Uploaded December 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This time of year, we hear all kinds of Christmas carols- but did you know some of them tell stories that connect us to the pre-Christian past? The Cherry Tree Carol is a ballad that tells a story about the holy family that goes back thousands of years. This story, found in what were called “Infancy Gospels” about Jesus’ life, didn’t make the cut into the Bible, but has traveled as a popular tale in writings, plays and songs up to the present day. And, most intriguingly, the Cherry Tree Carol connects us to pre-Christian beliefs in sacred trees and waters, fertility goddesses, and other holy families- such as that of Leto and her children Apollo and Artemis.
My short doc on the history and folklore of this Appalachian ballad is available on my YouTube channel!
I offer classes and workshops on pagan song and other cool topics year-round. You can keep track of all my offerings by joyning my newslettr via the lynk on my creator page.
This time of year, we hear all kinds of Christmas carols- but did you know some of them tell stories that connect us to the pre-Christian past? The Cherry Tree Carol is a ballad that tells a story about the holy family that goes back thousands of years. This story, found in what were called “Infancy Gospels” about Jesus’ life, didn’t make the cut into the Bible, but has traveled as a popular tale in writings, plays and songs up to the present day. And, most intriguingly, the Cherry Tree Carol connects us to pre-Christian beliefs in sacred trees and waters, fertility goddesses, and other holy families- such as that of Leto and her children Apollo and Artemis.
My short doc on the history and folklore of this Appalachian ballad is available on my YouTube channel!
I offer classes and workshops on pagan song and other cool topics year-round. You can keep track of all my offerings by joyning my newslettr via the lynk on my creator page.
