Hymns

thumb|'s Man Singing Hymn (1884) A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word hymn derives from Greek (hymnos), which means "a song of praise". A writer of hymns is known as a hymnist. The singing or composition of hymns is called hymnody. Collections of hymns are known as hymnals or hymn books. Hymns may or may not include instrumental accompaniment. Polyhymnia is the Greek goddess of hymns.

The Gathas () are five hymns in the Avestan language from the Zoroastrian oral tradition of the Avesta. The oldest surviving text fragment dates from 1323 CE, but they are believed by scholars to have been composed before 1000 BCE and passed down orally for centuries. They are traditionally believed to have been composed by the prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. They form the core of the Zoroastrian liturgy (the Yasna). They are arranged in five different modes or metres.

a poetic meter, used in legends in Epic Sanscrit or Prakrit, but not used in the Vedas; often found in Jain and Buddhist texts in prakrit

hymn by Horace

Yigdal () is a Jewish hymn which, in various rituals, shares with Adon Olam the place of honor at the opening of the morning and the close of the evening service. It is based on the 13 principles of faith (sometimes referred to as "the 13 Creeds") formulated by Maimonides. This was not the only metrical presentment of the 13 principles, but it has outlived all others, whether in Hebrew or the vernacular. A translation can be found in any bilingual siddur.

oldest surviving literary text in the world

Shabda (, ) is the Sanskrit word for "speech sound". In Sanskrit grammar, the term refers to an utterance in the sense of linguistic performance.

thumb|right|The young man in the middle, who is undergoing the tarmida#Ordination|tarmida initiation ceremony, is reading the [[Sidra ḏ-Nišmata, the first section of the Qulasta, as he sits in front of the andiruna.]] The Qulasta, also spelled Qolastā in older sources (; ), is a compilation of Mandaean prayers. The Mandaic word qolastā means "collection".

set of hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib, the main scripture of Sikhism

Christian hymn written by Bernhard Severin Ingemann

poem

hymn and Christmas carol

Thiruvasagam () is a volume of Tamil hymns composed by the 3rd century Shaivite bhakti poet Manikkavasagar. It contains 51 compositions and constitutes the eighth volume of the Tirumurai, the sacred anthology of the Tamil Shaiva Siddhanta.

song

Sanskrit poem by Adi Shankara

song with lyrics by David

A hymnwriter (or hymn writer, hymnist, hymnodist, hymnographer, etc.) is someone who writes the text, music, or both of hymns. The Christian tradition views the composition of hymns as dating back to before the time of David, who is traditionally believed to have 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.

Script written by sikh's First guru Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Sikh hymn