Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

This bedtime prayer asks four angels and the four Gospel-writers to guard a child's sleep: "one to watch and one to pray, and two to bear my soul away." That last line, a quiet nod to dying in the night, gives the gentle verse its edge. It is sometimes called the "Black Paternoster."

What are the ancient origins of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

The prayer has very deep roots. A similar medieval Jewish prayer invoking angels for protection during sleep exists, and connections have been drawn to ancient Babylonian prayers for nighttime protection. A Christian version was in use in late Medieval Germany before appearing in English.

When was the prayer first recorded in English?

The earliest known English version dates to the mid-sixteenth century. The rhyme was explicitly recorded in Thomas Ady's 1656 witchcraft treatise, A Candle in the Dark, where it was referred to as a "popish charm" used by a woman for blessing her bed.

Early English Protestant writers sometimes regarded such verses with suspicion, labeling them as "popish" (Catholic) or magical in nature.

How did the lyrics of the prayer evolve over time?

The rhyme has evolved significantly over the centuries:

• 1656 (Ady's version): "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, The Bed be blest that I lye on"
• 1686 (Aubrey's version): Added the "blessed Guardian-Angel" to keep the sleeper safe
• 1891 (Baring-Gould's version): The form most commonly known today, with "Four corners to my bed, Four angels round my head"

Who are the four evangelists mentioned in the prayer?

The rhyme invokes Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the four Evangelists credited with writing the Gospels of the New Testament. By invoking their names, the prayer calls upon their spiritual protection for the sleeping child.

Is there a darker interpretation of the prayer's ending?

While generally seen as a comforting bedtime prayer, some modern readers note that the final lines can seem unexpectedly somber. The words "two to bear my soul away" implicitly acknowledge mortality, asking for protection not just in sleep but potentially in death.

How does the rhyme connect to other historical prayers?

The rhyme is connected to older "Green Paternoster" and "White Paternoster" prayers from medieval England, which were protective charms recited before sleep that mixed Christian and folk elements.

Why has the bedtime prayer remained popular for children?

For all its tangled history, somewhere between a prayer and a protective charm, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John has stayed in use as a simple, comforting bedtime verse. Its angels watching over the sleeper still offer reassurance at the end of the day.