Abhilashini 1
Balasubramaniyam Abhilashini
Miss Theebiga Mathavan
ENCH 32023
07th April 2024
The Exploration of Christianity and Pagan mythology in John Milton's “On the Morning of
Christ's Nativity”
John Milton’s “On the Morning of Christ’s Nativity”, often referred to as Nativity Ode is
a poem commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ. By incorporating classical Greek and Roman
mythology and Christian traditions in his poem, Milton portrays the arrival of Christianity to the
world in a ceremonious manner.
The term "Paganism" refers to a broad set of religious beliefs and practices that existed before the
arrival of Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. It typically involves the worship of multiple gods and
is often associated with ancient and indigenous cultures. The dominant themes in this poem centers
around light and darkness, timelessness and time, Christianity and paganism, redemption and
salvation and as well as celebration and lamentation. It is true that, by employing pagan mythology,
Milton deepens the thematic aspects of the poem and offers the reader an impactful insight on the
birth of Christ.
The poem vividly depicts the world’s jubilant celebration of Jesus Christ’s birth while Milton
invokes the muses to inspire his writing. The poem also shows how nature and natural elements
flourished anticipating this glorious event. Through Christ’s birth, spiritual enlightenment
emerges, eliminating darkness and illuminating the world, ultimately offering salvation to humans.
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An important aspect of this poem is the interaction between Christian and pagan symbols which
plays an important role in enhancing the themes. Before the arrival of Christianity, pagan
mythology flourished and people believed in pagan gods and goddesses. Jesus Christ's arrival led
to the dismissal of the pagan gods, once regarded as divine, as a more superior power became
evident. Christianity brings peace to chaos, harmony to discord, light to darkness, and glory to
replace sin and shame. The pantheon of dispossessed deities consists Poer, Ashtaroth, Hammon,
Moloch, Isis, Orus and Anubis etc. The arrival of Christ is portrayed with a soothing sweet divine
music and with a soft tranquil language until the judgement day is portrayed in the poem. The
harmony and tranquility of the Nativity are contrasted with the fire, noise, and terror of the Last
Judgement. Then, Milton turns to the tradition that the Nativity was the occasion for restricting the
power and influence of the false gods. The conflict between Christ and the false gods is depicted
through contrasting elements of sound and harmony. While the Nativity is portrayed with both
silence and serene music the disappearance of pagan gods is presented by discordant cries and
wails reacting negatively to the emergence of Christ:
The Oracles are dumb;
No voice or hideous hum
Runs through the arched roof in words deceiving.
Apollo from his shrine
Can no more divine,
With hollow shriek the steep of Delphos leaving.
No nightly trance or breathed spell
Inspires the pale-ey'd priest from the prophetic cell.
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The pagan gods cannot make prophesies and give spiritual blessing because a more superior power
has born. The pagan gods are presented here as full of swirling movement, flight, and desperation
because of the birth. By portraying the pagan gods as not ‘true’ gods, he is bringing out the themes
of redemption and salvation for the human kind, spiritual salvation and superiority of Christianity
over paganism.
“[T]he noise in the poem is the static between the two “world systems” of paganism, the sender,
and Christianity, the recipient” (Hui,354). As Christianity begins to replace paganism, there is
disruption and discord as people try to adapt to new beliefs, customs and social norms.
By incorporating the lamentations of the dying pagan gods alongside the praises for the newborn
Christ, the poet effectively portrays the chaos, disorder and impurity of the old gods. This
transformation allows to the change of the chaotic noise of pagan gods worship to a harmonious
song of divinity.
The departure of pagan gods like Ashtaroth (goddess of fertility and war), Hammon (chief god of
Carthage), Moloch (bull headed god), Isis (goddess of healing and magic), Orus, Anubis (Jackel
headed Egyptian God) portrays an image of abandoned and suffering deities because of the birth
of Christ:
And sullen Moloch, fled,
Hath left in shadows dread
His burning idol all of blackest hue:
In vain with cymbals' ring
They call the grisly king,
In dismal dance about the furnace blue.
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The brutish gods of Nile as fast,
Isis and Orus, and the dog Anubis, haste.
Here, we can see the decline of various ancient pagan gods and goddesses which adds to the theme
of spiritual awakening and salvation because of Christ’s birth. Milton mentions a list of pagan
gods in the Nativity Ode, beginning with the harmless characters like nymphs and moving towards
more frightening ones like the "brutish gods of the Nile." The blending of various figures like
Typhon from both classical and Near-Eastern traditions shows how the pagan gods and deities
have withdrawn from their superior positions.
The impact of the birth of the infant on the pagan deities is elevated by Milton in the poem. The
poem portrays that in the presence of the newborn baby, all the other deities cannot remain in the
universe. It conveys the idea that the infant has the power to control the damned crew, indicating
a divine authority over all the other forces. This highlights the theme of the superiority of
Christianity over pagan beliefs and deities.
In conclusion, the Nativity is the occasion for the temporary banishment of the false gods. “The
temporary banishment of the false gods makes the Nativity a prefiguring of God’s full assertion of
His power and justice at "the world’s last session."” (Hui,62). The poem poignantly portrays the
displacement of pagan deities by the arrival of Christ, foreshadowing God's ultimate assertion of
power and justice. Thus, Milton's strategic use of pagan mythology not only enhances the poem's
themes but also offers readers an insight into the profound significance of Christ's Nativity.
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Works Cited
Hui, Andrew. “The Soundscape of the Dying Pagan Gods in Milton’s Nativity Ode.” Modern
Language Quarterly, vol. 78, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 349–72.
Mercer, L. I Trinal Unity, Docslib. Available at: https://docslib.org/doc/3608525/i-trinal-unity