Away in a Manger

A Christmas carol depicting the infant Jesus lying in a manger. Its lyrics are traditionally sung to several different melodies.

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James R. Murray: An American music educator and composer who edited songbooks and is often associated with the melody used for “Away in a Manger.” Murray published a widely adopted setting of the carol in an 1887 songbook.
Cradle Song: A hymn tune by William J. Kirkpatrick, commonly paired with “Away in a Manger.” This is one of the carol’s two best-known melodies.
Nativity of Jesus: The Christian account of Jesus’s birth in Bethlehem, recounted in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. The carol retells the scene of Jesus laid in a manger.
Children's hymn: A religious song written or adapted for children to sing and understand. The carol’s simple language and short verses suit children’s worship and performance.
William J. Kirkpatrick: An American hymn composer and music publisher known for writing melodies for Christian songs. Kirkpatrick composed the melody now commonly called “Cradle Song.”
Mueller: A melody commonly paired with “Away in a Manger,” named for its publication in a late nineteenth-century collection. This setting gives the carol a tune distinct from Kirkpatrick’s Cradle Song.
Manger: A trough used to hold food for livestock; the Gospels place the newborn Jesus in one. The manger is the carol’s central image and setting.
Infant Jesus: The depiction of Jesus as a newborn or young child in Christian devotion and art. The carol centers on the vulnerability and tenderness of the newborn Jesus.
D. W. Whittle: An American evangelist and hymn writer whose initials appeared in early attribution of “Away in a Manger.” His name helped fuel the mistaken claim that Martin Luther wrote the carol.
Meter (hymn): A pattern of syllable counts in hymn lines that allows lyrics to fit compatible tunes. The carol’s regular stanza form helps explain why multiple melodies can carry its words.