Early Images of the Christ Child

Today's Christians believe the Christ Child was "meek and mild." However, early Christians pictured Him as a morbid young God whose fits of temper sometimes put His parents in an awkward position.

THE CHERRY TREE CAROL

Joseph was an old man,
An old man was he,
When he wedded Mary,
In the land of Galilee.

Joseph and Mary walked
Through an orchard good,
Where was cherries and berries
So red as any blood.

Joseph and Mary walked
Through an orchard green,
Where was berries and cherries
As thick as might be seen.

O then bespoke Mary,
So meek and so mild:
"Pluck me one cherry, Joseph,
For I am with child."

O then bespoke Joseph,
With words most unkind:
"Let him pluck thee a cherry,
That brought thee with child."

O then bespoke the Babe,
Within His mother's womb:
"Bow down then the tallest tree,
For my mother to have some."

Then bowed down the highest tree
Unto his mother's hand;
Then she cried, "See, Joseph,
I have cherries at command."

O then bespoke Joseph:
"I have done Mary wrong;
But cheer up my dearest,
And be not cast down."

Then Mary plucked a cherry
As red as the blood,
Then Mary went home
With her heavy load.

Then Mary took her Babe,
And sat him on her knee,
Saying, "My dear son, tell me
What this world will be."

"O I shall be as dead, Mother,
As the stones in the wall;
O the stones in the streets, Mother,
Shall mourn for Me all.

Upon Easter-day, Mother,
My uprising shall be;
O the sun and the moon, Mother,
Shall both rise with Me."

- Old English Christmas Carol

THE BITTER WITHY

As it fell out on a high holiday
When drops of rain did fall,
Jesus asked of His Mother Mary
If He might play at ball.

"To play at ball, my own dear Son,
It's time you're going or gone,
But let me hear of no complaints
At night when you come home."

Sweet Jesus went down to yonder town
As far as the Holy Well,
And there He saw as fine children
As ever tongue can tell.

"I say God bless you every one.
Your bodies and souls pray keep.
Little children shall I play with you?
And you shall play with Me?"

"Oh nay, oh nay, that must not be,
And oh nay, that must not be.
For we are all lords' and ladies' sons
Born in bowers all."

Jesus made a bridge of beams of the sun,
And over Jordan went He.
And there followed after the three children,
And drowned the three, all three.

And its upling corns, and downling corns,
The mothers of them did whoop and call,
"Oh Mary mild, call home your child,
For ours are drownded all."

Then Mary mild called home her child,
And laid it across her knee.
And with a rod of bitter withy,
She gave Him thrashes three.

Oh the withy, the withy, the bitter withy,
Which caused my back to smart!
The withy shall be the very first tree
To perish at the heart.

- Old English Carol

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