We explain what a hymn is, the history of this type of composition and its characteristics. Also, what is a national anthem.
What is a hymn?
The hymns are poetic (lyrical) or musical compositions that have the objective of praising, exalting or celebrating to a divinity, a hero, a saint or a memorable event, such as a military, social or political victory. They should not be confused with odes, dedicated to any person or event of subjective or personal importance to the author or composer.
Hymns were very common in ancient times. The oldest texts of this nature date back to the 3rd millennium BC. c and are the Sumerian royal hymns, which recounted the military exploits of the kings of Ur during the Sumerian Renaissance.
Their importance in Mesopotamian society was such that they were considered official texts of the State, written in the Sumerian language spoken by intellectuals and elites, and sung at festivals and celebrations. There were similar texts in Egyptian, Vedic and Judaic cultures.
The word “hymn,” however, comes from early Greek hymns (hymns), of key importance to Western culture, known as “Homeric hymns.” These are about thirty epic poems dedicated to the birth of the Gods, and which at the time were attributed to Homer (hence his name). Today we know that the oldest of them dates back to the 7th century BC. C., perhaps one of the first texts of the vast Greco-Roman tradition.
This Greek idea of a hymn was recovered by the Latin Christian poets of the European Middle Ages, and endowed with a liturgical value. It is assumed that Saint Ambrose of Milan was the first to incorporate them in the year 397.
In addition, an infinite number of religious hymns are attributed to him that would be formally accepted in the Christian office thanks to Saint Benedict of Nursia and the monastic movement promoted by him. Likewise, popes such as Innocent III, Clement VII and Saint Gregory were great composers of hymns, as was the doctor of the Church Saint Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274).
Characteristics of hymns
In general, hymns are characterized by the following:
- can be lyric poems or musical works or intermediate forms that combine poetry and music.
- In general Its content is joy, enthusiasm and praise and this is reflected in their verses and/or in their melody.
- are dedicated to the exaltation of that which is considered sublime: the gods, the country, the great heroes, the great victories or the great human projects. In this they differ from odes, which are intended for anything that the poet's subjectivity considers worthy of praise.
national anthem
The national anthems are types of anthems that are intended to celebrate and exalt the founding of the country that is, of a specific nation-state. This type of musical compositions emerged after the awakening of nationalism between the 18th and 19th centuries and proliferated between the 19th and 20th centuries with the global spread of independent nations, each of which required its own national symbols.
In many cases, national anthems come from popular patriotic songs or military marches, although it is also common for them to be compositions requested by the State from musicians and artists, in order to strengthen national sentiment. Perhaps the best known of the Western hymns is the French one, “La Marseillaise” (La Marseillaise), written by Claude Joseph Rouget de Lisle in 1792.
The national anthems are usually interpreted as an opening in solemn moments such as political events or official sports competitions, and broadcast in the media or reproduced in schools, depending on the country. Generally, the first stanza of the hymn is performed, or another that is significant in the whole, given that the total hymn would be very long.
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References
- “Hymn” on Wikipedia.
- “National anthem” on Wikipedia.
- “Hymn” in the Language Dictionary of the Royal Spanish Academy.
- “Etymology of hymn” in Online Spanish Etymological Dictionary (Chile).
- “The anthem as a symbol of the State: legal-political dimension” by Joaquín Brage in the Virtual Legal Library of the Legal Research Institute of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).
- “Hymn (sacred song)” in The Encyclopaedia Britannica.
