Posts Tagged ‘“In the Bleak Midwinter”’

“The Huron Carol” was originally composed by Jean de Brébeuf (1596-1649), the Jesuit missionary to the Huron Indians in French Canada.  Brébeuf, who was a skilled linguist, wrote the lyrics in the Huron language.  The original Huron title was “Jesous Ahatonhia” (“Jesus, he is born“).  It is an excellent example of missionary contextualization in which the gospel story is told in terms familiar and relevant to the receiving culture.  Much like tradition European carols like “The First Noel” and “In the Bleak Midwinter,” which place Christ’s nativity in a cold and snowy winter scene, “The Huron Carol,” uses images that would resonate with the Hurons. Read the rest of this entry »