The Friendly Beasts of the Nativity

The Nativity (close up view) 1490. Gerard David

Jesus, our brother, kind and good,

was humbly born in a stable rude,

and the friendly beasts around him stood;

Jesus, our brother, kind and good.

 "I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown,

"I carried his mother uphill and down;

I carried his mother to Bethlehem town.

I," said the donkey, shaggy and brown.

 "I," said the cow, all white and red,

"I gave him my manger for his bed,

I gave him my hay to pillow his head.

I," said the, cow all white and red.

 "I," said the sheep with curly horn,

"I gave him my wool for his blanket warm;

he wore my coat on Christmas morn.

I," said the sheep with curly horn.

"I," said the dove from the rafters high,

"I cooed him to sleep that he should not cry;

we cooed him to sleep, my mate and I.

I," said the dove from the rafters high.

Thus every beast by some good spell,

in the stable dark was glad to tell

how they gave their gift to Emmanuel;

the gift they gave Emmanuel.

                                                                                    

                                         -THE FRIENDLY BEASTS, 12th cent. FRENCH CAROL

I hope this finds you well, my friends, as Christmas Day is around the corner. There are so many emotions this year. We have lost two uncles and an aunt who we loved dearly. Our family is filled with broken hearts. We have close friends that have lost spouses and family members. This is a season of both joy and heartache.  And, of course, the constant visuals of amazingly decorated homes, treats, and perfect gifts to show your loved ones how much you care. You can easily feel inadequate. I find gift giving and even gift getting very overwhelming. I always just send Christmas cards. (Enter the disappointing waa waa sound.) It was very hard to write the Christmas cards this year. So many people are mourning. What words can I say to comfort them? It makes you feel so small which is exactly where I meet our Lord, a tiny baby surrounded by barn animals. What gifts could these animals possibly give the Christ child?

I had never heard this song before. It is called the Friendly Beasts, and it is one of the oldest carols still sung today.  It is such a humble and sweet song. The Friendly Beasts by the The Louvin Brothers is my favorite version. 

This version is  by  Burl Ives,  and this one is by a fancy choir.

The following video is a reading of a true story. It is the magical tale of a little girl and her grandfather. The pair rush to see the barn animals on a snowy Christmas night.

Sweet Story Animals Kneel at Christmas in Appalachia

Lastly, here are a handful of images of the friendly beasts kneeling in paintings and pottery. These are the ones I found especially charming. I just love their noses in the crib and heads bowed down.

The Adoration of the Shepherds, 1600. Annibale Carracci

The Nativity, 1433. Zanobi Strozzi

Painted Terracotta Nativity, 5 pieces. 15 cent. Antonio Rossellino

Bernardino Luini: Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds 1520

Christ's Nativity, 1825.  Vladimir Borovikovsky

If there is a theme to our blog, it is that I am always reminded not to be ambitious. We were chosen to remain the littlest of flowers. My main motivation in writing this blog is to share imperfect and small things in this over the top world. Trust me, there are better cooks, better homes, better ideas and more elaborate content than mine. I have always wanted to expose the beauty in a little common life like mine. There is still time to offer up your tiny gifts to Jesus. A smile, a prayer, time reading His Word, or an act of charity. Maybe be patient in the grocery line. Maybe you could give Jesus a gift of not saying something cruel. Maybe just tell Him you love Him today. And, if you are hurting this Christmas, Mr. Peasant and I are sending you a prayer. You are not alone. Merry Christmas! We truly thank you for reading.