Hymn

:For other meanings see hymn (disambiguation)

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A hymn is a song specifically written as a song of praise, adoration or prayer, typically addressed to a god.

Related Topics:
Song - Prayer - God

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A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist or hymnodist, and the process of singing a hymn is called hymnody; the same word is used for the collectivity of hymns belonging to a particular denomination or period (e.g. "nineteenth century Methodist hymnody" would mean the body of hymns written and/or used by Methodists in the nineteenth century). Books called hymnals are collections of hymns, which may or may not include music.

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Ancient hymns include the Great Hymn to the Aten, composed by the pharaoh Akhenaten, and the Vedas, a collection of hymns in the tradition of Hinduism. The Western tradition of hymnody begins with the Homeric Hymns, a collection of ancient Greek hymns, the oldest of which were written in the 7th century BCE in praise of the gods of Greek mythology.

Related Topics:
Great Hymn to the Aten - Pharaoh - Akhenaten - Veda - Hinduism - Homeric Hymns - Greek mythology

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