Saint Stephen and Herod

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"St. Stephen and Herod" (Roud 3963, Child 22) is a traditional English Christmas carol.^[1] It depicts the martyrdom of Saint Stephen as occurring, with wild anachronism, under Herod the Great, and claims that that was the reason for St. Stephen's Day being the day after Christmas.^[2]

Synopsis

St. Stephen served Herod as a clerk. He saw the Star of Bethlehem and went to Herod to leave his service. Herod asks him what he lacks, and he affirms that no one lacks anything in his hall, but the child born in Bethlehem is better than that. Herod says it is as true as that the cock cooked for his supper would crow again. Immediately it does, and Herod had Stephen stoned to death.^[1]^[2]

Variants

This story, with the Wise Men as the heroes, appears in Child ballad 55, "The Carnal and the Crane".^[3]

The miraculous restoration of a rooster to life is a common motif in European ballads; it frequently appears in a tale in which an innocent person condemned to death is miraculously saved from death, and in which someone expresses disbelief in that miracle as it was unlikely as the rooster's resurrection.^[4]

References

^ ^a ^b Child, Francis James, ed. (1890). "Saint Stephen and Herod". English and Scottish Popular Ballads. Vol. I Part 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Company. pp. 233–242. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
^ ^a ^b Waltz, Robert B.; Engle, David G. (2012). "Saint Stephen and Herod". Folklore The Traditional Ballad Index: An Annotated Bibliography of the Folk Songs of the English-Speaking World. California State University, Fresno. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
^ Child, Francis James, ed. (1890). "The Carnal and the Crane". English and Scottish Popular Ballads. Vol. I Part 1. Boston: Houghton Mifflin and Company. pp. 7–10. Retrieved 2017-11-19.
^ Waltz, Robert B.; Engle, David G. (2012). "Carnal and the Crane". Folklore The Traditional Ballad Index: An Annotated Bibliography of the Folk Songs of the English-Speaking World. California State University, Fresno. Retrieved 2017-11-19.

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Wikisource has original text related to this article:

Child's Ballads/22

St. Stephen and Herod, modern English
St. Stephen and Herod, with notes

v t e Francis James Child
The Child Ballads	Sir Aldingar Alison and Willie Allison Gross Andrew Lammie Archie o Cawfield Kinmont Willie Auld Matrons Babylon The Baffled Knight The Bailiff's Daughter of Islington Barbara Allen The Battle of Otterburn The Beggar-Laddie Adam Bell The Bent Sae Brown Bessy Bell and Mary Gray Blancheflour and Jollyflorice The Bold Pedlar and Robin Hood Bonnie Annie The Bonnie Earl O' Moray Bonnie George Campbell Bonny Baby Livingston Bonny Bee Hom The Bonny Birdy The Bonny Hind The Bonnie House of Airlie The Bonny Lass of Anglesey Bonny Lizie Baillie The Boy and the Mantle Broom of the Cowdenknowes The Broomfield Hill Broughty Wa's Brown Adam The Brown Girl Brown Robin Brown Robyn's Confession Burd Ellen and Young Tamlane Burd Isabel and Earl Patrick Captain Ward and the Rainbow Captain Wedderburn's Courtship The Carnal and the Crane The Cherry-Tree Carol The Ballad of Chevy Chase Child Maurice Child Owlet Child Waters Christopher White Clerk Colvill Clerk Saunders The Clerk's Twa Sons o Owsenford The Crafty Farmer Crow and Pie The Cruel Brother The Cruel Mother The Daemon Lover The Death of Parcy Reed The Death of Queen Jane Dick o the Cow Dives and Lazarus The Dowie Dens o Yarrow Dugall Quin The Duke of Athole's Nurse The Duke of Gordon's Daughter Earl Brand Earl Crawford The Earl of Errol The Earl of Mar's Daughter Earl Rothes Edom o Gordon Edward The Elfin Knight Eppie Morrie Erlinton Fair Annie The Fair Flower of Northumberland Fair Janet Fair Margaret and Sweet William Fair Mary of Wallington The False Lover Won Back The Famous Flower of Serving-Men The Farmer's Curst Wife Fause Foodrage The Fause Knight Upon the Road The Friar in the Well The Gardener The Gay Goshawk Geordie The George Aloe and the Sweepstake A Gest of Robyn Hode Get Up and Bar the Door Gil Brenton Glasgerion Glasgow Peggie Glenlogie The Great Silkie of Sule Skerry The Grey Cock Gude Wallace The Raggle Taggle Gypsy Battle of Harlaw The Heir of Linne Hind Etin Hind Horn Hobie Noble Hughie Graham James Hatley Jamie Douglas Jellon Grame Jock o' the Side Jock the Leg and the Merry Merchant John Dory John of Hazelgreen Johnie Cock Johnie Scot Johnnie Armstrong The Jolly Beggar The Jolly Pinder of Wakefield Judas Katharine Jaffray The Keach i the Creel Kemp Owyne Kempy Kay King Arthur and King Cornwall King Edward the Fourth and a Tanner of Tamworth King Estmere King Henry King Henry Fifth's Conquest of France King John and the Bishop The King's Disguise, and Friendship with Robin Hood The King's Dochter Lady Jean Lang Johnny More The Kitchie-Boy The Knight and the Shepherd's Daughter The Knight's Ghost The Knoxville Girl The Lads of Wamphray Lady Alice Lady Diamond Lady Elspat Lady Isabel Lady Isabel and the Elf Knight Lady Maisry The Laily Worm and the Machrel of the Sea The Laird o Drum The Laird o Logie Lamkin The Lass of Roch Royal Leesome Brand Sir Lionel Little John a Begging Lizie Lindsay Lizie Wan The Lochmaben Harper Lord Ingram and Chiel Wyet Lord Lovel Lord Maxwell's Last Goodnight The Lord of Lorn and the False Steward Lord Randall Lord Saltoun and Auchanachie Lord Thomas and Fair Annet Lord Thomas and Lady Margaret Lord Thomas Stuart Lord William The Maid and the Palmer The Maid Freed from the Gallows The Marriage of Sir Gawain Mary Hamilton Matty Groves The Mermaid The Mother's Malison The New-Slain Knight The Noble Fisherman Northumberland Betrayed By Douglas Old Robin of Portingale Sir Orfeo Prince Heathen Prince Robert Proud Lady Margaret Queen Elanor's Confession The Queen of Elfan's Nourice The Queen of Scotland The Rantin Laddie Redesdale and Wise William Richie Story Riddles Wisely Expounded Robin Hood and Allan-a-Dale Robin Hood and Guy of Gisborne Robin Hood and Little John Robin Hood and Maid Marian Robin Hood and Queen Katherine Robin Hood and the Beggar Robin Hood and the Bishop Robin Hood and the Bishop of Hereford Robin Hood and the Butcher Robin Hood and the Curtal Friar Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow Robin Hood and the Monk Robin Hood and the Pedlars Robin Hood and the Potter Robin Hood and the Prince of Aragon Robin Hood and the Ranger Robin Hood and the Scotchman Robin Hood and the Shepherd Robin Hood and the Tanner Robin Hood and the Tinker Robin Hood and the Valiant Knight Robin Hood Newly Revived Robin Hood Rescuing Three Squires Robin Hood Rescuing Will Stutly Robin Hood's Birth, Breeding, Valor, and Marriage Robin Hood's Chase Robin Hood's Death Robin Hood's Delight Robin Hood's Golden Prize Robin Hood's Progress to Nottingham Robyn and Gandeleyn The Rose of England Rose the Red and White Lily Saint Stephen and Herod Sheath and Knife Sir Cawline Sir James the Rose Sir Patrick Spens The Suffolk Miracle The Sweet Trinity Sweet William's Ghost Tam Lin Thomas o Yonderdale Thomas the Rhymer The Three Ravens Tom Potts A True Tale of Robin Hood The Twa Brothers The Twa Magicians The Twa Sisters The Unquiet Grave Walter Lesly The Wee Wee Man The West Country Damosel's Complaint The White Fisher The Whummil Bore The Wife of Usher's Well The Wife Wrapt in Wether's Skin Will Stewart and John Willie and Earl Richard's Daughter Willie and Lady Maisry Willie o Douglas Dale Willie o Winsbury Willie's Fatal Visit Willie's Lady Willie's Lyke-Wake The Wylie Wife of the Hie Toun Hie Young Andrew Young Beichan Young Benjie The Young Earl of Essex's Victory over the Emperor of Germany Young Hunting Young Johnstone Young Peggy Young Ronald Young Waters
Operas	Il pesceballo
Related	List of the Child Ballads Percy Folio "The Crabfish"

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