It’s a melody that sounds peaceful and gentle, but it was born in a world of upheaval, epidemics, and war. In this episode of Dead Canadians: Carved in Stone, Stephanie Allen uncovers the history and the mystery of the Huron Carol. We trace the life of Jean de Brébeuf—a French Jesuit who arrived in the 1620s with a sincere admiration for the Wendat people, but a mission that would ultimately contribute to the collapse of their world.

From the frozen forests of Wendake to the ritualized torture and scattering of Brébeuf’s bones across continents, we explore how a 17th-century theological "bridge" became a modern Christmas staple.

History doesn’t offer tidy saints; it offers people. This is the story of one of Canada’s most complicated legacies.

Timeline & Highlights:

0:00 – The song that feels like it comes from another world.

3:41 – Meet Jean de Brébeuf: The scholar-missionary from Normandy.

4:25 – 1626: Arriving in the Wendat Confederacy.

05:25 – The Dark Turn: Disease, epidemics, and fracturing communities.

6:58 – The Death of a Saint: Captured and the ritual of 1649.

07:45 – The Relics: Why Brébeuf’s bones are scattered across the globe.

8:39 – The creation of the Carol: Translation as a "path to salvation."

10:00 – The "Middleton" Myth: Why the English lyrics are a 20th century invention.

11:00 – Saint or Symbol? Navigating the colonial legacy today.

Connect with us: Subscribe for more deep dives into the people who shaped Canada’s history.

Visit us at DeadCanadians.ca

Follow on Socials: @DeadCanadians