HYMNOLOGY ( liAivoNo-yla, bite: n °log ia , from hymnof000s. singing hymns, from Cavos, hronnos, hymn; connected with Skt. synnioa, bond, Lat. surrc, to sew, nk. nao-orietr, kos•syein, to make shoes. ()('hurch Slay. to sew, (loth. siitjan, OHO. siurron, :\S, seowian, Eng. se• Ok. -Xoy/a, -login. account. from hoein, to say). The science of hymns, or the collective body of hymns used at a particu lar time or place. In the most general sense a hymn is a religious ode or poem; more specific ally it is a metrical composition divided into stanzas or verses. intended to be used in worship. In some variety or form the hymn has been thus employed throughout the ages. T..enormant pub lishes an old Accadian hymn, suing to the L110011 god Iltirkis, that may have been used at Ur five thousand years ago. The Assyrian tablets fur nish many specimens of the so-called penitential hymns. (Consult Records of the Past.) The religion of ancient Egypt produced hymns of beauty and power. (('onsult Renouf. Religion of Ancient Egypt.) In India on anniversary days and in processions there are songs sung to the gods. but these are not of a high character. The Vedic hymns are ninny of them productions of worth. Buddhist hymns seem to be chiefly for recital or meditation. not for worship. Confucius made a collection of poetry, forty pieces of which are called 'praise songs' or 'songs of the temple and altar.' The Mohammedans have no liyams; they have invocations and addresses. Greece, was the land of song, and there was heard a song on every occasion by every class to celebrate every event. The so-called llom•ric hymns con sist of brief addresses to the gods. CaBMus, the father of elegy (c.7o0 n.c.), and .1rehiloellus, a contemporary, wrote hymns, but none Of them have reached us. Shnonides. Tyrt.eus, Solon of .1thens, ..11c:rus, and Sappho wrote lyric poetry. Roman worship was silent and reverential, but the priests used songs, and the poets wrote odes and lyrics. of the hymns of the New World we know but little. ReviIle gives a sample of the hymns used in the time of the Incas in South .1merien. The hymns. or rather incantations, of the North American Indians are inferior in qual ity. though not lacking in weirdness.
It is the Hebrew race which produced the highest development of worship poetry before the Christian Era, and it is a generally conceded fact, that the Hebrew Psalter has nano been equaled as a whole. We get glimpses of the kindred arts, music and poetry, very early in the Ilehrew Script tires. Juba! was "the father of all such as handle the harp and organ" (Clem iv.21). And in the same connection we hear of the song of Lamech (Gen. iv. 23-24 ) , perhaps time earliest song of Scripture. The song of Miriam (Ex. X N'. 21) is the only one preserved of many possible improvisations that she may ha ye prod IleVd. Ninetieth Psalm has been attributed to Moses, and has been aptly described as the 'swan song of :Moses.' In the Book of Numbers 14) we find the mention of the "Book of the %Vars of the Lord." which some suppose to be a collec tion of songs and ballads composed by the camp fire. In the same chapter (xxi. 17-18) is given the song "Spring Up. (1 Well." One of the great songs of the Old Testament is that of Dehorah and Barak (.Judges v.). It is cast in a distinctly metrical form. The song of Hannah (I. Sam. ii.) reminds of the song of Mary (Luke i. 46-55) and it might be called the lagnificat of the (lid Testament. The schools of the prophets knew of the soothing influence of music and used it in prophecy. and with it they may have used song also. NVith the founding of the Temple was founded the temple of llebrew song. Scholars are not agreed as to the numher of psalms coin posed by David. The estimate runs from ninety five down to none. Solomon is said to have writ ten 1005 songs, but only two Psalms (lxxii. and cxiii.) have his name prefixed to them. His other poetical productions are rather didactic than lyrical. The Psalms contain many of the poetical productions of exilic and post-exilic times. Jonah ii., Isaiah xii., and Habakkuk iii. are also poetical productions. Robert Lowth was the discoverer of the metrical arrangement of Hebrew poetry. first publishing his diseovery in 1753. Michaelis, Herder, Rosenmfiller. De NVette, Gesenins, Rau. Dollmann. Gustav Biekel. and others have contributed something to the under standing of the subject.