I Saw Three Ships

I Saw Three Ships

I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
I saw three ships come sailing in
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day?
And what was in those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
The Virgin Mary and Christ were there,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Pray, wither sailed those ships all three,
On Christmas Day in the morning?

O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
O they sailed into Bethlehem,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the bells on earth shall ring,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the Angels in Heaven shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
And all the souls on earth shall sing,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day, on Christmas Day;
Then let us all rejoice again,
On Christmas Day in the morning.

It’s the weekend, so let’s not tax ourselves too much about I Saw Three Ships as it doesn’t stand much scrutiny. I didn’t realise how strange it was when I started singing it, and tended to file it away in my head next to The Big Ship Sails On the Alley Alley Oh which – if you know it – has nothing to do with Christmas at all, although for some reason I always think that the line in The Big Ship Sails is “the last day in December” rather than “the last day is September.”

Ships? Going to Bethlehem in the desert? A camel might be the ship of the desert, but why not just sing about camels instead? Some claim that the three wise men, or the Magi, or the three kings, from the nativity story (Balthasar from Arabia, Melchior from Persia, and Gaspar from India?) were to have their remains transported by ship to be interred at Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century, but that seems like wishful thinking

My own guess is that there was a blurring and confusion in the historic folk memory, and the three ships are the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria – the three ships that Columbus took across the Atlantic on his discovery voyage. Why? Well it’s not often that three ships make it into history as most naval stories tell of episodes concerning one ship rather than a fleet of three. The Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria are the most likely candidates to feature in an oral history. (Although my generation might add Ajax, Achilles and Exeter – a reference likely to be lost on anyone unfamiliar with the Battle of the River Plate.)

I imagine that the medieval troubadours who carried these songs across Europe weren’t too fussy about historical accuracy. Some suggest that Joseph of Arimathea sailed to Glastonbury to take religious artefacts to King Arthur, so it’s not too outrageous to speculate that he might have made it all the way to the Caribbean instead. The image at the head of this post is of Columbus’ mini-armada, a more seasonal than three light cruisers from 80 years ago.

I think the best that can be said is that the song is an ancient folk song that exists in several different versions. It’s a bit too long and could do with a bit of editing, but it predates the “golden age” of carol writing in the mid- to late- 19th century; it first appeared in print in the 17th century, and then was incorporated into one of the earliest hymn books of the modern era in 1833. Its origins, its logic, its geography, are unknown – but it is a good tune, which is probably why it has survived, and contributes to the gaiety associated with the festive celebrations.

Merry Christmas

Colour image of Nina, Pinta & Santa Maria : Ohio State University (OSU) website

Monochrome image of three sailing ships: Florida Center for Instructional Technology (FCIT) website at South Florida