Canon (hymnography)
Encyclopedia
A canon is a structured hymn
used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticle
s. Most of these are found in the Old Testament
, but the final ode is taken from the Magnificat
and Song of Zechariah from the New Testament
. For clarity, this article will use the term "canticle" to refer to the original biblical text, and "ode" to refer to the composed liturgical hymns.
The canon dates from the 7th century and was either devised or introduced into the Greek language
by St. Andrew of Crete
, whose penitential Great Canon is still used on certain occasions during Great Lent
. It was further developed in the 8th century by Sts. John of Damascus
and Cosmas of Jerusalem, and in the 9th century by Sts. Joseph the Hymnographer and Theophanes the Branded.
Over time the canon came to replace the kontakion
, a vestigal form of which is still used on several occasions and which has been incorporated into the performance of the canon. Each canon develops a specific theme, such as repentance or honouring a particular saint. Sometimes more than one canon can be chanted together, as frequently happens at Matins
.
These biblical canticles are normally found in the back of the Psalter
used by Orthodox churches, where they are often printed with markings to indicate where to begin inserting the irmos and troparia of the canons.
or cantor
in a cappella
chant
. An ode of the canon is begun by singing the Biblical canticle from its beginning. At some point this is interrupted by an introductory stanza
called an irmos
("link") which poetically connects the theme of the biblical canticle to the subject of the canon. Following the irmos and sung alternately with the subsequent verses of the Biblical canticle are a series of hymns (troparia
), set in the same melody and meter as the irmos, that expand on the theme of the canon. The ode is completed with a final stanza called the katavasia
. This might be a repetition of the irmos, the irmos of the last canon when more than one canon is being sung together, the irmos of the canon for an upcoming major feast day, or some other verse prescribed by the service books. (Katavasia means "coming down" and the verse is so called because as originally performed the two choirs would descend from their places on the left and right sides of the church to sing it together in the middle.)
Most often Ode II is omitted (the Biblical canticle this ode is based on is quite penitential, and so is normally used only on weekdays during Great Lent). There are therefore only eight odes in most canons. Canons containing Ode II usually occur only during Great Lent and the Great Canon of St. Andrew.
Because a canon is composed of nine odes, it can be conveniently divided into three sections. Between Ode III and Ode IV a sedalen or "sitting hymn" is sung. Between Ode VI and Ode VII a vestigal kontakion
is sung with only its prooimion, or initial stanza, and the first oikos or strophe
. If an akathist
is to be chanted in conjunction with a canon, it is inserted after Ode VI.
The normal order for a full canon, as chanted at Matins is as follows:
on the weekdays of Great Lent
. Thus, each ode normally begins with the irmos (however, except for certain major feasts, the Magnificat
, which forms half of the ninth Biblical canticle, is usually sung in its entirety before the irmos of the Ode IX). The troparia that follow are each introduced by a brief refrain (replacing the verses of the biblical canticle) which is determined by the subject matter of the canon. For example, in a canon commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus
(used on Sundays) the refrain is, "Glory, O Lord, to Thy holy Resurrection"; in a Canon to the Virgin Mary the refrain is, "Most Holy Theotokos
, save us"; in a canon to a saint
the refrain is, "Holy [name of saint] pray to God for us"; and in the most general case it is "Glory to Thee our God, glory to Thee." Before the last two troparia, the refrain is replaced by the doxology
"Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit/both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
The total number of troparia is determined by local usage. Theoretically there are as many as fourteen for each ode, with some troparia repeated if the service books do not provide enough of them, and some conjoined if there are too many. This makes the canon too lengthy for typical parish use, so more often no more than three troparia are sung regardless of how many troparia or canons are prescribed. The total number chanted, including the Irmos, are usually an even number.
Although it is intended that the troparia be sung this is impractical in most cases, so normally only the Irmos and Katabasia are chanted, the troparia and their refrains are most often read recto tono
by a single reader. However, the canon of Pascha
(Easter) is still traditionally chanted in full.
, but also at the Midnight Office
for Sunday; at Great and Small Compline
; and at special services such as the Paraklesis
and those of similar structure such as the Panichida
and Moleben
. In the latter cases the canon is often vestigal, consisting of no more than a selection of katabasia with refrains and doxology. The Greek equivalent of a Moleben is the Parastas, during which a full canon is still chanted. Canons may also be used in private prayer either as a regular part of a rule or for special needs. One traditional prayerful preparation for reception
of the Eucharist
is to read three canons and an akathist
the evening prior. When used privately there is generally no attempt at an elaborated musical or metrical performance. They may, in fact, simply be read silently to oneself.
, the Lenten Triodion provides triodes at Matins on Monday through Friday: on Mondays they consist of Odes I, VIII and IX, on Tuesdays, Odes II, VIII and IX, and so on through Friday which consists of Odes V, VIII and IX. Saturdays during Great Lent have tetraodes, consisting of Odes VI, VII, VIII and IX. Because the use of triodes is so prevalent during Great Lent, the book containing the changeable portions of services that liturgical season is called the Triodion
. Triodes are also used at Compline
during the period between Pascha
(Easter) and Pentecost
. In the Russian Orthodox Church
, the book containing the services for this season, the Pentecostarion
, is also known as the Flowery Triodion. Triodes and tetraodes are also found during certain Forefeasts and Afterfeast
s.
, and so although all the music is performed in the same mode
each ode must comprise an individual composition. However, in the original Greek
compositions, the irmos and troparia would by design be of the same meter and so could use the same melody. Acrostic
s would often be present as well, read down a canon's troparia, and sometimes involving the irmos as well if it was composed at the same time. The meter and acrostic would be given along with the canon's title.
This structure is now generally lacking in more recently composed canons, especially when the canons are composed in languages other than Greek to some setting other than Byzantine chant, and since it is now expected that large portions of the canon will be read rather than sung. Although some newer canons also contain acrostics, they are less frequent than they once were.
, one of the standard service books of the Orthodox Church.
Complete canons (irmoi with their troparia) are found in the Menaion
, Octoechos
and Horologion
used throughout the year, and in the seasonal service books the Triodion
and the Pentecostarion
.
Various collections of canons can also be found, as well as publications of individual canons in pamphlet form.
Hymn
A hymn is a type of song, usually religious, specifically written for the purpose of praise, adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification...
used in a number of Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine odes, sometimes called canticles or songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical canticle
Canticle
A canticle is a hymn taken from the Bible. The term is often expanded to include ancient non-biblical hymns such as the Te Deum and certain psalms used liturgically.-Roman Catholic Church:From the Old Testament, the Roman Breviary takes seven canticles for use at Lauds, as follows:*...
s. Most of these are found in the Old Testament
Old Testament
The Old Testament, of which Christians hold different views, is a Christian term for the religious writings of ancient Israel held sacred and inspired by Christians which overlaps with the 24-book canon of the Masoretic Text of Judaism...
, but the final ode is taken from the Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
and Song of Zechariah from the New Testament
New Testament
The New Testament is the second major division of the Christian biblical canon, the first such division being the much longer Old Testament....
. For clarity, this article will use the term "canticle" to refer to the original biblical text, and "ode" to refer to the composed liturgical hymns.
The canon dates from the 7th century and was either devised or introduced into the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
by St. Andrew of Crete
Andrew of Crete
For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete .Saint Andrew of Crete For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete (martyr).Saint Andrew (Andreas) of Crete (also known as Andrew of Jerusalem) For the martyr of 766 of the same name, see Andrew of Crete (martyr).Saint...
, whose penitential Great Canon is still used on certain occasions during Great Lent
Great Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
. It was further developed in the 8th century by Sts. John of Damascus
John of Damascus
Saint John of Damascus was a Syrian monk and priest...
and Cosmas of Jerusalem, and in the 9th century by Sts. Joseph the Hymnographer and Theophanes the Branded.
Over time the canon came to replace the kontakion
Kontakion
Kontakion is a form of hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word derives from the Greek word kontax , meaning pole, specifically the pole around which a scroll is wound. The term describes the way in which the words on a scroll unfurl as it is read...
, a vestigal form of which is still used on several occasions and which has been incorporated into the performance of the canon. Each canon develops a specific theme, such as repentance or honouring a particular saint. Sometimes more than one canon can be chanted together, as frequently happens at Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
.
Biblical canticles
The nine biblical canticles are:- The Ode of MosesSong of the seaThe Song of the Sea is a poem that appears in the Book of Exodus of the Hebrew Bible, at . It is followed in verses 20 and 21 by a much shorter song sung by Miriam and the other women...
in Exodus - The Ode of MosesMosesMoses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
in DeuteronomyDeuteronomyThe Book of Deuteronomy is the fifth book of the Hebrew Bible, and of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch...
- The Prayer of Anna the mother of Samuel the Prophet
- The Prayer of HabakkukHabakkukHabakkuk , also spelled Habacuc, was a prophet in the Hebrew Bible. The etymology of the name of Habakkuk is not clear. The name is possibly related to the Akkadian khabbaququ, the name of a fragrant plant, or the Hebrew root חבק, meaning "embrace"...
the Prophet (HabakkukBook of HabakkukThe Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Hebrew Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC. A copy of chapters 1 and 2 is included in the Habakkuk Commentary, found among the Dead Sea Scrolls.Chapters 1-2...
) - The Prayer of IsaiahIsaiahIsaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
the Prophet (IsaiahBook of IsaiahThe Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
) - The Prayer of JonahJonahJonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
the Prophet (JonahBook of JonahThe Book of Jonah is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It tells the story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah ben Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission...
) - The Prayer of the Three Holy ChildrenThe Prayer of Azariah and Song of the Three Holy ChildrenThe Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Holy Children is a lengthy passage that appears after Daniel 3:23 in Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox Bibles, as well as in the ancient Greek Septuagint translation. It is listed as non-canonical in Article VI of the Thirty-Nine Articles of the...
(DanielBook of DanielThe Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
3:26-56)* - The Song of the Three Holy Children (The Benedicite, Daniel 3:57-88)*
- The Song of the TheotokosTheotokosTheotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
(The MagnificatMagnificatThe Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
, LukeGospel of LukeThe Gospel According to Luke , commonly shortened to the Gospel of Luke or simply Luke, is the third and longest of the four canonical Gospels. This synoptic gospel is an account of the life and ministry of Jesus of Nazareth. It details his story from the events of his birth to his Ascension.The...
) and the Prayer of ZachariasZechariah (priest)In the Bible, Zechariah , is the father of John the Baptist, a priest of the sons of Aaron, a prophet in , and the husband of Elisabeth who is the cousin of Mary the mother of Jesus.In the Qur'an, Zechariah plays a similar role as the father of John the Baptist and ranks him as a prophet alongside...
the father of the ForerunnerJohn the BaptistJohn the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
(The Benedictus)
-
- *These odes are found only in the Septuagint. Verse numberings according to Psalter, which differs from Brenton.
These biblical canticles are normally found in the back of the Psalter
Psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the later medieval emergence of the book of hours, psalters were the books most widely owned by wealthy lay persons and were...
used by Orthodox churches, where they are often printed with markings to indicate where to begin inserting the irmos and troparia of the canons.
Performance
As with all other Orthodox church music, a canon is sung by a choirChoir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
or cantor
Cantor (church)
A cantor is the chief singer employed in a church with responsibilities for the ecclesiastical choir; also called the precentor....
in a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
chant
Chant
Chant is the rhythmic speaking or singing of words or sounds, often primarily on one or two pitches called reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple melody involving a limited set of notes to highly complex musical structures Chant (from French chanter) is the rhythmic speaking or singing...
. An ode of the canon is begun by singing the Biblical canticle from its beginning. At some point this is interrupted by an introductory stanza
Stanza
In poetry, a stanza is a unit within a larger poem. In modern poetry, the term is often equivalent with strophe; in popular vocal music, a stanza is typically referred to as a "verse"...
called an irmos
Irmos
The irmos is the initial troparion of each individual ode in a canon as chanted in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which use the Byzantine Rite...
("link") which poetically connects the theme of the biblical canticle to the subject of the canon. Following the irmos and sung alternately with the subsequent verses of the Biblical canticle are a series of hymns (troparia
Troparion
A troparion in Byzantine music and in the religious music of Eastern Orthodox Christianity is a short hymn of one stanza, or one of a series of stanzas. The word probably derives from a diminutive of the Greek tropos...
), set in the same melody and meter as the irmos, that expand on the theme of the canon. The ode is completed with a final stanza called the katavasia
Katabasia
Katabasia or Katavasia is a type of hymn chanted in the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite....
. This might be a repetition of the irmos, the irmos of the last canon when more than one canon is being sung together, the irmos of the canon for an upcoming major feast day, or some other verse prescribed by the service books. (Katavasia means "coming down" and the verse is so called because as originally performed the two choirs would descend from their places on the left and right sides of the church to sing it together in the middle.)
Most often Ode II is omitted (the Biblical canticle this ode is based on is quite penitential, and so is normally used only on weekdays during Great Lent). There are therefore only eight odes in most canons. Canons containing Ode II usually occur only during Great Lent and the Great Canon of St. Andrew.
Because a canon is composed of nine odes, it can be conveniently divided into three sections. Between Ode III and Ode IV a sedalen or "sitting hymn" is sung. Between Ode VI and Ode VII a vestigal kontakion
Kontakion
Kontakion is a form of hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word derives from the Greek word kontax , meaning pole, specifically the pole around which a scroll is wound. The term describes the way in which the words on a scroll unfurl as it is read...
is sung with only its prooimion, or initial stanza, and the first oikos or strophe
Strophe
A strophe forms the first part of the ode in Ancient Greek tragedy, followed by the antistrophe and epode. In its original Greek setting, "strophe, antistrophe and epode were a kind of stanza framed only for the music," as John Milton wrote in the preface to Samson Agonistes, with the strophe...
. If an akathist
Akathist
The Akathist Hymn is a hymn of Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic tradition dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity...
is to be chanted in conjunction with a canon, it is inserted after Ode VI.
The normal order for a full canon, as chanted at Matins is as follows:
- Ode I
- Ode III
- Little LitanyLittle LitanyThe Little Litany or Little Ektenia or Little Synapte is a brief ektenia which is recited at various times during the liturgical worship of the Byzantine Rite, as observed by the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Greek Catholic Churches....
- Sedalen
- Ode IV
- Ode V
- Ode VI
- Little Litany
- Kontakion and OikosKontakionKontakion is a form of hymn performed in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The word derives from the Greek word kontax , meaning pole, specifically the pole around which a scroll is wound. The term describes the way in which the words on a scroll unfurl as it is read...
- (synaxarion)
- Ode VII
- Ode VIII
- MagnificatMagnificatThe Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
- Ode IX
- Little Litany
- ExapostilarionExapostilarionThe Exapostilarion is a hymn or group of hymns chanted in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches at the conclusion of the Canon near the end of Matins...
Modern arrangement
In modern practice the Biblical canticles are not usually chanted, except during MatinsMatins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
on the weekdays of Great Lent
Great Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
. Thus, each ode normally begins with the irmos (however, except for certain major feasts, the Magnificat
Magnificat
The Magnificat — also known as the Song of Mary or the Canticle of Mary — is a canticle frequently sung liturgically in Christian church services. It is one of the eight most ancient Christian hymns and perhaps the earliest Marian hymn...
, which forms half of the ninth Biblical canticle, is usually sung in its entirety before the irmos of the Ode IX). The troparia that follow are each introduced by a brief refrain (replacing the verses of the biblical canticle) which is determined by the subject matter of the canon. For example, in a canon commemorating the Resurrection of Jesus
Resurrection of Jesus
The Christian belief in the resurrection of Jesus states that Jesus returned to bodily life on the third day following his death by crucifixion. It is a key element of Christian faith and theology and part of the Nicene Creed: "On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures"...
(used on Sundays) the refrain is, "Glory, O Lord, to Thy holy Resurrection"; in a Canon to the Virgin Mary the refrain is, "Most Holy Theotokos
Theotokos
Theotokos is the Greek title of Mary, the mother of Jesus used especially in the Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and Eastern Catholic Churches. Its literal English translations include God-bearer and the one who gives birth to God. Less literal translations include Mother of God...
, save us"; in a canon to a saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
the refrain is, "Holy [name of saint] pray to God for us"; and in the most general case it is "Glory to Thee our God, glory to Thee." Before the last two troparia, the refrain is replaced by the doxology
Doxology
A doxology is a short hymn of praises to God in various Christian worship services, often added to the end of canticles, psalms, and hymns...
"Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit/both now and ever and unto the ages of ages. Amen."
The total number of troparia is determined by local usage. Theoretically there are as many as fourteen for each ode, with some troparia repeated if the service books do not provide enough of them, and some conjoined if there are too many. This makes the canon too lengthy for typical parish use, so more often no more than three troparia are sung regardless of how many troparia or canons are prescribed. The total number chanted, including the Irmos, are usually an even number.
Although it is intended that the troparia be sung this is impractical in most cases, so normally only the Irmos and Katabasia are chanted, the troparia and their refrains are most often read recto tono
Recto tono
Recto tono is a Latin phrase used in the context of church liturgy and music. Recto tono has been described as "the simplest form of church music, a reciting tone. One note held for the length of a phrase." It literally means "straight" or "uniform" tone. In liturgical chanting, recto tono is used...
by a single reader. However, the canon of Pascha
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(Easter) is still traditionally chanted in full.
Usage
Canons are used most notably at MatinsMatins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
, but also at the Midnight Office
Midnight Office
The Midnight Office is one of the Canonical Hours that compose the cycle of daily worship in the Eastern Orthodox Church. The office originated as a purely monastic devotion inspired by Psalm 118:62, At midnight I arose to give thanks unto Thee for the judgments of Thy righteousness , and also by...
for Sunday; at Great and Small Compline
Compline
Compline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day. The word was first used in this sense about the beginning of the 6th century by St...
; and at special services such as the Paraklesis
Paraklesis
A Paraklesis or Supplicatory Canon in the Orthodox Christian Church and Eastern Catholic Churches, is a service of supplication for the welfare of the living...
and those of similar structure such as the Panichida
Memorial service (Orthodox)
A memorial service is a liturgical observance in honor of the departed which is served in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches.-The service:In the Eastern Church, the various prayers for the departed have as their purpose: to pray for the repose...
and Moleben
Moleben
A molében , also called a molieben, service of intercession, or service of supplication, is a supplicatory prayer service used within the Orthodox Christian Church and various Eastern Catholic Churches in honor of Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, a Feast, or a particular saint or martyr.The Moleben...
. In the latter cases the canon is often vestigal, consisting of no more than a selection of katabasia with refrains and doxology. The Greek equivalent of a Moleben is the Parastas, during which a full canon is still chanted. Canons may also be used in private prayer either as a regular part of a rule or for special needs. One traditional prayerful preparation for reception
Eucharistic discipline
Eucharistic discipline is the term applied to the regulations and practices associated with an individual preparing for the reception of the Eucharist...
of the Eucharist
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
is to read three canons and an akathist
Akathist
The Akathist Hymn is a hymn of Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic tradition dedicated to a saint, holy event, or one of the persons of the Holy Trinity...
the evening prior. When used privately there is generally no attempt at an elaborated musical or metrical performance. They may, in fact, simply be read silently to oneself.
Abbreviated Canons
Sometimes abbreviated canons are used. A canon consisting of only four odes is called a tetraode; a canon consisting of only three odes is called a triode. In both of these types of canons, the last two odes are always the VIIIth and IXth. The preceding ode(s) may vary with the day of the week. For instance, during Great LentGreat Lent
Great Lent, or the Great Fast, is the most important fasting season in the church year in Eastern Christianity, which prepares Christians for the greatest feast of the church year, Pascha . In many ways Great Lent is similar to Lent in Western Christianity...
, the Lenten Triodion provides triodes at Matins on Monday through Friday: on Mondays they consist of Odes I, VIII and IX, on Tuesdays, Odes II, VIII and IX, and so on through Friday which consists of Odes V, VIII and IX. Saturdays during Great Lent have tetraodes, consisting of Odes VI, VII, VIII and IX. Because the use of triodes is so prevalent during Great Lent, the book containing the changeable portions of services that liturgical season is called the Triodion
Triodion
The Triodion , also called the Lenten Triodion , is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite during Great Lent, the three preparatory weeks leading up to it, and during Holy Week.Many canons in the Triodion contain only three odes or...
. Triodes are also used at Compline
Compline
Compline is the final church service of the day in the Christian tradition of canonical hours. The English word Compline is derived from the Latin completorium, as Compline is the completion of the working day. The word was first used in this sense about the beginning of the 6th century by St...
during the period between Pascha
Easter
Easter is the central feast in the Christian liturgical year. According to the Canonical gospels, Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion. His resurrection is celebrated on Easter Day or Easter Sunday...
(Easter) and Pentecost
Pentecost
Pentecost is a prominent feast in the calendar of Ancient Israel celebrating the giving of the Law on Sinai, and also later in the Christian liturgical year commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples of Christ after the Resurrection of Jesus...
. In the Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
, the book containing the services for this season, the Pentecostarion
Pentecostarion
The Pentecostarion is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite during the Paschal Season which extends from Pascha to the Sunday following All Saints Sunday The Pentecostarion (Greek: Πεντηκοστάριον, Pentekostárion; Slavonic:...
, is also known as the Flowery Triodion. Triodes and tetraodes are also found during certain Forefeasts and Afterfeast
Afterfeast
An Afterfeast is a period of celebration attached to one of the Great Feasts celebrated by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches ....
s.
Poetic and musical structure
The Biblical odes are not identical in meterMeter (poetry)
In poetry, metre is the basic rhythmic structure of a verse or lines in verse. Many traditional verse forms prescribe a specific verse metre, or a certain set of metres alternating in a particular order. The study of metres and forms of versification is known as prosody...
, and so although all the music is performed in the same mode
Echos
Echos is the name in Byzantine music theory for a mode within the eight mode system , each of them ruling several melody types, and it is used in the melodic and rhythmic composition of Byzantine chant , differentiated according to the chant genre and according to the performance style...
each ode must comprise an individual composition. However, in the original Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
compositions, the irmos and troparia would by design be of the same meter and so could use the same melody. Acrostic
Acrostic
An acrostic is a poem or other form of writing in which the first letter, syllable or word of each line, paragraph or other recurring feature in the text spells out a word or a message. As a form of constrained writing, an acrostic can be used as a mnemonic device to aid memory retrieval. A famous...
s would often be present as well, read down a canon's troparia, and sometimes involving the irmos as well if it was composed at the same time. The meter and acrostic would be given along with the canon's title.
This structure is now generally lacking in more recently composed canons, especially when the canons are composed in languages other than Greek to some setting other than Byzantine chant, and since it is now expected that large portions of the canon will be read rather than sung. Although some newer canons also contain acrostics, they are less frequent than they once were.
Texts
The irmoi and katabasia for various occasions are found gathered together in the IrmologionIrmologion
Irmologion is a liturgical book of the Eastern Orthodox Church and those Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite, and it contains texts for liturgical singing in Church. Specifically, it contains irmoi for the various canons which are chanted at Matins and other services...
, one of the standard service books of the Orthodox Church.
Complete canons (irmoi with their troparia) are found in the Menaion
Menaion
The Menaion refers to the annual fixed cycle of services in the Eastern Orthodox and Greek-Catholic Churches. Commemorations in the Menaion are tied to the day of the calendar year.-Service books:...
, Octoechos
Octoechos (liturgy)
The Octoechos —literally, the book "of the Eight Tones"—contains an eight-week cycle, providing texts to be chanted for every day at Vespers, Matins, the Divine Liturgy, Compline and the Midnight Office...
and Horologion
Horologion
The 'Horologion' , or Book of Hours, provides the fixed portions of the Daily Cycle of services as used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic churches...
used throughout the year, and in the seasonal service books the Triodion
Triodion
The Triodion , also called the Lenten Triodion , is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches of Byzantine rite during Great Lent, the three preparatory weeks leading up to it, and during Holy Week.Many canons in the Triodion contain only three odes or...
and the Pentecostarion
Pentecostarion
The Pentecostarion is the liturgical book used by the Eastern Orthodox and Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine Rite during the Paschal Season which extends from Pascha to the Sunday following All Saints Sunday The Pentecostarion (Greek: Πεντηκοστάριον, Pentekostárion; Slavonic:...
.
Various collections of canons can also be found, as well as publications of individual canons in pamphlet form.
External links
- The Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete
- The Iambic Canon of Pentecost with notes, an example of a canon giving both original meter and acrostic.
- The Paschal Canon with extensive notes