Christmas Hail from Carmina Gadelica

CHRISTMAS chants were numerous and their recital common throughout Scotland. They are now disappearing with the customs they accompanied. Where they still linger their recital is relegated to boys. Formerly on Christmas Eve bands of young men went about from house to house and from townland to townland chanting Christmas songs. The band was called 'goisearan,' guisers, 'firduan,' song men, 'gillean Nollaig,' Christmas lads, 'nuallairean,' rejoicers, and other names. The 'rejoicers' wore long white shirts for surplices, and very tall white hats for mitres, in which they made a picturesque appearance as they moved along singing their loudest. Sometimes they went about as one band, sometimes in sections of twos and threes. When they entered a dwelling they took possession of a child, if there was one in the house. In the absence of a child, a lay figure was improvised. The child was called 'Crist, Cristean'--Christ, Little Christ. The assumed Christ was placed on a skin, and carried three times round the fire, sunwise, by the 'ceannsnaodh'--head of the band, the song men singing the Christmas Hail. The skin on which the symbolic Christ was carried was that of a white male lamb without spot or blemish and consecrated to this service. The skin was called 'uilim.' Homage and offerings and much rejoicing were made to the symbolic Christ. The people of the house gave the guisers bread, butter, crowdie, and other eatables, on which they afterwards feasted.

Alexander Carmichael

NUALL NOLLAIG  HO Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, thainig ’s an am,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht an tigh ’s na bheil ann,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Eadar chuall, is chlach, is chrann,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Iomair do Dhia, eadar bhrat is aodach, Slainte dhaoine gun robh ann,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Hi, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Gum bu buan mu’n tulach sibh,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Gum bu slan mu’n teallach sibh,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Gum bu liuth crann ’s an tigh, Daoine tamh ’s a’ bhunntair,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e.         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Nochd oichdhe Nollaige moire,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Rugadh Mac na Moir Oighe,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Rainig a bhonnaibh an lar,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Shoillsich grian nam beann ard,         Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e. Shoillsich fearann, shoillsich fonn,        Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,        Ho Ri, ho Ri, Chualas an tonn air an traigh,        Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e, Beannaicht e, beannaicht e,        Ho Ri, ho Ri, Beannaicht an Righ, Gun tus, gun chrich, Gu suthainn, gu sior, Gach linn gu brath.

CHRISTMAS HAIL HAIL to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He who has come betimes,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed be the house and all therein,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, 'Twixt stock and stone and stave,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Consign it to God from corslet to cover, Be the health of men therein,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Lasting round the house be ye,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Healthy round the hearth be ye,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Many be the stakes in the house, And men dwelling on the foundation,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He.         Hail to the King, hail to the King, This night is the eve of the great Nativity,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Born is the Son of Mary the Virgin,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, The soles of His feet have reached the earth,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Illumined the sun the mountains high,         Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He. Shone the earth, shone the land,        Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He,        Hail to the King, hail to the King, Heard was the wave upon the strand,        Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed is He, blessed is He, Blessed is He, blessed is He,        Hail to the King, hail to the King, Blessed the King, Without beginning, without end, To everlasting, to eternity, To all ages, to all time.