The Huron Carol - A Sermon for Christmas Day 2022

Gospel: John 1:1-14

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

The prologue to the Gospel of John describes Jesus as the Word of God made flesh, the one who reveals God to be "full of grace and truth."

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 4in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.

6There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him. 8He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 9The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world.

10He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 11He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 12But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 13who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God.

14And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth.

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

I invite you to open your hymnals to hymn 284 (Evangelical Lutheran Worship)

It might be helpful to have the hymn in front of you

while I share this message.

This is “Twas in the Moon of Wintertime”

or perhaps better named “The Huron Carol”

This is an eerily beautiful, Victorian sounding hymn,

It is joyous,

but there’s also a sadness behind the music.

Perhaps you’ve sung this before

and wondered about some of these lyrics.

I’d like to share with you some of the history

around this song,

because it is fascinating,

and it is a story that needs to be told.

Did you know that this is a Canadian hymn?

Perhaps Canada’s oldest Christmas song,

perhaps even North America’s oldest Christmas song.

It was written in 1642 by a Jesuit priest and missionary,

Father Jean de Brébeuf.

I wont share his whole story with you,

but it is worth looking up.

Father Brébeuf served at Sainte-Marie

among the Huron people in what is now Quebec,

though the land changed back and forth

between English and French control

during his 16 year ministry.

Between 1644 and 1647,

Father Brébeuf’s ministry among the Huron people

saw thousands baptized

and following the way of the black-robed priests.

Some trivia for you:

Father Brébeuf is the patron saint of Canada!

The original title for the Huron Carol was

“Jesous Ahatonhia”

meaning “Jesus, he is born.”

The hymn was written in the Huron/Wendat language,

and the tune is based on a “Une Jeune Pucelle”

(A Young Maid), a traditional French folk song,

which might predate the Reformation.

The English translation that we sing today

tries to be faithful to the author’s purpose:

telling the nativity story

in the language of the Huron people

using images that make sense to the Huron people,

incorporating some of their own religious concepts.

For example,

the song sings of Jesus being born

in a “lodge of broken bark”

and wrapped in a “robe of rabbit skin”.

Jesus is visited by local hunters,

reminiscent of the visit of the Shepherds.

Jesus is visited by the “chiefs from afar”

bringing gifts of “fox and beaver pelts”

which is reminiscent of the Magi

bringing gifts of Gold, Myrrh and Frankincense.

You’ll notice in our hymnal the asterisk

for the name of God;

the original English translation included

“Gitchi Manitou” for God the Lord of all.

This was not in the original Huron/Wyandot version,

but the term Gitchi Manitou means Great Spirit.

It’s a powerful winter image:

when the birds of the air have fled,

God’s Great Spirit sent angel choirs instead.

When the songs of the birds is not heard in the land,

we hear God’s love song through the angels -

through Jesus.

Amidst its contextual imagery and eerily beautiful tune,

the Huron Carol has a dark history.

In 1649,

about seven years after the song was written,

Huronia was invaded by an Iroquois war party.

All the Hurons were either killed

or escaped to Lorette, Quebec,

not far from Quebec City.

It is believed that descendants of the Huron people

still live there today.

With the invasion came the end of the mission,

and since he refused to leave the Huron people

in their devastation,

Father Brébeuf was brutally murdered,

legend saying that he was worrying

about his fellow priests the whole while.

The goal of the Iroquois invasion

was to forever wipe out the Huron people,

their language

and their culture with it.

It was political

and indicative of the evils of colonialism:

the practice of conquering lands and people

for the growth of the empire.

The Iroquois attackers were influenced by the British

who wanted control of this French territory,

largely held by the Huron people.

It reminds me of the Holy family,

fleeing to Egypt as refugees

because of Herod’s massacre of the first born,

much like the story of

Pharaoh and Moses and the Hebrews.

Canada’s oldest Christmas carol

like the story of Israel

and the story of Jesus

and the story of Canada

cannot escape the evils of colonialism.

Yet in the wake of sin,

God brings redemption.

Father Brébeuf may have died,

but his legacy continued on.

The Huron people did not forget him,

and they continued to sing his Christmas hymn

year after year.

About 150 years later,

another Jesuit priest,

Father de Villeneuve,

heard them singing this carol

and he wrote it down.

The hymn was translated into French,

entitled “Jesus Est Né”

which translates “Jesus is Born”

This version is still sung today in Quebec.

In 1926, it was translated into English

by Canadian poet Jesse E. Middleton.

For the most part,

this is the version that we know today.

The Huron Carol

is forever linked to the obliteration

of the Huron people

and the martyrdom of Father Brébeuf.

The evil that lead to this attack

could not completely wipe out

the legacy of the Huron People

nor the legacy of Father Brébeuf.

This eerily beautiful hymn remained

with the Huron people.

The good news of Jesus’ birth remained

with the Huron people.

This hymn served as a faithful reminder

of God’s presence with the people.

This Jesuit priest found language

for the Huron people to understand

what the Christmas story is about.

He helped them see how God works:

through local people caring for God-In-The-Flesh,

the baby Jesus,

with the materials that were available in their poverty.

The chiefs from afar coming to worship,

offering very valuable gifts

of fox and beaver pelt,

acknowledging that this God Babe is the Saviour

for all people:

Jews, Gentiles,

Hurons, Iroquois,

English, French,

Catholic, Anglican,

all people.

Father Brébeuf’s ministry and Christmas hymn

helped preserve the memory of the people

and the memory of the Gospel,

thanks be to God!

As I dove into this story,

I came upon another translation,

which could be considered more faithful

to the original Huron language;

and perhaps a clue into why the song stayed alive.

I wont share the entire song, just a couple excerpts:

Have courage, you who are human beings:

Jesus, he is born

The okie spirit who enslaved us has fled

Don't listen to him

for he corrupts the spirits of our thoughts

The okie spirits who live in the sky

are coming with a message

They're coming to say, "Rejoice!

Let us act reverently towards (Jesus)

for he comes to show us mercy

It is the will of the spirits that you love us, Jesus,

and we wish that we may be adopted into your family

Jesus, he is born

These words gave hope

to a hopeless Huron people.

Like Father Brébeuf,

and his eerie hymn,

We too can tell the story of Jesus,

and maybe we need to figure out

the language of the people we are telling it to

in the first place,

so the story can be remembered.

According to Hugh McKellar,

a leading Canadian hymnologist

and authority on indigenous song,

Father Brébeuf “does not present Christ’s birth as an event which happened far away and long ago, nor does he linger on its details; what matters for him is the immediacy of the Incarnation and the difference it can make in the lives not just of the Huron, but of believers in any culture.”

You have heard the Christmas story and hymn

from John’s Gospel today,

and John has his own language

to proclaim Christmas to his people:

Jesus’ birth is not limited to Bethlehem,

but rooted in the very beginning;

The Word of God that spoke creation into being,

took flesh and dwells among us.

the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it.

John told the story of Christ’s coming

in a unique way for that audience.

You know the story from Matthew's perspective,

the visit of the Magi,

the escape to Egypt:

a particular story for a particular audience.

You know the story from Luke’s perspective,

Shepherds, Angels,

no place at the inn,

the Messiah in a manger,

another way of telling the Christmas story.

Now we know another nativity story:

Father Brébeuf’s song:

sharing the story of Christmas

with the Huron people.

What might your Christmas story sound like?

In this age of rapid change,

a time of understanding the evils of colonialism,

a time in which fewer people

seem to know the Christmas story,

We can share our Christmas stories.

Christ coming to us

is not some 2000 year old story,

it is happening today,

in our church,

in our city,

in our living rooms.

O children of the forest free,

the angel song is true,

the holy child of earth and heaven

is born, today, for you,

For this radiant boy

is bringing beauty,

peace and joy.

The light shines in our darkness,

the good news of great joy

is for all people:

Jesus your King is born - in excelsis gloria!

English Translation from the Huron Language:

Have courage, you who are human beings: Jesus, he is born

The okie spirit who enslaved us has fled

Don't listen to him for he corrupts the spirits of our thoughts

Jesus, he is born

The okie spirits who live in the sky are coming with a message

They're coming to say, "Rejoice!

Mary has given birth. Rejoice!"

Jesus, he is born

Three men of great authority have left for the place of his birth

Tiscient, the star appearing over the horizon leads them there

That star will walk first on the bath to guide them

Jesus, he is born

The star stopped not far from where Jesus was born

Having found the place it said,

"Come this way"

Jesus, he is born

As they entered and saw Jesus they praised his name

They oiled his scalp many times, anointing his head

with the oil of the sunflower

Jesus, he is born

They say, "Let us place his name in a position of honour

Let us act reverently towards him for he comes to show us mercy

It is the will of the spirits that you love us, Jesus,

and we wish that we may be adopted into your family

Jesus, he is born

Sources:

Paul Westermeyer. “Hymnal Companion to Evangelical Lutheran Worship.” Augsburg Fortress: Minneapolis. 2010. 64.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Huron_Carol

http://cockburnproject.net/songs&music/ia.html

http://flutopedia.com/song_huron_carol.htm

https://www.umcdiscipleship.org/resources/history-of-hymns-twas-in-the-moon-of-wintertime