The Ghosts of Midwinter

When I set out to write “Ghosts of Midwinter”, my plan was to begin with a verse that spoke of the fun Victorian tradition of telling scary stories on Christmas Eve. This tradition is far older than the Victorians but it was going to be my starting point and my song was going to morph into a ghost story. That was the plan, anyway.

But as I read a bit more, I decided to go back to the Pagan celebrations, the building of Stonehenge, then how the Romans embraced Christianity (starting with the upper classes). In spite of all efforts, and even though many “lower class” Romans became Christian, the Winter Solstice traditions could not be squashed.

By the end, I had an song that whispers both history and mythology. But most of all, the very nature of the human spirit. I hope once again that everyone, however you celebrate the season (with or without gods), finds ways to come together in peace and in love.

Verse
Before a male god was feared
And the goddess was revered
Pagans danced on winter’s night
To celebrate return of light
Stonehenge raised in ages old
No words written but stories told

Chorus (Pagans)
We are the ones who keep the song
We’ve kept the light alive this long
Our statues are a mystery
Our stories lost to history

Verse
The Roman aristocracy
Pumped up on Christianity
Found the Solstice celebration
Far too Pagan for their station
No matter what they tried to do
Mid-winter rites kept shining through

Chorus (Christians)
We are the ones who keep the song
We’ve kept the light alive this long
Our taste and culture were defined
Our celebrations more refined

Verse
And so a scheme to stop the mirth
To claim the Solstice for his birth
They still sang their songs of joy
But to the sun and not the boy
Until at last the Pagan glory
Traded for the manger story

Chorus (Pagans)
We are the ones who keep the song
We’ve kept the light alive this long
Our celebrations some still stand
In dark of Winter in many lands

Verse
Then Cromwell an amazing grinch
Outlawed Christmas and did not flinch
He sought to halt the celebrations
And stomp on all the jubilations
But in the end, he could not win
For Winter’s joy lies deep within
 
Outro (Pagans and Christians)
When Winter comes, we will proclaim
Though gods may change the song’s the same
From ghostly tales by fire glow
There’s one thing we’ll always know
Ban the wine, forbid the cheer
We will gather year by year
Christian or Pagan we’ll celebrate
And hope the season ends the hate
We will gather year by year