The Dark Side of French Rudolph

You Know Dasher, and Dancer, and Prancer etc. But....

Do you know about the Dark Side of the French Rudolph?

Ah, it’s December, and baby, it’s cold outside! Don’t be a grinch about the weather, though. Even if Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, tis the season to be jolly!

Whether you’re in church listening to yuletide carols being sung by a choir or at home decking your halls with boughs of holly, this time of year is often a magical season for many. Memories from childhood come rushing back with something as simple as a smell or a movie. There’s a lot history in every family’s Christmas, and although mine never really sang Christmas carols, I’ve always been a big fan of the music (d’où [hence] the really horrible puns at the beginning of this article).

Reading a translation of something you’re already familiar with can benefit your foreign language acquisition and how studying the similarities and differences can bring a new dimension to a text. Even something as simple as a name change can make you consider a new aspect of the character.

L’onomastique (onomastics), the study of the origins and usage of names, should be considered in every literary analysis. Let’s take Perdita from 101 Dalmatians as an example. Her name derives from the Latin perdere, (soit en français perdre or in French, perdre) meaning lost. Perdita itself means “lost one — a very fitting name for the story. Mersault from Albert Camus’s L’étranger has a name that would have more significance for a French speaker than an English speaker*. There have been many papers that study Mersault’s name in relation to his actions in the book. Meurt sot (die stupid), pronounced the same, is often presented as an analysis of the character’s name.

* Same goes for the title, too, actually. L’étranger in French already has un double sens (two meanings) — in English the word can be translated back as stranger or foreigner. Reading a translation of this won’t allow you to understand its full significance.

This is all super interesting, Josh, but what does it have to do with Christmas? Sorry, got a little carried away! In 1823, a poem intitulé (called) “A Visit from Saint Nicholas” was published anonymously before being attributed to Clement Clarke Moore in 1837. Maybe you don’t know it by that title, but I’m sure if I give you the first line, you can complete it: ’Twas the night before Christmas…

It’s through this poem that Santa’s reindeer were all named for the first time. When the poem was translated, the reindeer’s names were also translated. Some were translated directly while others had brand new names attributed to them.

Want to delve deeper?

Look up all the reindeer’s attributes (for example, one of them is the strongest) and the meaning of their French names...

Tornade (Dasher)

Danseur (Dancer)

Furie (Prancer)

Fringant (Vixen)

Comète (Comet)

Cupidon (Cupid)

Tonnerre (Donder)

Éclair (Blitzen)

Well, there’s 8, but we’re missing “the most famous reindeer of all.”

Where is Rudolph, and when did he come into play?

Rudolph made his first appearance in 1939 in a short book written by Robert L. May. The song was adapted to song 10 years later by May’s brother-in-law. It was recorded by Gene Autry and hit #1 on the Billboard pop singles in December 1949. We all know the story… Poor little Rudolph was picked on by reindeer bullies until one Christmas Eve when Santa noticed him and his bright nose and asked him to guide his sleigh. Now a hero, all of Rudolph’s little haters became fans and “shouted out with glee.” A cute story.

Unless you know the French version. Then you’ll be surprised to learn just why Rudolph’s nose was red. And that it wasn’t Santa who discovered him. And you have to see happened before he could guide the sleigh. Anyway, here is the song!

Quand la neige recouvre la verte Finlande

When snow covers green Finland

Et que les rennes traversent la lande

And reindeer cross the heath

Le vent dans la nuit

The night wind

Au troupeau parle encore de lui

Still talks about him

On l’appelait Nez Rouge

They called him Red Nose

Ah comme il était mignon

Oh, he was so cute

Le pettit renne au nez rouge

The little red-nosed reindeer

Rouge comme un lumignon

Red like a light

Son petit nez faisait rire

His little nose made people laugh

Chacun s’en moquait beaucoup

Everyone made fun of it

On allait jusqu’à dire

They even said

Qu’il aimait boire un petit coup

That he liked to drink a little

Une fée qui l’entendit

A fairy that heard him

Pleurer dans le noir

Crying in the darkness

Pour le consoler

To console him

Lui dit :

Told him:

“Viens au paradis ce soir”

Come to Heaven tonight

Comme un ange Nez Rouge

Like a red-nosed angel

Tu conduiras dans le ciel

You’ll drive in the sky

Avec ton p’tit nez rouge

With your little red nose

Le chariot du Père Noël

Santa’s sleigh

Quand ses frères le virent d’allure aussi leste

When his brothers saw him with such supple style

Suivre très digne les routes célestes

Following the celestial routes with dignity

Devant ses ébats

Before his frolicking

Plus d’un renne resta baba

More than one reindeer was shocked

On l’appelait Nez Rouge

They called him Red Nose

Ah comme il était mignon

Oh, he was so cute

Le p’tit renne au nez rouge

The little red-nosed reindeer

Rouge comme un lumignon

Red like a light

Maintenant qu’il entraîne

Now that he’s guiding

Son char à travers les cieux

His sleigh across the skies

C’est lui le roi des rennes

He is the King of Reindeer

Et son nez fait des envieux

And his nose makes others jealous

Vous fillettes et garçons

You, little boys and girls

Pour la grande nuit

For the big night

Si vous savez vos leçons

If you know your lessons

Dès que sonnera minuit

When midnight tolls

Ce petit point qui bouge

The little dot that moves

Ainsi qu’une étoile dans le ciel

Like a far away star

C’est le nez de Nez Rouge

It’s Red Nose’s nose

Annonçant le Père Noël (x2)

Announcing Santa Claus

…what? So Rudolph’s nose was red because he would drink? Where did this fairy come from? And he had to go to Heaven before guiding the sleigh? Don’t you have to die first to go there? So many questions…

What do you think of the French version of Rudolph?

Just how do the French celebrate Christmas where you live or visit?