Hymns -- History and criticism; Lutheran Church -- Hymns -- History and criticism
The fifth period of German hymnody, an era of renovation, from about
1825 to about 1910, is known not so much for original hymn writing as
for its general return to the best of old German hymnody. The neological
hymn books of the preceding period were condemned and rejected. New hymn
books were published, which contained the best church hymns of all
times. Outstanding hymnological compilers and editors are Dr. Hermann
Adalbert Daniel, Dr. Carl Eduard Philipp Wackernagel, and Stip. Albert
Knapp and Dr. Carl Johann Spitta are important German hymnists of this
period. Important English translators are Miss Catherine Winkworth, Miss
Frances Elizabeth Cox, Miss Jane Borthwick and her sister—Mrs.
Findlater, Rev. Richard Massie, and Rev. A. Tozar Russell.
SCANDINAVIAN LUTHERAN HYMNODY
The Reformation era, the sixteenth century.—The hymnody of the
Scandinavian Church during this period was, for the most part, an echo
of that of the German mother Church. Among important hymnists of this
period we note Hans Taussen, Hans Tomissön, Cl. Töndebinder and Nils
Jespersen of the Danish Church. In the Swedish Church we note especially
the two brothers, Olaus and Laurentius Petri, the two great Swedish
reformers, students under Dr. Martin Luther at the University of
Wittenberg. The first Swedish Lutheran hymn book was issued by Olaus
Petri, 1526, called “Swedish Songs” (about ten hymns). Revised and
enlarged editions of this hymn book appeared in 1530 and 1536. In this
first Swedish Lutheran hymn book we find hymns by the Swedish poet Olaf
Swensson, who distinguished himself as a zealous polemic against the
Roman Catholic Church and “Antichrist” (the pope). In 1567 appeared
another Swedish Lutheran hymn book, containing 99 hymns, which has been
called “the hymn book of Laurentius Petri,” because it contained many
translations and several original hymns by him. A revised and enlarged
edition of this hymn book appeared in 1572. In this hymnal appeared the
popular and beautiful Swedish Lutheran hymn, “A sinful man, who lay in
trance of sin, he heard a voice from heaven: Awake, awake, list to the
Word that comfort gives.” It has been claimed by several authorities
that this hymn is the foremost hymn in the Swedish literature of the
sixteenth century, and also one of the greatest of Swedish Lutheran
hymns. It is probably the work of Laurentius Petri Gothus.
Scandinavian Lutheran hymnody may be divided into five hymnological
periods, similar to the five periods of German Lutheran hymnody. The
hymnological periods of German and Scandinavian hymnody are parallel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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