The Holly and The Ivy-page 374
Druid Solstice Celebration
When I first wrote this piece for the book I was reading about ancient Christian customs and symbols and came upon the Christmas Carol “The Holly and the Ivy” which I had never heard before. I was instantly mesmerized by the lyrics and the rather convoluted message it was sending.
No doubt the published text of the carol from the early 1800’s is itself compiled from folk carols and even earlier lore through oral history. Its origin is sometimes listed as “traditional”.
In my original selection on page 374 I used one of the Christian versions of the carol.1 Recently I discovered another version beautifully sung by Canadian artist Mia Arsenault which includes the Druid lyrics likely translated into English from Celtic. It sheds a great deal of light on the meaning of the song as a celebration of the Solstice2
Choosing only the natural character of the two plants to interpret the lyrics does not make a lot of sense. These particular plants have symbolic attributes that extend back into antiquity. As I looked more deeply into the way the plants were used in the lyrics it became clear to me that we were not talking about two kinds of forest greenery.
As I researched the subject I began to see the composition of the song had Druid or other pre-Christian meaning. German Father Heinz (a Capuchin monk) who is interested in the ancient Celts once said that “A Christian must be esoteric!” to understanding ancient symbolism in our modern world. This is a very insightful statement in light of all the information available to us today.
With that in mind I decided to focus on the symbolism that might apply to this carol. For instance, ivy is understood to represent the male principle while holly is traditionally a female aspect. One example that stands out is a Druid belief that continue in other cultures to this day that “…(ivy) combined with holly brings peace to a household”3. In other word reconciles the male and female aspects. This can still be seen in traditional wreaths and garland in the holiday season.
Because these plants continue to be green even in harsh winter weather this feature has taken on all sorts of symbolism.
Endurance, longevity, harmony, to name a few. Holly is an evergreen that has the curious characteristic of being a tree, shrub, or vine. It is a shape-shifter which our ancestors saw as a metaphor for the spirit world.
Ivy is also an evergreen that is a tenacious vine which can withstand severe conditions and still flourish. It can conceal dilapidated buildings or a tangle of fallen tree limbs forming amazing shapes and habitat for wildlife thus becoming a friend of nature.
The jewel-like distinctive red berries of the holly can easily be seen as a crown in the vegetative world giving it a regal stature beyond the other forest dwellers. One Druid narrative has the holly and the oak locked in an eternal war for supremacy. The towering leafy oak that conceals the other trees rules the Summer and the holly defeating the oak who looses his mantle of leaves as Winter approaches while the holly stands out as a colorful beacon thus commanding the attention of the rest of creation, winning the battle until the next season.
In the carol the ivy is the male spiritual aspect that guards the trees like an army of green leaves in the Winter and is the protector of the female aspect-holly-which lives at the crown of the forest. From there on the story is about the female spirit and her traits in this legend. The ivy is not mentioned again in the song.
The message of the lyrics for me is a pre-Christian story where the plants take on human mystical personalities which are not rooted in ordinary religious ideas but go back to the Druid culture where trees were living spirit creatures. This is combined with the belief in Brigid a popular Celtic goddess who was ultimately canonize by the Church as Saint Brigid. Using her mystical powers she could be both participant and the narrator of the tale.
Holly’s white lily-like blossom recalls the lily and the symbol of hope, purity, and the cycle of life with the coming of the Solstice. The blossom will bear the bright berry that is the rising Sun. The prickle of the holly leaf and the bitter bark of the holly tree is a reminder of the cold Winter that the Sun will soon defeat.
The gentle refrain talks about the “…rising of the Sun…” which is the return of the Sun as the days lengthen after the Winter Solstice. The Sun is carried aloft by magical deer “stealing the Sun” from the darkness while the enchanted trees sing songs of praise.
Mia Arsenault and the Druid lyrics:
The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
Refrain
[O, the rising of the sun
And the running of the deer
The playing of the lute
Sweet singing amongst the trees]
The holly bears a blossom
As white as lily flower
As the Winter snows that befall the Earth
Twinkling beneath the stars.
[:]
The holly bears a berry
As red as any blood
As we warm the spiced sweet Summer wines
Merrily we fill our cup.
[:]
The holly bears a prickle
As sharp as any thorn
like the icy frost that bites our skin
Early on the Solstice morn.
[:]
The holly bears a bark,
bitter as any gall,
just as the coldest winds that blow about
As we watch the rising Sun.
[:]
The holly and the ivy
When they are both full grown
Of all trees that are in the wood
The holly bears the crown
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https://druidry.org/ Thank you to this wonderful research website where I gleaned many tidbits of insight
Let's have a nice round of applause for the Holly King
Outstanding. You have given a life to the holly and ivy beyond any symbolization