What Child Is This

Everyone is probably familiar with the haunting Christmas-time song "What Child Is This." What you may not know is that the song, which can be found in Catholic and Anglican hymnals, has a surprising association with prostitution.



Victorian Christmas.

The lyrics of "What Child Is This" are set to the tune of "Greensleeves," a traditional English song which dates back to 1580. The lyrics depict a jilted lover who calls his his lady love "Greensleeves." One popular interpretation of the song is that it is written about a prostitute. Around this time, "green" was a sexually explicit word, and some say the "green gown" described in the song refers to grass stains. Another interpretation is that "Greensleeves" was written for King Henry's consort Anne of Boleyn.



Anne Boleyn and Henry.

In 1865, William Chatterton Dix adapted the tune of "Greensleeves" and wrote the lyrics for "What Child Is This" following a near-death experience. Dix was the manager of an insurance company in Glasgow and penned several other Anglican hymns including "As with Gladness Men of Old," "To you, O Lord, our hearts we raise," and "Alleluia! Sing to Jesus."



Dix.