The Blu Print

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Three? Five? Ten? Who Knows?

In the gospel of Matthew, there is a verse that talks about the baby Jesus being visited by magi, but there is no mention of how many there were, where they were from or even if they were royalty. It only says that they brought gifts of frankincense, myrrh and gold when they came to visit.

Hence, someone, somewhere assumed there were three. They also assumed that because those were all expensive gifts for the time that these visitors were royalty.

If you further research the word magi, you may find that it is plural for the word magus, which in Latin means a follower of Zoroaster or as he was known in Iran, Zarathustra.

Zarathustra was a prophet and religious leader of one of the oldest religion – Zoroastrianism –, which is an interesting mix of astrology, monotheism and other beliefs. This religion serves to offer parts that other religions have freely borrowed along the way. If you are interested, here is a link to even more information. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroastrianism

I don’t want to run down the rabbit hole with this, but thought it was interesting enough to mention because the word magi then went on to mean magic or magician. The bible is full of stories about magicians and sorcerers in both the old and the new testaments.

So, anyway! The only reason that the song and the traditions depict three magi is because there were three gifts even though there is no mention in the gospel of Matthew of the number of magicians that appeared at the manger.

Another tradition is the three names that they somehow managed to get throughout history. In some made up story, the names of the Magi—Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar—and their status as kings from the Orient became some sort of legend. So when John Henry Hopkins, Jr. sat down to write a piece for a Christmas pageant for Epiphany he was putting on, he grabbed hold of the traditional story and ran with it.

Mr. Hopkins was a journalist turned lawyer turned clergy turned songwriter in the 1850s. He originally wrote the lyrics to We Three Kings as a piece with three solos and a joined chorus for the play. As was the tradition, he wrote the lyrics and borrowed the music from something written literally, in the Middle Ages. Due to the song’s sad and plodding tune, it has been traced back to songs of that wonderfully uplifting time.

We Three Kings has gone on to be the first Christmas carol from the United States to be included in collections of Christmas carols. I, personally, have always liked this particular carol. Maybe, it’s the music. Smile

Their name grabbed my attention.

The Mediaeval Baebes!

Now you know where they got the idea that this was a Medieval tune.

I am not sure if you are uplifted or lulled into a sense of wellbeing by these delightful sirens that reminded me of a scene from O’ Brother Where Art Though?, but it’s time to go shopping, and what better things to shop for than gold.

Here are some more showcases for you to enjoy:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9

Silent Night, Holy Night
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
White Christmas
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Go Tell it on the Mountain
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Away in the Manger
O’ Tannenbaum

Hurry because handmade sells out fast, and when they are gone, they are gone! Buy now.
Enjoy!
Julie

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Friday, November 11, 2016

Countdown to Christmas 2016 Week 9

Christmas Countdown

It's that time of the year again!
Did you know that this is our 5th annual countdown?
Here are some of the great gift ideas for 2016 from our favorite designers and collectors.

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

It’s Always Green

This is not a Christmas song, but you would never know that if you listen to Christmas carols sung around the world. In fact, this song is a very sad and tragic love song that includes a very unfaithful lover.

Ach Tannenbaum is a 16th century folk song that was modified in 1819 by Joachim August Zarnack to become the basis of a song we now associate with Christmas. O Tannenbaum was a tragic love song that spoke of unfaithfulness and loss and compared it to the ever faithful and ever green fir tree, or tannenbaum.

Since this tree would never let you down, it was heralded as the epitome of faithfulness. It would be green and true (true was in the original German version), and it would never go bad or brown on you. By the way, in case you’re interested, it is the maiden who is not true to her lover!

In 1824, Ernst Anshutz took the song and added two verses. By this time, Christmas trees were becoming a normal part of the holiday décor German, so he associated it with Christmas and the evergreen trees we decorate. He never mentions any decoration or the birth of Christ within the song.

The tune is well known and has been used by a number states, including Florida and Michigan, for the tune behind their state songs.

A Charlie Brown Christmas uses this extensively as piano background music in quite a bit of their movie. It has been covered by more beautiful voices than I can even list, but Aretha Franklin, Johnny Mathis and Tony Bennett are notable singers. Of course, that’s not who I chose to showcase this song.

GERMAN:

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Wie treusind deine Blätter!
Du grünst nicht nur zur Sommerzeit,
Nein, auch im Winter, wenn es schneit.

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Wie treu sind deine Blätter!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
Wie oft hat nicht zur Weihnachtszeit
Ein Baum von dir mich hoch erfreut!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren:
Die Hoffnung und Beständigkeit
Gibt Mut und Kraft zu jeder Zeit!

O Tannenbaum, o Tannenbaum,
Dein Kleid will mich was lehren!

ENGLISH:

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us!
They are green when summer days are bright,
They are green when winter snow is white.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
Your branches green delight us!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!
How oft at Christmas tide the sight,
O green fir tree, gives us delight!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree,
You give us so much pleasure!

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Forever true your colour.
Your boughs so green in summertime
Stay bravely green in wintertime.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
Forever true your colour.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
You fill my heart with music.
Reminding me on Christmas Day
To think of you and then be gay.

O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree
You fill my heart with music.

Enjoy this rendition that includes another version of the English version that we may be more familiar with than this penned version.

Now that you are warm and fuzzy, let’s go see what we can find for our true loves who are as faithful as the evergreen.

Teardrop Picasso Bracelet

Treasures of Jewels

Big Dangly Handmade Fused Glass Starfish Beach Earrings

2GlassThumbs

Dragonfly Necklace

SolanaKaiDesigns

Red and Green Apple Coasters

Wyvern Designs

Protective Laptop Sleeve in Earthy Colors

RSS Designs in Fiber

Kelly Green Tartan Plaid Dog Bandana

SewAmazin

Boho Dangle Earrings for Women

Blue Morning Expressions

Unique Earrings for Women

Blonde Peach Jewelry

Jesus Christ Christmas Tree Ornament

Kevs Krafts

Quilted Floral Hot Pad

ennadoolf

Nebraska Farm Corn Fields

Butterfly in the Attic

Recycled Bottle Christmas Ornament

Resetar Glass Arts

Dinosaur Stickers

Adore by Nat

Hand Knit Reversible Cowl Tropical Juice Sage Teal

Crafting Memories 1

Green Turquoise Picasso Tile Copper Superduo Beaded Handmade Bracelet

Kats All That

Emerald Crystal Earrings

Pretty Gonzo

Handmade Holly Lampwork Christmas Earrings

Shadow Dog Designs

Etched Transparent Sage Green Lampwork Sea Glass Beads

Covergirl Beads

Kingman Green Blue Turquoise Nugget Sterling Silver Beaded Bracelet

Dianes Dangles

Large Dark Green Oval Russian Serpentine Gemstone Pendant Necklace

The Singing Beader

These talented artists are available for special requests or orders, so don’t hesitate to contact them if you have any questions about these pieces.

Here are some more showcases for you to enjoy:
Week 1
Week 2
Week 3
Week 4
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8

Silent Night, Holy Night
We Wish You a Merry Christmas
White Christmas
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Go Tell it on the Mountain
It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
Away in the Manger

Hurry because handmade sells out fast, and when they are gone, they are gone! Buy now.
Enjoy!
Julie

Friday, November 4, 2016

Countdown to Christmas 2016 Week 8

Christmas Countdown

It's that time of the year again!
Did you know that this is our 5th annual countdown?
Here are some of the great gift ideas for 2016 from our favorite designers and collectors.

An InLinkz Link-up

get the InLinkz code

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Go Away - No Room at All

The most popular Christmas carol of all times in Great Britain and second in the United States is a little story about a humble beginning.

Supposedly, it was penned by the German reformer, Martin Luther, who sang this little tune to his own children and is still considered a lullaby by German mothers who sing to their children. In fact, it’s original title was “Luther’s Cradle Song”. It’s first publishing date was in 1885, which was supposed to be 400 years from Luther’s birth.

However! This song was never found among anything that Luther had in his home to indicate that he wrote it. In fact, it is rumored that this was just a marketing gimmick to sell Martin Luther, who was a well-known German Protestant reformer on what was supposed to be his 400th birthday. Even that was wrong by a couple of years.

It was later added to the Evangelical Lutheran Sunday School collection in 1885, where it was given the popular name that we know it by and music titled “St. Kilda by J.E. Clark.

Luther is said to have written the first two verses of Away in the Manger, but it has been added onto since then. In the 1800s, the third stanza appeared along with a new tune. The new verses sometimes are credited to Luther, and sometimes, they are erroneously attributed to Dr. John McFarland who’s work on the song was well after the publication date.

This poor little song has had a rash of misfortunes along the way to becoming one of our cherished songs. Including a heated church debate over whether or not the words “no crying he makes” smacks of heresy because it indicates that Jesus was never a human, and therefore, could not have human emotions. The teachings tell us that Jesus was most certainly a human with human emotions.

When put into context with the first part of the song, the baby fell asleep and woke to the sounds of the cows muttering to themselves. The argument goes on to say that unless he was wet, hungry or otherwise unhappy, he would be like all other babies and just lay there.

For the love of Pete, people have not changed much in the last 200 years.

If you have never studied any history about the nativity, you may be surprised to find that Jesus was not born in a barn. He was born in a cave, and he was placed in a stone trough that was used to feed the cattle. Of course, this is up for dispute, and I am including it because I found it interesting and have heard this from a number of sources. If you want to read further about the birth, here is a long list of contradictory opinions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nativity_of_Jesus

No matter what the manger was like or where it was, it is agreed that he was placed Away in the Manger.

Regardless of who penned it or why it was written, this song is as gentle as a lullaby and sung quietly and solemnly during candlelight Christmas Eve services everywhere. I know you know it, and I know you can sing along.

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.
The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.
I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.
Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,
And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there

Like all of our songs, they have been covered far and wide, and I try to find something that just “feels” right. Like this one did, and it was NOT easy to make a decision! Three other renditions were tied for the top spot.

Hopefully, that soothing voice has brought the magic back to the song that the history tried to take away. I mean, who wouldn’t fall back in love with the song after that rendition?

Now that you are all goosebumpy, let’s go shopping!