This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Ihcoyc (talk | contribs) at 20:36, 19 February 2003 (rearranged; added Vedas, Hymn to Aten). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 20:36, 19 February 2003 by Ihcoyc (talk | contribs) (rearranged; added Vedas, Hymn to Aten)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)A Hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer. A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist or hymnodist, and the process of singing a hymn is called hymnody.
In the contemporary world, hymns are associated with Christianity and directed toward God. Certainly, the tradition of choral singing as an act of Christian worship has given the various traditions within Christianity a rich lode of hymns.
However, the Western tradition of hymnody begins with Homer, who is given credit for the Homeric Hymns in praise of the gods of Greek mythology. Other ancient hymns include the Hymn to Aten composed by the pharaoh Akhnaten. The Vedas are a collection of very old hymns in the tradition of Hinduism.
Some hymnists and their more well known hymns are:
- John Newton : Amazing Grace
- Ira A. Sankey : There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood
- Thomas Aquinas : Pange Lingua
- Thomas of Celaeno : Dies Iræ