What does 4 Colly birds mean?

What does 4 Colly birds mean?

A “calling bird” is actually a song bird, but the original song way way back, referred to “Four Colly Birds”. The word “colly” means “black as coal or soot” so the gift was actually four blackbirds (Turdus Merula).

What does 4 calling birds mean?

4 Calling Birds = the Four Gospels and/or the Four Evangelists. 5 Golden Rings = The first Five Books of the Old Testament, the “Pentateuch,” which gives the history of man’s fall from grace. 6 Geese A-laying = the six days of creation. 7 Swans A-swimming = the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, the seven sacraments.

Is it calling or Colly birds?

Some basic research shows that, based on modern usage, both phrases are correct, though “colly birds” predates “calling birds” by more than a century.

What are the 4 calling birds in the 12 days of Christmas?

And that actually makes sense, considering every other lyric in the first seven days of the song references a bird: a partridge, turtle doves, French hens (or “fat ducks,” depending on the version), calling birds (or black birds), swans and geese.

What is Colly bird?

It’s essentially a black bird, Armenti said Wednesday. Although both “calling” and “colly” have appeared in versions of the song, “colly,” which is derived from the Old English word for coal, predates “calling” by more than a century, he wrote.

What does a partridge in a pear tree mean?

The partridge in a pear tree is symbolic of Christ upon the Cross. In the song, He is symbolically presented as a mother partridge because she would feign injury to decoy a predator away from her nest. She was even willing to die for them. The tree is the symbol of redemption.

Why are they called calling birds?

Calling Birds Are Actually “Colly Birds” or Blackbirds The “calling bird” in the song is a variation on the word “colly bird” or “collie bird.” The definition of colly is “black,” and it comes from the old word for coal. So, simply put, a calling bird is a blackbird.

What were calling birds?

What color is a Colly bird?

black bird
“Colly bird?” It’s essentially a black bird, Armenti said Wednesday. Although both “calling” and “colly” have appeared in versions of the song, “colly,” which is derived from the Old English word for coal, predates “calling” by more than a century, he wrote. And the reference is to the color of the bird, not its voice.

What do calling birds symbolize?

French Hens = Faith, Hope & Charity (The theological virtues) or The Gifts of the Magi (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh.) Calling Birds = Either the Four Gospels or the Four Evangelists. Golden Rings = The Pentateuch or The first 5 books of the Old Testament. Ring also symbolizes eternity.

Is there a hidden meaning in the Twelve Days of Christmas?

The song doesn’t have a hidden biblical meaning. In a nutshell, the theory claims that during a time when Christians were punished for worshiping openly, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song was used to secretly pass on the ideology of Christianity.

Is it 5 gold or golden rings?

“Five gold rings” has often become “five golden rings”, especially in North America. In the standard melody, this change enables singers to fit one syllable per musical note. The gifts associated with the final four days are often reordered. For example, the pipers may be on the ninth day rather than the eleventh.

Is it “four colly birds” or “colly birds?

Those of us in the colly faction pointed to the “Twelve Days of Christmas” glasses out of which we were drinking. The glasses included the words from the song, and the glass for the fourth day clearly said “four colly birds.” Obviously that meant “colly birds” had to be the correct phrase!

What is a Colly bird called?

The term “colly” is Old English slang meaning birds dark as coal, a.k.a. blackbirds. In other old versions of the song, the partridge we know and loved is replaced with a “very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.” If you think that’s weird, consider a Scottish version that gifts “an Arabian baboon.”

What are the four calling birds called?

In this version, the “four calling birds” were actually “four colly birds.” The term “colly” is Old English slang meaning birds dark as coal, a.k.a. blackbirds. In other old versions of the song, the partridge we know and loved is replaced with a “very pretty peacock upon a pear tree.”

What is the origin of the word collie?

The 1780 version has “four colly birds “— colly being a regional English expression for “coal-black” (the name of the collie dog breed may come from this word). This wording must have been opaque to many even in the 19th century: ” canary birds “, “colour’d birds”, “curley birds”, and “corley birds” are found in its place.