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Song: Away in the manger
1. Song: Away in the manger
2. Verse 1 and 2
Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.
The cattle are *lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh.
The word *lowing is related Latin "clamor" and Greek for "called out" as in "a gathering of believers".
3. Away in the manger
A popular Christmas song is "
Away in the manger".
Who wrote the words?
Who wrote the melody?
Why is there more than one melody?
The song "
Away in the manger" is an interesting example of what in recent times might be called "
fake news" - but from the nineteenth century.
4. Song: Away in the manger
Martin Luther wrote many songs, one of which is "
Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her", which in English is "
From highest heaven, I come here".
[Kristkind, Cris Kringle]
1883: Lutheran Church song for 400th anniversary birth of Luther.
Not true: Luther wrote it. Claim: German mothers sing it to their babies.
World War I: new Welsh melody.
Both melodies can be used without offending some.
Did Mary and Joseph determine how heavy the baby Jesus was?
Yes, there was a weigh in the manger. Was He worth the wait?
5. Two melodies
The first melody is a simple descending scale starting on the 5th.
The second melody is a simple Welsh melody.
6. From highest heaven
The German Martin Luther is often attributed with the words to the song "
Away in the manger". He never wrote the song.
Martin Luther wrote many songs, one of which is "
Von Himmel hoch, da komm ich her", which in English is "
From highest heaven, I come here".
7. Line of reasoning
German Martin Luther never wrote the song.
He wrote something similar.
8. Luther's poem - in English
Awake my soul. my heart, behold.
Who lieth in that manger cold.
Who is this lovely baby boy?
It is Jesus Christ, our only joy.
Ah Lord, who all things did create,
How came thou to this poor estate.
To make the hay and straw thy bed.
Whereon the ox and ass are fed.
(and so on)
9. Church celebration
It appears that someone in the Lutheran church in 1883 used Luther's longer hymn as a starting point to created a simplified version for the 400th Anniversary celebration of Luther's birth.
Publicists took and ran with this idea, as in "
Luther sang this song to his children", and "
German mothers sing this song to their children". Illustrations followed. It was just accepted. At some point the name "
Carl Mueller" was attributed as the author (as some author was needed for copyright purposes).
In World War I, the "
War to end all wars", thinking the song was of German origin, an alternate Welsh melody become popular.
10. Welsh melody
A Welsh melody was adapted for "
Away in a manger".
Who are the Welsh?
Who are the Celts?
How does this relate to Galatians?
11. Verse 2
The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle 'til morning is nigh.
12. World War I
After World War I, the former melody regained popularity.
In World War II, facing the same issue, research was done to verify that it was not written by Martin Luther. Thus, the original melody could be used again.
Which melody do you prefer?
13. Verse 3
Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.
14. Real news
What is more important than the "
fake news", however, is the "
real news" of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ to which the song refers.
15. End of page