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09 Jan 05 - 03:05 PM (#1375217) Subject: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: Keith A of Hertford Anybody know the background to this one It has some unusual lines for a carol, not least reference to ships sailing into landlocked Bethlehem. Poetic licence? "His lady" is an unusual way to describe The Virgin Mary. The Cathars believed that Mary Magdalene took ship to France. Any connection? Keith. |
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09 Jan 05 - 03:53 PM (#1375267) Subject: RE: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: Q (Frank Staplin) Apparently little can be added to the few comments in thread 54593: Three Ships I have added a rhyme there from the Opies. |
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09 Jan 05 - 03:56 PM (#1375273) Subject: RE: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: Q (Frank Staplin) (OK, can't spell threadid) 54593: Three Ships |
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09 Jan 05 - 04:26 PM (#1375301) Subject: RE: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: Malcolm Douglas There's no evidence that the song is anything like old enough to have anything to do with Cathars. The story of the Marys' sea journey to Southern Europe was quite widespread. Also suggested have been thematic links with German 'ship carols' and the story of the Three Kings of Cologne (see, for more on the latter, Anne G Gilchrist, The Three Kings of Cologne (I saw Three Ships), in Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, vol V, number 1, 1946, pp 31-40). Various notes from the older carol collections can be seen at Hymns and Carols of Christmas: I Saw Three Ships. The link may not work in some older browsers due to the way stylesheets have been implemented. As Q says, further information is at the older thread, where any further discussion should probably go. |
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10 Jan 05 - 03:04 AM (#1375722) Subject: RE: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: Keith A of Hertford Thanks. Sorry I missed it. |
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10 Jan 05 - 11:12 AM (#1375801) Subject: RE: Origins: I saw 3 ships. Carol From: GUEST,Arkie I've always liked this particular carol, and have assumed the "ships" were figurative rather than literal. Since imagry is frequently used in poetry and songs it has raised few questions. The Christmas story has been retold numerous time with imagry suiting specific cultures or groups. |