The three wise men were neither threesome nor noble

Facts on January 6th
Bitter truth for carol singers: The Three Wise Men were neither threesome nor noble

by Annette Berger
January 5th, 2022, 5:13 pm

The story of the Magi unites many things that still enchants us today: religion, magic, exoticism and even the unfathomable universe: a mysterious bright star shows three wise men from the Orient the way to the baby Jesus. They bring precious gifts to the Son of God and worship the newborn.

On January 6th, Christians all over the world celebrate Epiphany. Children dressed as carolers go from door to door and collect donations. They write the letters C – M – B on or over front doors with chalk. It stands for “Christ mansionem benedicat”, so Christ bless this house.

But the story of the Magi is not in the Bible. Here are a few facts about the “wise men from the Orient” and the holiday with which they are honored.

Fact 1: You will look in vain for the Three Wise Men in the Bible

The three wise men – that is Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. However, their names are not mentioned in the Bible. Neither does it say anywhere that there were three of them, where they come from, or that they were even “kings”. Its story, which was a splendid illustration of the birth of Christ, only developed over the centuries, long after the Bible came into being.

We read the classic Christmas story of the birth of Jesus in the Gospel of Luke. But there is nothing here about the Three Wise Men. After all, Matthew describes the wise men or “magicians” from the Orient and their gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh. So three gifts – our ancestors must have thought that there must have been three gift bringers at work.

Legends are said to have started around the third century AD; the names Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar have probably only been in use since the sixth century. In the Middle Ages, their legend took off with the popular mystery games on the Epiphany – a tradition that has been preserved to this day.

Fact 2: Your bones are preserved and venerated in Cologne Cathedral

Even if they have not been handed down in biblical terms, the Three Wise Men are buried in Cologne Cathedral. Their – presumed – bones have been in the cathedral city since the 12th century. At that time they were brought to the Rhine from northern Italy as spoils of war after the conquest of Milan, which increased Cologne’s importance as a place of pilgrimage. The magnificent golden reliquary with the skulls is always opened on January 6th. Originally the bones are said to have been discovered in Palestine in the 4th century; they are among the most important relics of Christianity.

Fact 4: Epiphany is something special – and also a holiday

In Catholic regions, January 6th is often an official holiday, and even in regions that are evangelical, the sound of Epiphany still has something solemn: the Christmas holidays often end there after January 6th.

January 6th is a public holiday in Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg and Saxony-Anhalt – as well as in Austria and parts of Switzerland.

Fact 4: There is a racism debate about the three kings

In earlier times, under the Three Kings, Caspar was often portrayed as a man with dark skin, but this has now sparked a debate about racist stereotypes in the church. The protests against racially motivated police violence after the death of George Floyd in the USA and the demonstrations of the Black Lives Matter movement are also having an impact on Christian traditions: in 2020, for example, the Ulm Minster banned the figure of Melchior. With her thick lips, massive body hair and large hoop earrings, she described the “Frankfurter Rundschau” as a racist portrayal.

And after all, racism is exactly the opposite of what the Three Wise Men have stood for for centuries: for charity and the joy of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Sources: “Rheinische Post“,”Frankfurter Rundschau“

See in the video: For the first time in 16 years, a new Federal Chancellor received the boys and girls to sing the Epiphany.