Hymnology

thumb|upright=1.5|A row of hymnals thumb|Praxis pietatis melica by Johann Crüger, an important German Lutheran hymnal from the 17th century A hymnal or hymnary is a collection of hymns, usually in the form of a book, called a hymnbook (or hymn book). They are used in congregational singing. A hymnal may contain only hymn texts (normal for most hymnals for most centuries of Christian history); written melodies are extra, and more recently harmony parts have also been provided.

Hymnology (from Greek ὕμνος hymnos, "song of praise" and -λογία -logia, "study of") is the scholarly study of religious song, or the hymn, in its many aspects, with particular focus on choral and congregational song. It may be more or less clearly distinguished from hymnody, the creation and practice of such song. Hymnologists, such as Erik Routley, may study the history and origins of hymns and of traditions of sung worship, the biographies of the women and men who have written hymns that have passed into choral or congregational use, the interrelationships between text and tune, the historic

music of the Syriac Christianity liturgy

right|thumb|300px|Notation for the psalmodicon from Lindeman's Coral-Melodier for Psalmodicon i siffertoneskrift for the tune «Vor Gud han er saa fast en Borg» aka «A Mighty Fortress Is Our God»