MEDIAEVAL SCANDINAVIAN HYMNODY Because of the close connection which existed in mediaeval times between Germanic countries and peoples,—a natural outcome of their racial affinity,—it was quite natural that the movements of mediaeval hymnody in Germany would become known among the people of the North. The Swedish mediaeval Church possessed a hymnody both in Latin and in Swedish. Only a very few of the Swedish mediaeval religious songs remain to-day. These popular religious songs, like secular folk songs and ballads, were transmitted not in writing but as a living tradition on the lips of the people from generation to generation. Thus only very few of these old Swedish religious songs have survived the century of the Reformation. By way of example we may note the old mediaeval song, “The blessed day which we behold”—this is found in all Swedish Lutheran hymn books. It existed in the fourteenth century. In its present form it has been greatly improved by the greatest of Swedish hymnologists, J. O. Wallin. Ericus Olai is the only known Swedish hymn writer of mediaeval times. One of his hymns, “The Rich Man,” a metrical paraphrase of the Gospel lesson which deals with the rich man and Lazarus, Olaus Petri, the great Swedish reformer, included in the first Swedish Lutheran hymn book. It was also included in the Swedish Lutheran hymn book of 1695. An interesting and valuable testimony concerning the fact that also in the Swedish mediaeval Church the people were allowed to sing in public worship, is found in the answer that King Gustavus I gave to the complaint of the Dalecarlians, in 1527. Among other things, the king says that “it is an old custom in our country, in our churches, to sing in Swedish and praise God, and it is well that this is done in our own language, which we understand, and not in Latin, which we do not understand.” THE SEQUENCES The Sequences were religious liturgical songs, which developed from the florid vocalizations upon the last syllable of the Hallelujah. At first only a melody or tune with words, but later on it became an art form both in music and in sacred poetry. Musically often of finer quality than the hymn. The Sequences usually consisted of two verses, three lines to each verse, with the same melody for each of the two verses. The form seems to have originated at the convent of St. Gall in Switzerland, about 875 A. D. During the later part of the mediaeval era the Sequences became very popular, and the number of Sequences that were sung in the Catholic Church reached nearly one thousand. The church music decisions of the Council of Trent (1545-1563) operated very strongly against the Sequences, and so they practically disappeared about 1570. Only five Sequences were retained, namely, Victime paschali laudes, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Lauda Sion salvatorem, Stabat Mater dolorosa, and Dies Irae. ST. GALL