Thursday, December 20, 2018

Jesous Ahatonnia -- The Huron Carol



When we lived in Sudbury I read that a Laurentian University prof had translated what is often called The Huron Carol into the Huron language. This was no easy feat given that Huron was a "dead language" and it involved considerable reconstruction on his part.
 I met with him, thinking that we could use the original words, only to discovery that they were un-singable in an accurate English translation.

What we call Huron is more accurately Wendat, and many are uncomfortable with what is often described as "the first Canadian carol" because of the "settler" theology attached to it's 17th century Jesuit origins.

This month's United Church Observer looks at the history of the carol and honours the First Nations artist, Moses (Amik) Beaver, who created the cover art. The links are here:

https://www.ucobserver.org/faith/2018/12/huron_carol/

https://www.ucobserver.org/culture/2018/12/moses_beaver_biography/

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