Lessons from the Gifts of the Magi
When you were at school you might have scratched your head when you heard about the Three Kings bringing gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. Most adults have no idea what these gifts are, and they are doubly mysterious to schoolchildren. Enigmatic as they might be, the gifts undoubtedly have symbolic importance, both to the early Christian church and even in our lives today.
Of the four Evangelists, only Matthew mentions the Magi, who come from the East, guided by a star. Matthew relates that they brought gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, but he is a little light on detail; how many Magi visited and when, their names, and whether or not they were indeed kings, are all missing pieces in this biblical jigsaw. Even the tradition that they were kings was adopted sometime in the third or fourth century, and the names of the Magi in Western Christian tradition emerged later still.
Magi is translated in the seventeenth-century King James Bible as “wise men”, and in later translations as “astrologers”, but the very early church adopted the idea of kings worshipping Jesus, and the tradition has stuck. With so many details left undefined, it is little wonder that there are different versions of the story. Western Christians believe there are three Magi, but Syrian Christians believe that there were as many as eleven, all with distinctly Iranian or Zoroastrian names like Larvandad, Hormisdas, and Gushnasaph. In the Armenian Christian tradition, on the other hand, the three Magi were named Kagba, Badadakharida, and Badadilma.
Western Christians named their three Magi Caspar, Melchior, and Balthazar sometime in the eighth century. Unsurprisingly, online sources don’t seem to agree on who is who. Taking Christianity.com as a source, Caspar, who brought the gold, is traditionally portrayed as a young European; Melchior is typically depicted as an older Asian man sporting a white beard. He brought frankincense. Balthazar was seemlingly a middle-aged man of African descent, and brought myrrh. Only one of the Magi in the Western Christian tradition can be said to have come from the East, as Matthew recorded. So, the facts are not certain – but they rarely are, even when we look at periods much closer to the present day. With so much left open to interpretation, the story reminds us that not everything of lasting value comes with complete clarity. Indeed, this may resonate just as strongly when we think about our long-term financial decisions.
The Magi’s gifts hold symbolic value even today, particularly, and bear with us here, when we turn our minds to investment. Gold represents earthly wealth, something that was as relevant two thousand years ago as it is today, although today our gold is probably in our homes and our investment portfolios. Times have moved on, and parents and grandparents today will not (usually) give gold to a newborn – they may bestow upon them a modern-day equivalent; perhaps a Junior ISA. Frankincense was a perfume that was burnt and was often used in prayer or religious ceremony. Perhaps the secular equivialent to leading a life of prayer and devotion is to lead one of dedication and hard work. Can we, therefore, interpret Melchior’s gift as embodying the importance of leading a conscientious life? Of working hard, and saving up. Myrrh was an anointing oil used at funerals, a biblical reminder that, in this story of half-facts and contradication, mortality is the only certainty. Perhaps Balthazar was gently advising the baby Jesus to plan ahead, and think about how to structure his inheritance.
The remains of the Three Magi are said to have been found by St Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine, during a search of the Holy Land for relics in the fourth century. She left them in Milan, where they remained until the German Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa conquered the Milanese and gifted the remains to the Archbishop of Cologne in 1164. This was a savvy gift, presumably within his annual allowance, as the Archbishop of Cologne was one of seven electors who would choose future Emperors of the Holy Roman Empire. The relics of the three Magi remain today in Cologne Cathedral in what is reputedly the largest reliquary in the world.
Within the Western Christian tradition, the inconsistency in the three Magi’s story has given rise to some varied traditions. In Spain and Portugal, families prepare a ring-shaped cake containing a small figure of one of the Magi, and a dry broad bean. Whoever gets the Magi is crowned with a cardboard crown and whoever gets the broad bean must repay whoever made (or bought) the cake. This adds a new twist to the biblical exhortation to “cast your bread upon the water”, but make sure the tide is coming in. Not quite in the Christmas spirit perhaps, but a small and welcome relief to the Bank of Mum and Dad.
A tradition in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, and German-speaking Catholic areas is writing the Three Magi initials, “CMB”, above the front door in chalk. CMB also stands for the Latin phrase “Christus mansionem benedicat”, meaning “Christ bless this house”. A wonderful tradition, usually done between Christmas and the feast day of the Three Kings, or Epiphany, on 6 January. Perhaps, quietly, we can ask Christ to bless our investment portfolios too. We leave you and your family to enjoy your own Christmas traditions, whatever they may be, and wish you a very Happy Christmas and a Prosperous New Year.
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