One of the best known Christian saints around the world is Nicholas of the Ancient Greek (now part of Turkey) coastal city, Myra, as he is tied into the Santa Claus mythology. December 6th is set for his Feast Day as that is when he was believed to be the day he died though in the Orthodox religion it is on the 19th.
Lots about the real saint have been lost but 200 years after his death, he had a strong band of followers...actually known as the cult of St. Nicholas. The cult entwined Christianity aspects with Greek mythology (why Krampus is at home being St. Nick's wing man).
So, though there is very little left to tell us about the real Nicholas, he lived in a time and place where Christianity was constantly being attacked and documentation was done on parchment which wasn't always stored right, there are two stories about Nick that solidified his status as a child protecting generous giver:
The first shows his altruistic side. A poor man with 3 daughters was very concerned that his girls would have to turn to prostitution in order to help him provide for them and, as you might guess, he really didn't want that life for his daughters. One night, Nick dropped 3 pouches of gold into an open window. I mean, it isn't the whole cool landing on the rooftop and squeezing into a chimney to leave gifts thing but a pretty kickass thing to do, especially since Nicholas tried to do this in secret as to avoid the credit like a true charitable person does.
The second story is a bit more gruesome and, unless Nick was the first Dr. Frankenstein, a bit more far fetched but, at the heart of it, it shows him as the admonisher of bad adults and the protector of children:
One day during a famine, Nicholas was walking around town and came across the butcher shop where he noticed that there were parts of kids being pickled in barrels full of brine. The butcher was planning on selling the parts as pork. Nicholas reassembled and resurrected the children. Here is a translation of a traditional French song describing the incident:
(Traditional French song translated into English by Barbara MacArthur from The Saint Nicholas Center site)
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
They went and they came
Until night fell and they were lost.
They went to a butcher’s house,
THE CHILDREN:
“Butcher, will you let us stay here tonight?”
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
They were just inside the door
When the butcher killed them.
He chopped them into little pieces,
Put them in a brine bucket like pigs.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
St. Nicholas, at the end of seven years,
Came to pass by this field,
He knocked at the butcher’s door.
Nicholas with butcher
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Butcher, would you want me to stay the night?”
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
BUTCHER:
“Come in, come in St. Nicholas,
There is lots of room, you will want for nothing.”
NARRATOR:
He no more than entered
Than he asked him to supper.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Some little salted meat I want to have
That has been in the brine bucket seven years.”
NARRATOR:
When the butcher heard this
He ran out the door.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting In the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Butcher, Butcher, don’t run away;
Repent! God will pardon you.”
Nicholas with barrel
NARRATOR:
St. Nicholas went to seat himself
At the side of the brine bucket.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Little children who sleep there
I am the great St. Nicholas.”
NARRATOR:
And the Saint extended three fingers:
(the French way of counting with his thumb as #1, index finger #2 and third finger #three)
The little ones woke up all three.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
The first says:
Nicholas with children
CHILD ONE:
“I have slept well;”
NARRATOR:
The second says:
CHILD TWO:
“And me too;”
NARRATOR:
And the third answers:
CHILD THREE:
“I believe I was in heaven.”
Lots about the real saint have been lost but 200 years after his death, he had a strong band of followers...actually known as the cult of St. Nicholas. The cult entwined Christianity aspects with Greek mythology (why Krampus is at home being St. Nick's wing man).
So, though there is very little left to tell us about the real Nicholas, he lived in a time and place where Christianity was constantly being attacked and documentation was done on parchment which wasn't always stored right, there are two stories about Nick that solidified his status as a child protecting generous giver:
The first shows his altruistic side. A poor man with 3 daughters was very concerned that his girls would have to turn to prostitution in order to help him provide for them and, as you might guess, he really didn't want that life for his daughters. One night, Nick dropped 3 pouches of gold into an open window. I mean, it isn't the whole cool landing on the rooftop and squeezing into a chimney to leave gifts thing but a pretty kickass thing to do, especially since Nicholas tried to do this in secret as to avoid the credit like a true charitable person does.
The second story is a bit more gruesome and, unless Nick was the first Dr. Frankenstein, a bit more far fetched but, at the heart of it, it shows him as the admonisher of bad adults and the protector of children:
One day during a famine, Nicholas was walking around town and came across the butcher shop where he noticed that there were parts of kids being pickled in barrels full of brine. The butcher was planning on selling the parts as pork. Nicholas reassembled and resurrected the children. Here is a translation of a traditional French song describing the incident:
(Traditional French song translated into English by Barbara MacArthur from The Saint Nicholas Center site)
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
They went and they came
Until night fell and they were lost.
They went to a butcher’s house,
THE CHILDREN:
“Butcher, will you let us stay here tonight?”
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
They were just inside the door
When the butcher killed them.
He chopped them into little pieces,
Put them in a brine bucket like pigs.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
St. Nicholas, at the end of seven years,
Came to pass by this field,
He knocked at the butcher’s door.
Nicholas with butcher
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Butcher, would you want me to stay the night?”
NARRATOR:
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
BUTCHER:
“Come in, come in St. Nicholas,
There is lots of room, you will want for nothing.”
NARRATOR:
He no more than entered
Than he asked him to supper.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Some little salted meat I want to have
That has been in the brine bucket seven years.”
NARRATOR:
When the butcher heard this
He ran out the door.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting In the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Butcher, Butcher, don’t run away;
Repent! God will pardon you.”
Nicholas with barrel
NARRATOR:
St. Nicholas went to seat himself
At the side of the brine bucket.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
ST. NICHOLAS:
“Little children who sleep there
I am the great St. Nicholas.”
NARRATOR:
And the Saint extended three fingers:
(the French way of counting with his thumb as #1, index finger #2 and third finger #three)
The little ones woke up all three.
There were three little children
Who were harvesting in the fields. (repeat)
The first says:
Nicholas with children
CHILD ONE:
“I have slept well;”
NARRATOR:
The second says:
CHILD TWO:
“And me too;”
NARRATOR:
And the third answers:
CHILD THREE:
“I believe I was in heaven.”
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