I've long been curious about the origins of Christmas Carols and recently did a trawl of the internet to see what I could find.

As usual, there was a lot of garbage, but the summary below is of the main points I have so far gathered.

From the French "caroler" in turn from the Latin 'choraula', from the Greek 'choraules', meaning a flute player for chorus dancing and ultimately derived from the Greek word 'choros' which was originally a circling dance. It is suggested that the French word "caroler" referred to a circle dance accompanied by singing.

Early carols were not specific to Christmas nor sung in Church but often had religious/semi mythical themes. Others were more down to earth and are now known as "wassailing" songs. Most had dance like tunes.

A number of early English carols survived in 15th cent. Manuscripts

Carol singing was banned by the Puritans who felt Christmas should be a solemn day.

Although no longer sung in public it seems likely that carols went "underground" and were still sung in private gatherings. Some carols in fact survived in the oral tradition and were rediscovered by late 19th. Century folk song collectors.

The revival of carols and the writing of new carols began in the mid 18th. Century but really "took off" in the mid 19th. Century. However the singing of carols in church only started in 1881 when the Bishop of Truro initiated the first service of nine lessons and carols.

To what extent did carols remain in the oral tradition after the ban by the Puritans in the mid 17th. Century and to what extent were the old carols we sing today the result of rediscovery in manuscript form by the Victorians?