This Carol is from the Portuguese region of the Beira Litoral, and its origins are in the Iberian Union (1580-1640), when Portugal and Spain were briefly united under the Philippine (Habsburg) Dinasty. Originally written in Spanish, it was gradually adapted to both Portuguese language and culture, until it had reached its current form by the late 17th Century - please, note that, dissatisfied with the brevity of the current text, I have expanded it a little bit myself, so as to give greater symmetry to the poem and enrich the story a little.