It's Space Guy's turn to bring a carol to you, although I think he got a little confused as to the kind of ship being sung about in this carol!
The carol "I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)" is a traditional and popular Christmas song from England in the 17th century. The lyrics are a dialog between a "narrator" and a chorus. The narrator recalls his story of seeing 3 ships arriving in Bethlehem on Christmas day and the chorus asks for details about the event. Ironically, there is no way anyone can see ships sailing into Bethlehem since the nearest body of water (The Dead Sea) is 20 miles (32km) away! According to Wikipedia, "The reference to three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century". A second possibility relates to Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, whose coat of arms had 3 azure galleys (old mast ships) on it. A third suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi, as camels are frequently referred to as "ships of the desert". However, it appears Space Guy could have a fourth option if you include space travel in Biblical times into the mix! The actual meaning is lost to time but the carol remains a favorite of antiphonal choirs. The church I grew up in sang it one year with the adult choirs in the front of the sanctuary and the children's choir in the balcony. What fun that was!
I know the song/carol and have sung it for many years. It wasn't till I was an adult that I learned the 'ships' were the ships of the desert, ie camels.
Thank you all for your views, comments and favs- having a wonderful time with the grands so I'll catch up with you soon!