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Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas: Five Gold Rings

Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only true gift is a portion of thyself. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

The ring is the outward and visible sign of an inward and spiritual bond, which unites two hearts in love. — Traditional blessing of wedding rings

Those made of common metals served for ornamentation or as keepsakes for their owners. Those made of iron may have served to ward off … malevolent spirits (as iron is shunned by evil in most northern European belief systems). Rings of silver and gold were portable wealth and wearable currency and could be worth a fortune. Rings boasted of the value of the wearer. They were also a constant reminder of obligation and oaths taken or rewarded. — Sons of Vikins (full article: https://sonsofvikings.com/blogs/history/history-of-viking-oath-rings)

We will have rings and things and fine array… ― William Shakespeare, Taming of the Shrew

The thought of a ring around my finger always made me feel tied tight, because rings had no openings to get out of. ― Shirley Jackson

Love may be a ring that has no end, but the logic is far from circular. — Amanda Mosher

I’ve found great lord thy ring of gold, thy fortune truly knows no bounds...— Friedrich von Schiller, The Ring Of Polycrates

And here is the ring she gave me with love’s sweet promise then. — Eugene Field

SONGS about RINGS:

12 Days of Christmas Background History — Brownielocks (full article: https://www.brownielocks.com/twelvedaysofchristmas.html)

The “Twelve Days of Christmas” first appeared in a children’s book titled, Mirth Without Mischief in England way back in 1780. In this book, it appears to be a memory game, rather than a  Christmas song. (But, then some could say that the song itself is like a memory game.) The object of the game is to have the first player start out reciting the first verse, with each of the following players repeating previous versed and then adding one. If a player missed a verse or made some kind of error, then he/she would have to give a kiss or some kind of food to someone else. This game soon grew to be very popular at Twelfth Night parties. 

Although the first published version of this song was in England, there are three older versions of the song in French, and one other version from Scotland. Therefore, with some people, there remains debate on the origin of the song not necessarily being English, but French.  

In 1842, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” song was first recorded by James O. Halliwell.  Boys with blackened faces wearing animal skins accompanied him. (See Twelve Lords A-leaping to explain this dance.)

So, how did the idea of 12 days begin?   Why not the Ten Days of Christmas or the Fourteen Days of Christmas?  It all goes back to the early 4th century Christian church, which believed that January 6 (Epiphany) is the date that Christ was baptized, representing the birth of Jesus’ soul.  This was more important than December 25th to them, regardless of the Winter Solstice at the time.  It took a few hundred years; but, by the 6th century, the Christian emperor, Justinian, proclaimed Christmas as a public holiday, with 8 days of feasting.  Then, by the 9th century, King Alfred of England increased the celebration from 8 days to 12 days. He declared December 25th – January 6th, with the twelfth day falling on January 6. Note: This means the actual night would be the day before on January 5. Confusing, I know.

As with all cultures, as the king or society prospers, so do the celebrations. This held true for Christmas also.  The Middles Ages was the peak era for celebrating Christmas.  Then in 17th century England, Oliver Cromwell, under the Puritan Commonwealth, overthrew the king and totally abolished Christmas!

Slowly, Christmas returned to society during the Restoration period, but not in such a gala manner as during the Middle Ages.  It wasn’t until the end of the 18th century in England that a growing interest developed for the past, one of them being the Twelve Days (of Christmas celebrations).  By the time the Industrial Revolution hit England, the Twelve Days came to a decline due to the increase in work days. No one had time for 12 days of celebration any more. Does anyone today for that matter?

SYMBOLISM of Five Golden Rings

About 5 Golden Rings — Revken43 (full article: https://revkev43.wordpress.com/2011/12/29/five-golden-rings/.

… The song, Twelve Days of Christmas, could have been titled, Twelve Fowls of Christmas. Through the first four days, birds have been used to symbolize Christian truths (partridge, doves, hens, ravens). The parade of birds continues on day five:

“On the fifth day of Christmas my True Love gave to me, five Golden Rings…”

Contrary to popular opinion, the five Gold Rings do not refer to jewelry, but to ring-necked pheasants, a favorite game bird and dinner feast of the day. (The use of fowls in the song will continue through day seven.)

What do the five ring-necked pheasants represent? The best guess is that they represent the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch or the Books of the Law or the Books of Moses. Those five books are (1) Genesis, (2) Exodus, (3) Leviticus, (4) Numbers, and (5) Deuteronomy. In these five books we learn the history of humanity’s sinful failure and God’s response of grace in the creation of a people (Israel) to be a light to the world.

Below is a very brief summary of each book:

  • Genesis – The word means “beginnings,” and comes from the first phrase in the book, “In the beginning…”(1:1). The book talks about the beginning of creation, of life, of sin, of family, of struggle, and of grace (just to name a few).
  • Exodus – The word means “exit.” The main focus of the book of Exodus is God’s deliverance of His people from Egyptian bondage, their disobedience, and their wanderings through the wilderness. The book of Exodus, while a historical fact, is also an allegory of our deliverance from sinful bondage, our continual struggle with disobedience, and our wanderings through this life. The book of Exodus is foundational to what is referred to as Black Liberation Theology.
  • Leviticus – The word means “pertaining to the Levites.” Leviticus is a manual for the priests (who came from the tribe of Levi); mainly dealing with the sacrificial system for sins. The theme of the book is the holiness of God.
  • Numbers – Twice in the book of Numbers (at the beginning and near the end) a census is taken of the people of Israel. Thus, the title “Numbers.” However, the Hebrew title for this book means “In the Wilderness,” and is a more appropriate title because most of the book records the history of the Israelites in their 40-years of wandering in the wilderness after their deliverance from Egypt.
  • Deuteronomy – The word means “second law-giving.” The Book of Deuteronomy is an expansive explanation of the Law (basically the Ten Commandments) that was first given in Exodus. Most of the books in the New Testament quote the Book of Deuteronomy at some point.

The True Meaning of the Holidays (And Those 5 Golden Rings)— Robert Jones for Chaplains USA, fulll article: https://chaplainusa.org/robert-jones-journal/the-true-meaning-of-the-holidays-and-those-5-golden-rings

… With partridges in pear trees, pipers piping, and lords-a-leaping, we sing along wondering what in the world it all means. Some say it represents secret Roman Catholic teaching during times of persecution. Whatever the origin, when we come to the fifth of those days, the true lover (God) brings the gift of five golden rings.

One explanation of this has stayed with me over the years. Bob Brown, a psychology professor of mine at Kishwaukee College used the metaphor to explain the relationship between our five basic human senses of touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste which allow us to better understand the world around us, and what King Henry VIII called the five “inward wits” of instinct, imagination, fantasy, estimation, and memory. Bob taught that the five rings become golden when all ten senses are engaged, hence connecting our outer and spiritual selves. This, he maintained was the essence of a healthy psyche. He certainly had a good point. When we are completely in tune with physical reality and our deeper stirrings, we are likely to be quite well balanced. It could be that the Fifth Day is a gift which points us toward a more enlightened way of living in the coming new year and new decade.

Ring — Saddiq Dzukogi

I took a piece of chalk and drew a circle around my body.

In that ring, I engraved all the names of my loved ones

who are alive—until the only space left was under my feet.

Outside the circle, names of ones I lost.

We are eternal prey to the circle’s energy

looking to decongest its body from our own.

What I have is the beginning—in my hand,

it is what I can wield. Rubbing my palms on the ground

the white line of the circle became a mixture

of chalk and dirt on my skin—still the two worlds

stayed separated after my ritual collapsing their boundaries.

I unrolled my prayer mat on the melting snow,

sat facing a frozen lake, imagining the sun probing through

the ice, 4 inches thick. A man idling in the middle,

his machine drilling a wound in the solidified water,

ice fishing. I looked on, waiting for his hook

to find a trout. What if this is how death finds us—

by luring us with what we desire?

A Ring Presented to Julia —  Robert Herrick

Julia, I bring

To thee this ring,

Made for thy finger fit;

To show by this

That our love is

(Or should be) like to it.

Close though it be,

The joint is free;

So when Love’s yoke is on,

It must not gall,

Or fret at all

With hard oppression.

But it must play

Still either way,

And be, too, such a yoke

As not too wide

To overslide,

Or be so strait to choke.

So we who bear

This beam must rear

Ourselves to such a height

As that the stay

Of either may

Create the burden light.

And as this round

Is nowhere found

To flaw, or else to sever;

So let our love

As endless prove,

And pure as gold for ever.

A Marriage Ring — George Crabbe

The ring, so worn as you behold,

So thin, so pale, is yet of gold:

The passion such it was to prove—

Worn with life’s care, love yet was love.

Depose your finger of that Ring: Sonnet – I — Robert Lovelace
Depose your finger of that Ring,

   And Crowne mine with’t awhile

Now I restor’t.—Pray, do’s it bring

   Back with it more of soile?

Or shines it not as innocent,

   As honest, as before ’twas lent?

Half-Ring Moon — John Bannister Tabb

Over the sea, over the sea,
My love he is gone to a far countrie;
But he brake a golden ring with me
The pledge of his faith to be.

Over the sea, over the sea,
He comes no more from the far countrie;
But at night, where the new moon loved to be,
Hangs the half of a ring for me.

Day 5 of 12 Days of Christmas: Five Gold Rings
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