Which carol gets its melody from a song that is mentioned in Shakespeares “Merry Wives of Windsor”?”
The popular Christmas carol “What Child is This?” is probably more of a collaboration than any other song with this level of popularity. The melody was purloined from an early English folk tune named “Greensleeves.” Henry VIII is credited with writing the original lyrics to “Greensleeves.” His lyrics told the tale of a broken-hearted man pining over a woman who did not love him. This song was such a large part of the English culture by the late 1500’s that Shakespeare referred to it twice in “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and also had it play softly in the background while traitors were hanged. In 1865, William Chatterton Dix wrote his most famous hymn called “The Manger Throne.” The powerful message fueled its’ popularity as a hymn. By 1898, the English Church had matched three of the verses to the already familiar rhythm and tune of “Greensleeves.” William Dix would publish this new work shortly before his death as the beloved Christmas Carol “What Child Is This?”.
