Now You Nowell: The First Noël

The First Noël, the angels did say

Was to certain poor shepherds in fields as they lay

In fields where they lay keeping their sheep

On a cold winter’s night that was so deep.

Noël, Noël, Noël, Noël –

Born is the King of Israel!

 You may have noticed that there are two different spellings for that word we love to sing in December: Nowell,” (the British spelling,) or “Noël,” (the French spelling.) Because of these different spellings, there have been disputes about whether the carol originated in England or France.

But what does the word mean? Nowell and Noël have been misunderstood, through the centuries, to be music, but the word in both of its spellings, literally means “a joyful shout expressing exhilaration at Christ’s birth.”  Exhilaration – such a great word, right? Exhilaration: causing strong feelings of happy excitement and elation.

The word Nowell is an old one! It dates back to the fourteenth century when Geoffrey Chaucer first used it in The Canterbury Tales. It is thought to have derived from one of two French words: either Noël or nouvelle, which means “new.”

The First Noël is one of the oldest Christmas carols still sung today! It’s so old that we don’t know, for sure, who wrote it or where that writer lived. Many people thought it originated in France. In fact, in our carol book, the sheet music for this carol designates it as French, from the 18th century. However, scholars tend to think it originated in England a couple centuries earlier. Among other clues is the idea that, if it had been originated in France, it would likely have been titled something all French, like “La Premiere Noël,” not something half English and half French. The way of the French culture was not to share credit with anyone, and the English spelling would certainly not have been tolerated. Well!

All bickering about the words aside, it’s a beautiful melody, isn’t it? When we’re caroling outside the door of a country club or a private home, greeting the incoming guests with carols, they will often stop and sing it with us out in the cold, delaying their entrance to the party. It is undeniably one of those musical jewels that puts people in touch with their spirit. That’s what I love most about it. There is a spirit about it that is so contagious. It has resonated, throughout the years, when scores of other carols came and went and were forgotten. This one had staying power, in spite of the fact that the writer of it got the story wrong! That’s right! Contrast verse two with the Gospel of Luke’s nativity story.

But see – back in the 14th century, there wasn’t a printing press. There were very few bibles. Most common people never saw a bible outside of a church. If they had, they probably wouldn’t have been able to read it. So they learned the Bible stories by oral tradition, and like a game of telephone, the story often changes from telling to telling.

So how did this carol survive where other, more accurately-written carols didn’t? It looks like a couple of things were at play: tradition and good ole spirit! I like discovering not only the origins of carols, but also the ways in which they have impacted people’s lives since they were written.

In the Middle Ages, the English adopted the old Viking tradition of the Yule log. They’d cut a log from a big, thick tree, hollow out the middle, put oils and spices in it and bring it into the house on Christmas Eve. A daughter or wife would use a splinter from last ear’s Yule log to light this new Yule log. The families hoped that the log would burn for the entire twelve days of Christmas. If it did make it to January 6th, the feast of the Epiphany, (the day we celebrate the Wise Men bringing their gifts to Jesus,) they took that as a sign that their household was blessed.

The first verse of The First Noël references the Wise Men, and so it became a tradition for many families to sing The First Noël as they lit the Yule log. Imagine this sensorial event; the smells of fire, burning wood, spices and oil filling the air as this lofty melody filled the throats and ears of countless English families. Commoners felt this carol included them. It was a message of the joy and wonder of God sending His Son to each and every soul. People embraced this carol, passed it on through the generations, and it was eventually published in 1833.

The heart of the writer is imprinted all over this carol. In spite of the errors, that enthusiasm is contagious, and so it continues to be a beloved favorite, often requested of us carolers year after year, even in the twenty-first century. The sincere, authentic devotion of a peasant, joyfully expressing exhilaration at the birth of Christs rings through this crude, simple song, and resonates in us over six hundred years later.