The Christmas carol “Away in a Manger” has a complex history rooted in American 19th-century hymnody, despite widespread but false claims of German origin and authorship by Martin Luther. The earliest known appearance of the carol’s text was in 1882, in the anti-Masonic journal The Christian Cynosure, where it was presented as “Luther’s Cradle Song” and falsely attributed to Martin Luther for his children, with the claim that it was still sung by German mothers. This narrative was repeated in other publications, including The Congregationalist (January 4, 1882) and The Sailors’ Magazine and Seamen’s Friend (November 1883), all of which included nearly identical two-stanza lyrics and reinforced the spurious German connection.
