Marian hymns areChristiansongs focused onMary, mother of Jesus. They are used indevotional andliturgical services, particularly by theCatholic,Eastern Orthodox,Oriental Orthodox, andAnglican churches.
Some have been adopted as Christmashymns. Marian hymns are not popular among Protestants who see Marian veneration as idolatry.
The Eastern Orthodox yearly cycle of liturgy has more hymns to Mary than does the liturgy of Roman Catholicism,[1] which often uses them inmonth-of-May devotions.
These liturgies include theMagnificat hymn, which is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns—perhaps the earliest, according to historianMarjorie Reeves. It is named after its first word in the 4th-centuryVulgate Bible, based onLuke 1:46–55, and is widely used by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and the Eastern Orthodox.[2]
Some Marian hymns are shared by different groups of Christians, or are influenced by other hymns. For instance, the secondstanza of the Anglican hymnYe Watchers and Ye Holy Ones is derived from the Eastern Orthodox hymn to the Theotokos.[3]
Some Marian hymns—e.g., theAkathist to the Theotokos—reflect theMariological approach of their historical period.[4]
In theEastern Church, theTheotokia (i.e. hymns to theTheotokos) are an essential part of theDivine Liturgy. The positioning of Marian hymns in the Orthodox liturgical services effectively places the Theotokos in the most prominent place after Christ, in that the Theotokia immediately follow the hymns that praise Christ.[5] In the Theotokia people repeat the name Mary many times as a sign of their close friendship with her, and as an expression of the desire to call her by her name.[6] Parts of theAxion Estin hymn date back to 8th-century (Cosmas of Maiuma).[7]
In the Eastern Church, the Theotokia often include biblical references that emphasize the mystery of theIncarnation. These Marian hymns have been used in daily prayers sinceearly Christianity (they became part of liturgy later) as a way to teach people the Orthodox beliefs, and to prepare them against ideas consideredheresies.[6] Marian hymns remain a key element in the liturgy of theCoptic Church and are included in every canonical hour, day and night.[6][8]
The widely usedAkathist Hymn (meaning the unseated hymn) to theTheotokos (Mother of God) is attributed to SaintRomanos the Melodist who composed many (perhaps several hundred) hymns to saints during the 6th century.[9] The attribution is not supported by recent scholarship, but Romanos did make a vital contribution to the Marian poetry in Constantinople.[10] In the Orthodox weekly liturgical cycle, Wednesday is dedicated to the Theotokos, and all daily services include numerous Marian hymns. These take precedence over the veneration of other saints and angels.[5]
While the formations of theDivine Liturgy in the 6th and 7th centuries preceded the beginnings of the period ofByzantine Iconoclasm, it was perhaps during the 11th century that the Theotokia became part of the liturgical books of the Eastern Church.[8] As of the 12th century an increasing number ofdiataxeis, giving the order of the liturgy included Marian hymns.[8]
On Wednesdays and Fridays, the regular Theotokia are replaced with Stavrotheotokia, hymns in which the focus is less on the incarnation (although this imagery is still present) and more on the image of the Virgin Mary standing before the Cross.
By the 13th century,Triodion liturgical books were combining references to icon veneration within hymns, e.g. "...to those who honor your holy image, O reverend one, and with one accord proclaim you as the true Mother of God and faithfully venerate you". Centuries later, theSunday of Orthodoxy continues to combine Marian hymns and the veneration of icons in a manner that confirms the identity of Mary as the Theotokos.[8]
Hymns, feasts and miraculous Marian icons are now combined within Eastern church practices, e.g. the Akathistos to the "wonder working"Theotokos Iverskaya (which has a feast day as well).[11][12] Marian hymns,litanies and the veneration or Benediction of the icons of Mary are combined in theMaronite Church's, Benediction of the icon of the Virgin Mary. Here ahymn litany includes the repetition of the phrase: "We petition you...". This Marionite hymn litany has two parts: first the giving of praise to Mary, then the petitions.[13]
According toSaint Augustine, it wasSaint Ambrose who, in the 4th century, introduced the use of hymns outside the liturgy of theWestern Church.[14] By the 8th century, popular hymns such asAve Maris Stella had appeared asplainsong inVespers and many other hymns were later based on them.[15] Hymns to Mary began to flourish with the growing veneration of the Virgin Mary in the 11th and 12th centuries, and theAve Maria became well established.[14]
Marian hymns in the Western Church grew even faster during the 13th century as theFranciscans began to compose a number of lasting hymns.Saint Francis began to improvise hymns of praise as he wandered the hills behindAssisi, begging for stones to restore the church ofSan Damiano.[16] These developed into full hymns later. HisSalutation to the Blessed Virgin Mary is a collection of greetings that form a litany of greetings to the Virgin Mary.[17] Some of the most recognized hymns to Mary were composed by the followers of Francis of Assisi. Towards the end of the 13th century, the FranciscanGiacopone dei Todi, the author ofStabat Mater dolorosa, composedStabat Mater Speciosa about the joy of the Virgin Mary. Based on the Gospel accounts of theNativity of Jesus, this was one of the tenderest hymns and is often considered one of the seven greatest Latin hymns.[18][19]
The 13th century growth of Marian devotions was also witnessed in France, with the construction ofMarian churches such asNotre Dame de Paris and the introduction of liturgical material such as offices. In this time frame poets andtrouvères such asJaque de Cambrai introduced a new range of Marian poems which were not simply devotional texts that affirmed a religious point of view, but had specific melodic components that allowed them to be sung with ease.[20] By the end of the 13th century, Marian hymns constituted the greatest number of texts in theMontpellier Codex, the largest and most comprehensive extant manuscript of 13th century music.[21]
By the 14th century, theLlibre Vermell de Montserrat from the Spanish monastery ofSanta Maria de Montserrat included hymns in Latin such asO Virgo Splendens ("O Splendid Virgin") andLaudemus Virginem ("Let us praise the Virgin").[citation needed]
While a number of well known hymns to Mary exist, many local and regionalMarian devotions have also inspired hymns that continue to be used along with specific festivals around the world. For instance,Reina de Cavite (i.e. Queen of Cavite) was composed by theJesuits inCavite City Philippines around 1689, and continues to be performed to date in local festivals forOur Lady of Solitude of Porta Vaga.[22][23]
Some hymns to Mary are also included in theEvangelical Lutheran Worship hymnal, e.g. hymn number 251 is "My Soul Proclaims Your Greatness", which is based on the Magnificat and hymn 419 is "For All the Faithful Women" in which the first stanza includes: "We honor faithful Mary, fair maiden, full of grace".[24]
TheCantigas de Santa Maria are 420 poems with musical notation, written in the medievalGalician-Portuguese language during the reign ofAlfonso X of Castile El Sabio (1221–1284).
Marian antiphons are a group of hymns in theGregorian chantrepertory of theCatholic Church, sung in honor of theVirgin Mary.[25] Votive antiphons are not trueantiphons in that they are not associated and chanted with a Psalm verse; they may be thought of, therefore, as "independent Latin songs".[26] Votive antiphons were traditionally attached to the end of services to honor or appeal to local saints. Marian antiphons, which began to appear in the written record during the early eleventh century, are dedicated specifically to the Virgin Mary.[27]
Modern Marian antiphons are sung primarily byRoman Catholics, particularly in religious communities afterCompline. They are also used in Anglican communities where the traditionaldivine office is observed. Traditionally, they were also said afterLauds, and after eachCanonical Hour when sung in choir, if the choir was then to disperse. These four antiphons were originally only performed in connection with psalms, but have been used as detached chants since 1239.[28]
Although there were once a number of Marian antiphons, some of great antiquity, the majority of written examples in the English polyphonic style were destroyed during KingEdward VI's reign followingHenry VIII’sdissolution of the monasteries during theEnglish Reformation. Edward and theArchbishop of CanterburyThomas Cranmer pursued policies that purged churches, chapels, and monasteries of pre-Reformation liturgical music. The scholar Richard Taruskin notes "[it] was at Cranmer's instigation...that the notorious search-and-destroy missions against books of "Popish ditties"--particularly Marian votive antiphons--took place, thanks to which so little early Englishpolyphony survives."[29]
The repression included the destruction of many church organs due to their association with votive antiphons and other polyphonic music; English organ-building did not recover until the 17th century.[29] Marian votive antiphons were barred from public performance in the established Church of England, and Cranmer worked with anti-Catholic composer John Merbecke to compose a new liturgy for the Church of England, which placed "strict limits...on the style of the music".[29]
In the modern liturgy, only four Marian antiphons are used, and they are sung according to a seasonal calendar.[30] The four hymns, which are usually referred to simply as "The Marian Antiphons" or "The Marian Anthems", have been used as detached chants since 1239:[28]
There have been exceptions to this schedule in differentmonastic traditions over the years, e.g. theBenedictine monasteries were using them in the 14th century.[31] In current usage the liturgical year is divided into four periods, with each period associated with one of the four Marian antiphons, which is sung at the end ofCompline orVespers during that period.[32] For example,Alma Redemptoris Mater is sung from the first Sunday inAdvent untilCandlemas (2 February).
The four Marian antiphons (with occasional variations in the text) are often set topolyphonic music forchoir or as soloarias. The Gregorian melodies exist both in elaborate solemn forms and simple versions.[33]
While a number of Marian hymns are written in Latin and English,[34] there are nine Marian hymns with German lyrics included in the 2013Gotteslob:
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