Where have all the pagan carols gone?

In the early centuries of Christianity it spread across Europe with imperialism, so local songs were suppressed or their words changed to make them about the Christian god.

Second, industrialization in Europe meant that rural song of all kinds declined as people were often forcibly moved off the land and into cities where they lost connection with seasonal living, while at the same time electricity meant that we weren’t gathered around the fire anymore, entertaining one another.

In the last century, music has also been professionalized and we are used to hearing perfectrecordings from highly trained people, while even a generation ago, we would be learning song from memory from living elders.

So while we only have a few pagan carols left, we still have all the same tools as past generations to make songs of praise again for the sun, for the dark earth and sky, for frost, for mysterious visitors, and we can change the songs that have been passed down to us to make them reflect our values, not the ones that the overlords want to sell to us.

Every time you open your mouth, that’s the voice of your ancestors, and if you want it to be, that’s a pagan carol.

We are the ancestors of the future, let’s make something beautiful.

I’m offering a course this January to regenerate pagan ritual song — I’ll share the general shape of pagan song in lessons, then give you the tools and context to create new ones.

Join us in the Pagan Ritual Song course Jan. 11 to March 15 by clicking here:

It’s just £345 for three months of inspiration and support to repopulate your days with sacred song in reverence of the living world.