THE “Huron Carol,” sung here by Heather Dale in Wendat (Huron), French and English, was written in 1643 by St. Jean de Brébeuf, one of the eight North American Martyrs. This is said to be the first carol ever written in America. St. Jean, who was later captured by the Iroquois and tortured to death, adapted a 16th-century French folk song to his Jesous Ahatonnia (Jesus is Born). According to the early missionaries, the Hurons had a great devotion to Christmas once it was introduced and built Christmas chapels out of fir and cedar.

A much different version of the carol can be found here.

— Comments —

Janice writes:

I never heard this before. It was so beautiful…the Christmas music selections you share here are the best!

Thank you, Laura.

Laura writes:

Thank you.

I also really like Heather Dale’s performance. The Chanticleer version, which is in the link, just …. doesn’t work.

I’d like to post only Advent music in the weeks before Christmas, but there is so much great Christmas music and people won’t listen to it after New Year’s, so I start to ramp it up as it gets closer to Christmas Day.

Someone could post Christmas music every day of the year and never run out.

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