The ''Passíusálmar'' or ''Passion Hymns'' are a collection of 50 poetic texts written by the
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
ic
minister and poet,
Hallgrímur Pétursson
Hallgrímur Pétursson (1614 – 27 October 1674) was an Icelandic poet and a minister at Hvalsneskirkja and Saurbær in Hvalfjörður. Being one of the most prominent Icelandic poets, the Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík and the Hallgrímskirkja ...
. The texts explore the
Passion narrative, as traditionally presented, from the point where
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, names and titles), was ...
enters the
Garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane () is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem where, according to the four Gospels of the New Testament, Jesus underwent the agony in the garden and was arrested before his crucifixion. It is a place of great reson ...
to his death and burial. Hallgrímur began composing the work in 1656, while serving as
pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
of Saurbær in
Hvalfjörður
Hvalfjörður (, "whale fjord") is situated in the west of Iceland between Mosfellsbær and Akranes. The fjord is approximately 30 km long and 5 km wide.
The origin of the name Hvalfjörður is uncertain. Certainly today there is no pr ...
. It took him three years to complete, the final poem being written in May 1659; the first edition was published seven years later, in 1666. By the end of the century they had become so popular in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
that five editions had been published. Since that time, they have been reprinted more than 75 times, a unique achievement in Icelandic literature. The poems were translated into many other languages, including
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
,
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
,
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
and
Danish
Danish may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark
People
* A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark
* Culture of Denmark
* Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish a ...
.
The first English edition was published in 1913. In the 1950s a new translation was made by
Arthur Charles Gook. This new translation received the imprimatur of the Bishop of Iceland,
Sigurbjörn Einarsson, and is published by
Hallgrímskirkja
Hallgrímskirkja (, ''Church of Hallgrímur'') is a Lutheran (Church of Iceland) parish church in Reykjavík, Iceland. At tall, it is the largest church in Iceland and among the tallest structures in the country. Known for its distinctively cur ...
. In addition, a selection of texts were translated by Anglican Bishop
Charles Venn Pilcher and published in a pamphlet entitled "Thirty-One Meditations on Christ's Passion"; this translation, although incomplete, is regarded as more faithful to Hallgrímur's
Lutheran
Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
.
The ''Passíusálmar'' quickly became an important part of Icelandic religious expression, being sung or read during Lent in every Icelandic home; today, they are broadcast on the radio during that time of year. They have been set to music by many composers of Icelandic church music, including
Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson
Þorkell Sigurbjörnsson (or Thorkell Sigurbjörnsson) (born in Reykjavík on 16 July 1938 - died in Kópavogur on 30 January 2013) was an Icelandic composer, conducting, conductor and pianist.
Early life and study
Born the son of bishop Sigu ...
and
Jón Hlöðver Áskelsson, but use outside Iceland is rare.
Titles of the 50 hymns
Hymn I. Christ goes to the Garden
Hymn II. Christ's Suffering in the Garden
Hymn III. “Sorrowful, even unto Death”
Hymn IV. Christ's Appeals to His Disciples
Hymn V. The Jews arrive in the Garden
Hymn VI. Judas' Kiss and Christ's Arrest
Hymn VII. Peter's Defence and
Malchus
Malchus (; grc-x-koine, Μάλχος, translit=Málkhos, ) was the servant of the Jewish High Priest Caiaphas who participated in the arrest of Jesus as written in the four gospels. According to the Bible, one of the disciples, Simon Peter, b ...
' Wounded Ear
Hymn VIII. Christ's Address to the Jews
Hymn IX. The Flight of the Disciples
Hymn X. The First Enquiry before
Caiaphas
Joseph ben Caiaphas (; c. 14 BC – c. 46 AD), known simply as Caiaphas (; grc-x-koine, Καϊάφας, Kaïáphas ) in the New Testament, was the Jewish high priest who, according to the gospels, organized a plot to kill Jesus. He famous ...
Hymn XI. Peter's Denial
Hymn XII. Peter's Repentance
Hymn XIII. The False Witnesses and Caiaphas' Judgment
Hymn XIV. The Soldiers mock Christ
Hymn XV. The Priests' Conference
Hymn XVI. The Remorse of Judas
Hymn XVII. The Potter's Field
Hymn XVIII. The Jews' First Charge before Pilate
Hymn XIX. Christ's Confession before Pilate
Hymn XX. The Jews' Second Charge before Pilate
Hymn XXI. Herod's Curiosity and the Gorgeous Robe
Hymn XXII. The Demand for Crucifixion
Hymn XXIII. The Scourging of Christ
Hymn XXIV. The Scarlet Robe and Crown of Thorns
Hymn XXV. Christ led from the Judgment Hall
Hymn XXVI. Christ and Pilate
Hymn XXVII. Pilate and the Jews
Hymn XXVIII. Pilate's unjust Judgment
Hymn XXIX. Release of Barabbas
Hymn XXX. Christ bears His Cross
Hymn XXXI. Christ's Address to the Women
Hymn XXXII. The Green and the Dry Tree
Hymn XXXIII. The Crucifixion of Christ
Hymn XXXIV. The First Cry from the Cross
Hymn XXXV. The Superscription on the Cross
Hymn XXXVI. Christ's Garments divided
Hymn XXXVII. The Second Cry from the Cross
Hymn XXXVIII. The Mocking suffered on the Cross
Hymn XXXIX. The Thief's Repentance
Hymn XL. The Third Cry from the Cross
Hymn XLI. The Fourth Cry from the Cross
Hymn XLII. The Fifth Cry from the Cross
Hymn XLIII. The Sixth Cry from the Cross
llvmn XLIV. The Seventh Cry from the Cross
Hymn XLV. The Death of Christ
Hymn XLVI. The Signs that accompanied His Death
Hymn XLVII. Christ's Friends, who stood far off
Hymn XLVIII. The Saviour's wounded Side
Hymn XLIX. The Burial of Christ
Hymn L. The Guard on Watch
{{Hymns and songs for Lent and Passiontide
Lutheran hymnals
Lutheran hymns
Passion hymns
Icelandic literature
Caiaphas
Gethsemane
Works based on the New Testament