A Mystical Interpretation of
The Twelve Days of Christmas

Sent to Reality Learning Center by Roy Wells

The following mythological quote is from "THE WOMAN'S DICTIONARY OF SYMBOLS AND SACRED OBJECTS" by Barbara Walker:

"The name of the partridge descends from Middle English Pertriche, Latin perdix, meaning "the Lost One." In Greek myth, a son of Perdix was thrown from a high peak of Athene's temple by his uncle Daedalus. Athene turned the youth's soul into a partridge as he flew through the air. Some said Perdix was the name of the youth himself, not his mother. In any event, there was a sanctuary in honor of Perdix the partridge (or mother of the partridge) beside Athene's temple on the Acropolis. Since Athene also bore the name of Once, "Pear Tree," we seem to have here the origin of the puzzling phrase in the Christmas song."

I think this partridge myth touches on the universal theme of salvation by the intervention of a god to overcome the influence of our sinful nature (the evil uncle Daedalus). For Christians the partridge symbolizes the gift of the Christ Child from God (Athene/Once, "the pear tree").

Being a student of symbolism, I see much of value in its construction. To begin with, all the gifts are bestowed by "my true love." It goes without saying that the giver is God, for who could be a truer lover? As for the number of gifts (12), that probably has to do with the symbolism of twelve-- a cycle of growth, as in twelve months of a complete year or in the division of days and nights into twelve segments. The song seems to take us from the gift of the Christ Child and his maturing in us, resulting in our personal epiphany twelve days later. I seem to recall that the twelfth day after Christmas is recognized as "epiphany" in the church calendar. I suggest that gifts eleven and twelve (pipers piping, drummers drumming) represent the climactic announcement and arrival of a genuine epiphany for one who has traveled the spiritual road.

Notice that the first four gifts are birds, but no mention is made of their activities. Birds are symbolic of thoughts and intuition ("A little bird told me."). So the first four gifts may represent a time of preparation and meditation. The following "five golden rings" are the only inanimate gift of the twelve and seems to be a reward of sorts. The musical announcement is particularly pronounced, more so than any of the others. Something wonderful must be on the way. Then come two larger birds, geese (6) and swans (7), doing what they do best-- laying and swimming. I am reminded of the "goose that lay the golden egg" and the "ugly duckling" that became a swan. Seven gifts have now been received-- probably meaning that the transformation process has now begun. Eight is a gift of "maids a-milking," representing spiritual work going on in the soul. Nine and ten represent our soul and intellect "dancing and leaping" with joy as their fulfilled life arrives, accompanied by pipers (11) and drummers (12).

In the song, each gift builds on what has come before it, expressed by the repetitive sequences. Isn't that the way spiritual transformation works? Roy Wells, Dec 2002

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