HYMN

(Gr. hymnos) denotes 2 poem written in memory of heroes, or addre ed to the gods. The historic antecedents of Christian hymns are to be sought in anc. Israel, the words hymn and psalm being practically interchangeable. It is recorded of Christ and His disciples that they sang an hymn after the institution of the Lord’s Supper. Hymnody developed in Eastern Christian Churches before those of the West. In the West the introduction of hymns was due to St. Hilary of Poitiers and St. Ambrose of Milan, the latter of whom was the real founder of hymnody in ths West. St. Benedict of Nursia (d. c. 541), by fitting of hymns to his Order of Worship, secured their widespread hold. The hymn ‘The royal banners forward go’ is attributed to Venantius For tun at us (7th cent.); ‘Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,’ to Charles the Bald (9th cent.). From the 11th to the 16th century the hymns produced were chiefly monastic in origin and character, that of St. Bernard of Cluny (12th cent.) being one of the best—‘The times are very evil.’