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Lo How a Rose

The 15th century carol by Praetorius "Lo How a Rose ere Blooming" has always been a puzzle for me. Where did the "Rose " come from? Was the original German "Es Ist Ein 'Reis' " , meaning "shoot" ie from the stem or "shoot" of Jesse? and was it corrupted to "Ros" ie the Rose we now sing in the English version?

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #1 –
From a Web search:

"The Christmas Rose (helleborus niger) is a perennial herb with lobed leaves and a white five-petal flower (image)it is blooming in midwinter and therefore is called the Christmas Rose. Because it blooms in early Spring in some regions it is often also called the Lenten Rose (Britannica, vol. 11, p. 402, 1960).

"...German decorations use the symbol of the Christmas rose, frequently with an evergreen branch. It can be found on table clothes, napkins, wrapping paper and Christmas cards.

Christ as the rose is a common theme which runs through the whole Bible. Martin Luther adopted it as his coat of arms and insignia."
The source is http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/xmasrose.htm, and it has links to various Christ/Christmas/winter/Lenten roses, even recipes.

Dave G.

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #2 –
Well, thank you, Dave G.! That's one of the songs our choir sings, and now I understand it better. :)

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #3 –
Thanks for the thanks, but all I did was lean on Google.

I'm willing to bet there are pre-Christian things going on as well -- a plant that blooms in midwinter probably is right up there with mistletoe, holly, evergreens, lights/candles and yule logs as elements of Getting Through Yet Another Winter, elements that go far, far back in time for northern cultures.

Dave G.

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #4 –
Christ as the rose is a common theme which runs through the whole Bible.

Yep. For example, there are many hymns and anthems that are titled "Christ, A Rose".

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #5 –
The Song of Solomon includes the expression "Rose of Sharon" (compared to the beloved -- naturally). Medieval commentators allegorized the love songs to refer to the relationship between Christ and the church (or the believer).

The other figures of speech in the song are from Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah, or which were applied to the Messiah. Check any concordance or Bible search program...

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #6 –
We always sing "Christ, A Rose" at Easter.

 

Once I sat on a flower whose stem was loaded with thorns, and while jumping up I screamed "Christ! A Rose!"

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #7 –
I was the 1st bass in a quartet many years ago. One of the songs we sang was Lo how a rose e'er blooming. We also sang songs such as this:  Skeeters am a'hummin on the honeysuckle vine---sleep kentucky babe, etc.

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #8 –
Who’s on 1st bass?

Re: Lo How a Rose

Reply #9 –
Christ as the rose is a common theme which runs through the whole Bible.

Some entertaining pun was had by members in replies 4 & 6.

Still, I'd like someone to quote me chapter and verse for this outlandish claim ... :-)

I'm not really sure that one reference to the Song of Solomon counts as "thru the whole Bible", since the Song, no matter how beautiful, is apocryphal rather than canonical.