
>The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.
>
>The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.
>
>The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the
>Apostles' Creed.
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