“Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella” originated in Provence, a region of southern France.
The carol dates from the 17th century and was first printed in 1688 with Provençal words attributed to the Noël tradition associated with Nicolas Saboly. The song’s French title is “Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle,” and its characters are two farm workers who discover the infant Jesus and hurry to tell the village.
Its torch-bearing imagery reflects a Provençal Christmas custom. On Christmas Eve, children have traditionally dressed as shepherds and milkmaids, carrying torches or candles while singing on their way to Midnight Mass. The English version became familiar later, after the carol was translated from French.
The title’s women are not historical biblical figures. They are folkloric characters in the carol’s retelling of the Nativity. The song is also sometimes confused with other French Christmas carols, but its Provençal language and traditions point specifically to Provence.