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Megalynarion
The Megalynarion (Greek , "magnification", "that which magnifies";In the archaic sense of the word; see also called ''Velichaniye'' in Church Slavonic) is a special hymn used in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches that follow the Byzantine Rite. Depending on the local liturgical tradition, this hymn can be one of several. Matins In the Slavic tradition, the Megalynarion is a verse chanted at the end of the Polyeleos on higher-ranking feasts in honour of the saint or feast day being celebrated. The verse usually begins with the words: "We magnify, we magnify thee...", and specifically mentions the name of the saint or the feast. The verse is chanted first by the clergy and then repeated by the chanters. The chanters then sing a number of appropriate verses from the Psalms, chanting the Megalynarion between each one. During this chanting the senior priest and deacon perform a full censing of the church. At the end, the clergy again chant the Meg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Polyeleos
The Polyeleos is a festive portion of the Matins or All-Night Vigil service as observed on higher-ranking feast days in the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Lutheran, and Byzantine Rite Catholic Churches. The Polyeleos is considered to be the high point of the service, and contains the reading of the Matins Gospel. Because of its liturgical importance, settings for the Polyeleos have been composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff and others. The name derives from Greek Πολυέλεος (pl. Πολυέλεοι), meaning "of much mercy", because of the repetition in one of the Polyeleoi of the phrase "ὅτι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τὸ ἔλεος αὐτοῦ" (''hoti eis ton aiōna to eleos autou''), meaning "because forever astsHis mercy"), Psalms Specifically, the Polyeleos consists of Psalms 134 and 135 (Septuagint numbering; King James Version: Psalms and ), which are solemnly chanted in a festive melody, with refrains Alleluia chanted between each verse. The refrain for Psalm 134 i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greek Language
Greek ( el, label= Modern Greek, Ελληνικά, Elliniká, ; grc, Ἑλληνική, Hellēnikḗ) is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages, native to Greece, Cyprus, southern Italy ( Calabria and Salento), southern Albania, and other regions of the Balkans, the Black Sea coast, Asia Minor, and the Eastern Mediterranean. It has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning at least 3,400 years of written records. Its writing system is the Greek alphabet, which has been used for approximately 2,800 years; previously, Greek was recorded in writing systems such as Linear B and the Cypriot syllabary. The alphabet arose from the Phoenician script and was in turn the basis of the Latin, Cyrillic, Armenian, Coptic, Gothic, and many other writing systems. The Greek language holds a very important place in the history of the Western world. Beginning with the epics of Homer, ancient Greek literature includes many works ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Greek Orthodox Church
The term Greek Orthodox Church ( Greek: Ἑλληνορθόδοξη Ἐκκλησία, ''Ellinorthódoxi Ekklisía'', ) has two meanings. The broader meaning designates "the entire body of Orthodox (Chalcedonian) Christianity, sometimes also called 'Eastern Orthodox,' 'Greek Catholic,' or generally 'the Greek Church. The narrower meaning designates "any of several independent churches within the worldwide communion of asternOrthodox Christianity that retain the use of the Greek language in formal ecclesiastical settings". Etymology Historically, the term "Greek Orthodox" has been used to describe all Eastern Orthodox churches, since the term "Greek" can refer to the heritage of the Byzantine Empire. During the first eight centuries of Christian history, most major intellectual, cultural, and social developments in the Christian Church took place in the Byzantine Empire or its sphere of influence, where the Greek language was widely spoken and used for most theological writ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cherub
A cherub (; plural cherubim; he, כְּרוּב ''kərūḇ'', pl. ''kərūḇīm'', likely borrowed from a derived form of akk, 𒅗𒊏𒁍 ''karabu'' "to bless" such as ''karibu'', "one who blesses", a name for the lamassu) is one of the unearthly beings who directly attend to God, according to Abrahamic religions. The numerous depictions of cherubim assign to them many different roles, such as protecting the entrance of the Garden of Eden. Abrahamic religious traditions In Jewish angelic hierarchy, cherubim have the ninth (second-lowest) rank in Maimonides' ''Mishneh Torah'' (12th century), and the third rank in Kabbalistic works such as ''Berit Menuchah'' (14th century). ''De Coelesti Hierarchia'' places them in the highest rank alongside Seraphim and Thrones. In the Book of Ezekiel and (at least some) Christian icons, the cherub is depicted as having two pairs of wings, and four faces: that of a lion (representative of all wild animals), an ox (domestic animals), ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Theotokos
''Theotokos'' ( Greek: ) is a title of Mary, mother of Jesus, used especially in Eastern Christianity. The usual Latin translations are ''Dei Genitrix'' or '' Deipara'' (approximately "parent (fem.) of God"). Familiar English translations are "Mother of God" or "God-bearer" – but these both have different literal equivalents in Greek, Μήτηρ Θεοῦ and Θεοφόρος ("Who gave birth to one who was God", "Whose child was God", respectively). The title has been in use since the 3rd century, in the Syriac tradition (as ) in the Liturgy of Mari and Addai (3rd century)''Addai and Mari, Liturgy of''. Cross, F. L., ed. ''The Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church''. Oxford University Press. 2005. and the Liturgy of St James (4th century). The Council of Ephesus in AD 431 decreed that Mary is the ''Theotokos'' because Her Son Jesus is both God and man: one divine person from two natures (divine and human) intimately and hypostatically united. The title of Moth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hymnographer
A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the composition of hymns dates back to before the time of David, who composed many of the Psalms. The term hymnodist, in the United States more than in other regions, broadens the scope to include the study of hymns. History Early Church and Middle Ages Many hymn writers in the early Church gained prominence and achieved canonisation. Saint John of Damascus (c. 675 or 676 – 749) was noted for his work as a hymn writer; some of the most popular English hymns which are translations of his works include ''Come ye faithful, raise the strain'', ''Let us rise in early morning'' and ''The day of resurrection'', all associated with the season of Eastertide and all translated by John Mason Neale. Most early hymnists were anonymous, so it is uncertain how many of them were women. Saint Hildegard of Bingen (1098–1179) is the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zadostoinik
''Axion estin'' (Greek: , Slavonic: Достóйно éсть, ''Dostóino yesť''), or It is Truly Meet, is a megalynarion and a theotokion, i.e. a magnification of and a Hymn to Mary used in the Divine Services of the Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Catholic churches. It consists of a troparion and a sticheron composed in honor of the Theotokos (i.e. the Virgin Mary). ''Axion estin'' is also the name of type of icon of the Theotokos, also known as the ''Eleousa'' type, after the icon of Karyes ( Mount Athos) in front of which, according to tradition, the hymn was revealed in the late 10th century. At Karyes, the icon is currently kept in the Protaton. Text The second half of the hymn, beginning with the words, "More honorable than the cherubim..." is the older part of the hymn, and is an Irmos attributed to St. Cosmas the Hymnographer (d. 773). The introduction, "It is truly meet..." was, according to tradition, revealed by the Archangel Gabriel to a monk on Mount A ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canon (hymnography)
A canon ( el, κανών, kanōn) is a structured hymn used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine ''odes'', based on the Biblical canticles. Most of these are found in the Old Testament, but the final ode is taken from the Magnificat and Song of Zechariah from the New Testament. The canon dates from the 7th century and was either devised or introduced into the Greek language by St. Andrew of Crete, whose penitential ''Great Canon'' is still used on certain occasions during Great Lent. It was further developed in the 8th century by Sts. John of Damascus and Cosmas of Jerusalem, and in the 9th century by Sts. Joseph the Hymnographer and Theophanes the Branded. Over time the canon came to replace the , a vestigial form of which is still used on several occasions and which has been incorporated into the performance of the canon. Each canon develops a specific theme, such as repentance or honouring a particular saint. Sometimes more than one canon can be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Canticle
A canticle (from the Latin ''canticulum'', a diminutive of ''canticum'', "song") is a hymn, psalm or other Christian song of praise with lyrics usually taken from biblical or holy texts. Canticles are used in Christian liturgy. Catholic Church Prior to the Pope Pius X's 1911 reforms, a single cycle of seven canticles was used at Lauds: * Sunday – The Song of the Three Holy Children () * Monday – The Song of Isaiah the Prophet () * Tuesday – The Song of Hezekiah () * Wednesday – The Song of Hannah () * Thursday – The (First) Song of Moses () * Friday – The Prayer of Habakkuk () * Saturday – The (Second) Song of Moses () These canticles are rather long, and the weekday ones display something of a penitential theme, but some were not often used, as all feasts, and weekdays in Eastertide used the Canticle of Daniel, the Sunday canticle. The 1911 reform introduced for weekdays not of penitential nature, and for lesser feasts and days of the lesser octaves, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Irmos
The irmos (or heirmos from grc-x-koine, εἱρμός) in the Byzantine liturgical tradition is the initial troparion of an ode of a canon. The meter and melody of an irmos is followed by the remaining troparia of the ode; when more than one canon is used (as is typical at matins), only the first canon's irmos is sung, but the irmoi of the subsequent canons must be known in order to determine an ode's melody and so, even in canons where it is known that the irmos is never sung, the irmos is nonetheless specified. Note that in the Russian tradition, often only the irmos is sung, the rest of the ode simply being read; in Greek parishes, often the remaining troparia are simply eliminated, but in non-Russian traditions, all troparia of a canon are sung The term comes from the Greek verb "to tie, link" meaning that it poetically connects the Biblical ode to the subject of the canon. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Refrain
A refrain (from Vulgar Latin ''refringere'', "to repeat", and later from Old French ''refraindre'') is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in poetry — the "chorus" of a song. Poetic fixed forms that feature refrains include the villanelle, the virelay, and the sestina. In popular music, the refrain or chorus may contrast with the verse melodically, rhythmically, and harmonically; it may assume a higher level of dynamics and activity, often with added instrumentation. Chorus form, or strophic form, is a sectional and/or additive way of structuring a piece of music based on the repetition of one formal section or block played repeatedly. Usage in history In music, a refrain has two parts: the lyrics of the song, and the melody. Sometimes refrains vary their words slightly when repeated; recognizability is given to the refrain by the fact that it is always sung to the same tune, and the rhymes, if present, are preserved despite the variations of the words. Suc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Epiclesis
The epiclesis (also spelled epiklesis; from grc, ἐπίκλησις "surname" or "invocation") refers to the invocation of one or several gods. In ancient Greek religion, the epiclesis was the epithet used as the surname given to a deity in religious contexts. The term was borrowed into the Christian tradition, where it designates the part of the Anaphora (Eucharistic Prayer) by which the priest invokes the Holy Spirit (or the power of God's blessing) upon the Eucharistic bread and wine in some Christian churches. In most Eastern Christian traditions, the Epiclesis comes after the Anamnesis (remembrance of Jesus' words and deeds); in the Western Rite it usually precedes. In the historic practice of the Western Christian Churches, the consecration is effected at the Words of Institution though during the rise of the Liturgical Movement, many denominations introduced an explicit epiclesis in their liturgies. Ancient Greece The Ancient Greek term ''epíklēsis'' (ἐπίκλ ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
