A Medieval Polish Carol with a Royal Secret AND the Mystery of ‘Adeste Fideles’
- larees24
- Dec 16, 2025
- 3 min read
🎄 Welcome, to ‘Christmas around the Piano’…a nostalgic musical journey!🎄
Day 16 - December 16, 2025:
“Infant Holy, Infant Lowly” one of the most beloved yet misunderstood Christmas carols, was originally a Polish hymn titled “W Żłobie Leży”.
It may date back to the 13th century and with its medieval origins, its connection to Polish kings, its dance‑like musical structure, it carries the rhythm of a royal coronation polonaise. In 1920, Edith M. G. Reed translated it into English, bringing its gentle melody and nativity imagery to the world.
The carol began as “W Żłobie Leży” (“In the Manger He Lies”), a traditional Polish Christmas song. It appears in the 1908 hymnal Śpiewniczek Pieśni Kościelne, but scholars believe the melody and text may be much older — possibly as early as the 13th century.
The Polish text is sometimes attributed to Piotr Skarga (1536–1612), a Jesuit priest and influential preacher, though this attribution isn’t confirmed.
The tune is based on the coronation polonaise of King Władysław IV Vasa of Poland. This is why the carol has that distinctive polonaise rhythm — stately, dance‑like, and unmistakably Polish.
In 1920, British musician and playwright Edith Margaret Gellibrand Reed translated the carol into English as “Infant Holy, Infant Lowly”. She discovered it in the 1908 hymnal and brought it to the English‑speaking world.
The carol gained popularity through church hymnals, especially in the U.S., where Eastern European hymn traditions were less known. Its simple structure and gentle melody helped it spread quickly.
Quick Facts!
✨The rhythm resembles the polonaise, a dance form famously used by Frédéric Chopin.
✨Though first printed in 1908, the melody may date back hundreds of years earlier, possibly medieval Poland.
✨The English version emphasizes angels “winging” and “singing,” capturing the lively, dance‑like feel of the original.
✨It is a rare example of a carol with royal and folk origins blended together.
✨It’s one of the shortest traditional carols, yet packed with vivid nativity imagery.
“O Come, All Ye Faithful”, originally known as “Adeste Fideles”, has a mysterious past, with scholars debating whether it was written by John Francis Wade, John Reading, King John IV of Portugal, or even anonymous monks.
It is one of the few Christmas carols, with a Shadowy Origin, whose authorship is still debated. Scholars have attributed it to:
John Francis Wade (1711–1786) — an English Catholic scribe and music copyist whose 1751 manuscript is the earliest known version.
John Reading (1645–1692) — an English composer sometimes linked to the melody.
King John IV of Portugal (1604–1656) — a music‑loving monarch who may have contributed to the tune.
Anonymous Cistercian monks — a theory based on the hymn’s chant‑like qualities.
The earliest printed version appears in a book published by Wade, and his manuscript is preserved at Stonyhurst College in Lancashire.
The original hymn had four Latin verses, later expanded to eight, as the carol spread across Europe.
The English translation most commonly sung today, was created in the mid‑1800s by Frederick Oakeley, who rendered “Adeste Fideles” into the now‑iconic opening line: “O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.”
The song is more than a festive tune — it’s a call to worship, echoing the ancient Christian invitation “Venite adoremus” (“Come, let us adore Him”).
Its theology emphasizes joy, triumph, and the mystery of the Incarnation, themes that have helped it endure for centuries.
Quick Facts!
✨Some historians believe the Carol may have been a coded Jacobite anthem. Wade, a known Jacobite, embedded political symbolism in the hymn — calling the “faithful” to support the exiled Stuart king.
✨Even today, many churches perform at least one verse in the original Latin Adeste Fideles.
✨The carol is traditionally sung at the end of the Christmas Eve service at Westminster Abbey, making it a staple of British royal celebrations.
✨It has eight verses — but most people know only four. The lesser‑known verses include theological reflections on the Trinity and the shepherds.
I do hope you have enjoyed reading about these carols, as much as I have enjoyed presenting this to you.
Thank you for joining me on this festive journey! Wishing you and your loved ones, a season filled with light, laughter, love, and of course, MUSIC! 🌟🎄
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Christmas cheer and good tidings to you!
Larissa
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