Advent 11 – 11 December 2021
Good morning,
Behind today’s window is an image from the University’s Special Collections, from our thousands of books, manuscripts, photographs and more. The first is from an illustrated Ethiopian psalter probably from the 18th Century, depicting the Virgin Mary, infant Jesus, Joseph and angels. You can see Joseph lying at the foot of the composition, looking away from Mary and her child. It may well be that this is to emphasise that Joseph, while part of the holy family, was not the father of Jesus.
(St Andrews ms38900) And if you are interested in learning more about this beautiful psalter in our collections, and about a trip my wife and I made to Ethiopia, see this blogpost from 2013. https://special-collections.wp.st-andrews.ac.uk/2013/03/11/52-weeks-of-inspiring-illustrations-week-38-angels-madonnas-and-pilgrims-an-ethiopian-treasure/ This past year has seen news of civil war, killing of civilians and an increasing humanitarian disaster in parts of Ethiopia which we visited. Our own disappointments of recent days may perhaps be seen against the context of immense human suffering in many parts of the world.
And one further St Andrews-connected meditation on Mary and her son is a carol called The Conceptioun of Christ, included in the Gude and Godlie Ballatis (Good and Godly Ballads). This was published in the mid 16th Century by James, John and Robert Wedderburn, sons of a Dundee merchant, all of whom had studied at the University of St Andrews. (There are different editions from across the centuries in our Library.) These songs convey their Lutheran faith in translations from Luther and other early Protestant hymns, as well as the brothers’ own compositions, often using contemporary melodies. This carol, probably by John Wedderburn, is presented as a lullaby and may well have used a contemporary lullaby tune. (I have tried and failed to find any recording of it online…)
1. Let us reioice and sing
And praise that michtie King,
Quhilk send His Sone of a virgine bricht.
La-lay-la.
2. And on Him tuke our vyle nature,
Our deadlie woundis to cure,
Mankynde to hald in richt.
La-lay-la.
3. Sanct Lue wrytis in his Gospell
God send His angell Gabriell
Unto that virgine but defame,
La-lay-la.
4. For to fulfill the prophesie,
Was spousit with Josaph fre;
Mary scho had to name.
La-lay-la.
5. Thir wordis to her he did reheirs,
“Haill Mary, full of grace,
The Lord God is with the!”
La-lay-la.
6. “Thow blyssit virgine mylde,
Thow sall consaue ane Chylde,
The pepill redeme sall He.”
La-lay-la.
7. “Quhais power and greit micht
Sall be in Goddis sicht,
Quhilk from the Father of micht is send.”
La-lay-la.
8. “Jesus His name ye call
Quhilk sall be prince ouir all,
His Kingdome sall have nane end.”
La-lay-la.
9. Than spak that virgine fre,
“Behald, how sall this be,
Seeing I knaw na man?”
La-lay-la.
10. Than said the angell chaist,
“Be the power of the Haly Gaist,
Quhilk all thing wirk He can.”
La-lay-la.
11. “Elizabeth thy cousing also
Sex monethis with chylde can go,
At quhais birth greit joy sall be.”
La-lay-la.
12. “Call him Johne,” sayis the angell bricht,
Quhilk is send by Goddis micht,
The Lordis way prepair sall he.”
La-lay-la.
Even if we cannot rejoice and sing this evening, I hope we find other ways to reflect hopefully on the gift of a son to a virgin bright, to hold humankind in right.
Yours,
Donald.