A hymn is a type of song that is similar to a devotional song. It is written for worship or prayer and is usually directed toward a god or goddess, or a respected person or idea. The word "hymn" comes from the Greek word "hymnos," which means "a song of praise." A person who writes hymns is called a hymnist. The act of writing or singing hymns is called hymnody. Books that contain hymns are called hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not have music played with them. Polyhymnia is the Greek goddess of hymns.

Although many people in English-speaking countries are most familiar with hymns in the context of Christianity, hymns are also used in other religions, especially in the Indian subcontinent, where they are called stotras. Hymns have also been part of ancient cultures, such as those in Egypt and Greece. Some of the oldest examples of written music are hymns with Greek words.

Origins

Ancient hymns from the East include the Sumerian Kesh temple hymn, which is the oldest known written text in the world; the Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten, written by Pharaoh Akhenaten; the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal; the Rigveda, a collection of Indian Vedic hymns; hymns from the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), a group of Chinese poems from 11th to 7th centuries BC; the Gathas, Avestan hymns believed to have been written by Zoroaster; and the Biblical Book of Psalms.

The Western tradition of writing hymns began with the Homeric Hymns, a group of ancient Greek hymns. The oldest of these were written in the 7th century BC and honored gods from ancient Greek religions. A collection of six literary hymns (Ὑμνοι) by the Alexandrian poet Callimachus survives from the 3rd century BC. The Orphic Hymns are a group of 87 short poems that relate to Greek religious beliefs.

Early Christian writers began using the term ὕμνος, or hymnus in Latin, to describe Christian songs of praise. They often used the word as a synonym for "psalm."

Christian hymnody

Christian hymns are usually songs of praise to God. They are inspired by the Book of Psalms and other poetic parts of the Bible, called "canticles." Many hymns mention Jesus Christ directly or indirectly.

In the New Testament, Saint Paul wrote to the Ephesian and Colossian churches, encouraging them to sing hymns and psalms to help each other grow in faith. He showed this by singing hymns with Silas in a jail in Philippi, even during difficult times. Bible verses like Psalms 30:4 and Revelation 14:3 also support singing hymns to praise God. Since the early days of Christianity, people have sung "psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs" both alone and in groups. Some non-Biblical hymns from the Early Church are still used today, such as "Phos Hilaron," "Sub tuum praesidium," and "Te Deum."

The hymn "Te Deum" is sung or recited in religious services to thank God for special events, like the election of a pope or the end of a year on December 31. The hymn "Gloria in excelsis Deo" is sung during Mass after the Kyrie on Sundays (except during Lent and Advent), Christmas, and during the octaves of Easter and Christmas, as well as on solemn religious days.

A hymn is a poem written to be sung, expressing devotion to God. It should be simple, poetic, and easy to understand so that people can sing it together.

Christian hymns often focus on special themes, such as Christmas, Easter, or the Feast of All Saints. Others honor the Bible or Christian practices like the Eucharist or Baptism. Some hymns praise saints, especially Mary, and are common in Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, and certain Protestant traditions.

A person who writes hymns is called a hymnodist, and the practice of singing hymns is called hymnody. A collection of hymns is called a hymnal. A person who studies hymns is a hymnologist, and the study of hymns is called hymnology. The music used for hymns is called a hymn tune.

Some churches, like Nondenominational evangelical churches, may call traditional songs hymns but not classify modern worship songs as hymns. This is because of changes in style and worship ideas that began in the late 1960s. In recent years, some churches have revived traditional hymns, especially Reformed or Calvinistic ones, by rewriting old lyrics or creating new hymns.

In ancient and medieval times, string instruments like the harp, lyre, and lute were used with hymns and psalms. However, early church writings do not include musical notes, so the exact music of the early church is unknown. During the Middle Ages, hymns were often sung in unison using Latin, such as the 4th-century hymn "Of the Father's Heart Begotten" with a 11th-century melody.

Later, Western hymns used four-part harmony with major and minor keys, and the organ and choir led singing. Today, most hymns are sung in unison, though some groups use organ music or other instruments.

In traditional Lutheran and Anglican churches, hymns are sung during processions, communion, and other parts of the service. The Doxology is also sung after offerings are given.

Modern Christian worship in some churches includes music with electric guitars and drums, similar to rock music. Other groups, like the Brethren and Mennonites, avoid instruments, believing that early Christians did not use them. However, some groups have changed this practice over time.

Eastern Christian traditions, such as the Eastern Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox churches, use ancient hymn styles. In the Byzantine Rite, hymns are often sung a cappella or with a drone. Some traditions use instruments like cymbals or the organ.

Thomas Aquinas described a hymn as "the praise of God with song; a song is the exultation of the mind dwelling on eternal things, bursting forth in the voice."

The Protestant Reformation caused different views on hymns. Some groups, like Zwinglians and Calvinists, rejected hymns that were not directly from the Bible and banned instruments. Others continued to use hymns and music in worship.

Hindu hymnody

The Rigveda is the oldest and most important collection of more than 1,000 religious hymns written in Vedic Sanskrit.

Other important Hindu hymns and collections include:
• Naalayira Divya Prabandham
• Ram Raksha Stotra
• Saundarya Lahari
• Shiva Stuti
• Shiva Tandava Stotram
• Tirumurai
• Vayu Stuti

During the medieval period, hymns became very important because of the bhakti movements. People in groups such as Dadu panth, Kabir panth, Lingayatism, Radha-vallabha, and Sikhism sang devotional songs in local languages instead of using Sanskrit. These songs, created by poet-sants like Basava, Chandidas, Dadu Dayal, Haridas, Hith Harivansh, Kabir, Meera Bai, Namdev, Nanak, Ramprasad Sen, Ravidas, Sankardev, and Surdas, replaced or greatly changed earlier Sanskrit writings. The same happened with songs from the Baul movement. These new hymns became considered holy texts. An example is the 15th–16th century Assamese religious leader Sankardev, who wrote and composed songs called borgeet.

Sikh hymnody

The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib (Punjabi: ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ; Punjabi pronunciation: [ɡʊɾu ɡɾəntʰ sɑhɪb]), is a collection of hymns (Shabad) or spiritual writings (Gurbani) that describe the qualities of God and the importance of meditating on God's name. The Guru Granth Sahib is organized into 1,430 pages, called Angs (limbs) in Sikh tradition, based on different types of music called ragas. Guru Gobind Singh (1666–1708), the tenth guru, added Guru Tegh Bahadur's writings to the Adi Granth and declared it as his successor, renaming it the Guru Granth Sahib. This text remains the holy scripture of the Sikhs and is considered the teachings of the Ten Gurus. The Guru Granth Sahib plays a key role in Sikh worship as a guide for prayer and spiritual practice.

In other religions

Sutra chanting is a religious practice encouraged for followers of Shin Buddhism to do every day. Temple service chanting may include: dedications to the Three Treasures (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), which are common to all Buddhist traditions; selections from The Three Pure Land Sutras, which contain the teachings of the Buddha; and compositions by Pure Land Buddhist teachers like Nagarjuna and Shandao.

Stotras are hymns or praises in Sanskrit, often sung to honor the divine. Usually linked to Hindu and Jain traditions, stotras are musical expressions of devotion found in other religious groups that use Sanskrit as well.

In the Buddhist world, singing these hymns is still practiced today in Nepal. Min Bahadur Shakya, former director of the Nagarjuna Institute of Exact Methods in Lalitpur, Nepal, writes:

The earliest poems in the oldest known collection of Chinese poetry, the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), were originally lyrics. The Shijing, which includes poems and folk songs, was highly valued by the philosopher Confucius and is considered one of the official Confucian classics. His comments about the collection are an important source for ancient music theory.

During the time of the Prophet Mohammed, Islamic music was defined by what it did not include: no string, brass, or wind instruments, and no female vocals. The only instrument allowed at first was simple percussion using an Arabic drum called the daf. This basic form is still widely used in the Gulf and parts of the Arab world.

However, in places like Turkey and Southeast Asia, new styles of spiritual songs developed. In Turkey, Sufi followers use music in worship. The most well-known are services led by Mevlevi Sufis, which include chanting and the whirling dervishes.

In Pakistan and Southeast Asia, the most recognized form of devotional music is qawwali. A qawwali group, usually made up of nine men, often uses instruments like the harmonium (a type of keyboard) and percussion instruments such as the tabla and dholak. The songs can last 15 to 30 minutes and include instrumental introductions, repeated verses, and vocal improvisation. Recently, artists from the Gulf have found creative ways to bypass the rule against using instruments.

Albums by Ahmed Bukhatir from Sharjah and Mishary Rashid Al Afasy from Kuwait use studio techniques and layered vocals to create sounds like a synth piano or string section. In the West, groups like America's Native Deen and Australia's The Brothahood use hip-hop music to share spiritual messages with younger Muslim audiences. Nasheeds in English by Zain Bhikha from South Africa have gained popularity in Europe and the Middle East.

Known as stavan or, in Hindi, bhajan, Jain hymns are created and performed to honor the Jinas. Written in all languages Jains have used, the most common form, called pada, shows Jain influence on Indian poetry and the bhakti devotional movement, which is often linked to Hinduism.

Musically, Jain hymns are similar to folk devotional music in western India, such as Gujarāti rās-garbā and Rājasthāni folk music.

There are six required acts that Jains must perform twice daily. The second act involves showing respect to the ford-makers by reciting a 24-verse hymn praising the Tirthankaras.

One of the most popular Jain hymns is the Bhaktāmara-stotra, or "Devoted Gods hymn." Both major Jain sects, the Śvetāmbaras and Digambaras, accept it, with 44 and 48 verses respectively. It honors the first Jina, Ṛṣabhanātha, also called Ādinātha, meaning "First Lord." The name comes from the first verse, which states, "His feet enhance the beauty of the jewels in the crowns lowered by the devoted gods."

The Hebrew word Zemirot means "songs" or "hymns" and refers to two specific collections. The first, according to the Sephardic tradition, includes psalms and biblical verses recited during the morning prayers (Shacharit), called Psukeydezimra in Ashkenazic tradition. The second collection is described in Neil Levin's Z'mirot Anthology.

For centuries, Jews in Spain and Portugal (the original Sephardim) developed their own religious practices. Their worship included adding poetry for special occasions, such as major festivals (Shalosh r’galim) and the High Holidays (Yamim nora’im). Most of these poems are rhymed hymns (piyyutim) written by famous poets during the Golden Age of Jewish culture in Spain (around 950–1150). These poets include Solomon ibn Gabriol, Judah Halevi, and the two Ibn Ezras—Abraham and Moshe.

A key feature of Jewish devotional music and hymns, especially in synagogue rituals on the Sabbath and holy days, is that it is mostly vocal. While instruments like the organ are sometimes used today, the focus on group singing and the skill of the Hazzan (cantor) has always been central.

One exception is the Shofar, a ram's horn used during the High Holidays (Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur) as a call to prayer and repentance.

According to Japanese mythology, Shinto music began in the time of the gods, before the earth and sea existed. In Shintoism, sacred music is called Mi-kagura. The word kagura means "the gods' delight," and the prefix "Mi" emphasizes its importance, meaning "the sublime greatest of great gods." There are two types of kagura: Mi-kagura, reserved for the Imperial family and high-ranking clergy; and rural kagura, which celebrates popular stories of divine and human heroes.

The sacred songs written by Zoroaster (Zarathustra), the founder of Zoroastrianism, are called Gathas. The Gathas consist of seventeen hymns composed by Zarathushtra around 1200 BC. They are grouped into five categories based on their rhythm:

• Ahunavaiti Gatha (Y28 – Y34)
• Ushtavaiti Gatha (Y43 – Y46)
• Spentamainy