(5 out of 5 stars) This collection of Medieval Christmas music has a wonderful mixture of pieces - Hebrew cantillation, Old Saxon readings, plainchant, processional music - with varying countries of origin - Spanish, Provencal, French, Italian, German, English. The net result is a varied program that will appeal even to those not particularly familiar with Medieval music.The musical instruments are period instruments - rebec, viola da gamba, flutes, recorders, shawm, etc. They are well utilized in the service of the words. The Boston Camerata is, as usual, a well trained choir - the words are clear, the voices blend beautifully.This can be an excellent addition to your Christmas music collection - one that helps keep Christmas a religious holy day rather than just a civil holiday.
Pagan Festivities And Cristes Maesse
This allowed for a smooth socio-cultural transition, where ingrained calendrical rituals could be maintained, whilst the meanings of those rituals could be transformed. A clear example of this in Celtic and Germanic countries is the transformation of
Samhain (October 31) into All Hallow’s Eve and All Saints’ Day on November 1. Samhain was a European-wide, pre-Christian celebration and commemoration of ancestors, but by the eighth century the Church had requisitioned the date to mark its own
special ancestors - the martyred saints.
Mosaic of Jesus as Christus Sol (Christ the Sun) in Mausoleum M in the pre-fourth-century necropolis under St Peter s Basilica in Rome (
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Pagan Survivals in Medieval Holiday Celebrations
By Kathryn Walton
Many of the most signature parts of Christmas in the Middle Ages (and today) actually come from pagan rather than Christian traditions. So, if you want to find out how you can make your Christmas and end of year celebrations just a little bit more pagan, read on!
Christmas held a central position in the medieval church and in medieval society. Surviving accounts of Christmas and New Years paint a vibrant image of a festive event filled with merriment, feasting, foolery, and gifts. If you want to learn more about what a medieval Christmas might have looked like, check out the features on