Hymn

Hymn, sacred song in praise of gods or heroes, found in almost all cultures, ancient and modern. Jewish psalms, sung in the temple worship, were adopted by the early Christian Church and supplemented by distinctively Christian hymns such as the canticles. There is a continuous English hymn, tradition from the 7th century that includes 16th-century carols such as “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” Modern hymns were developed by Isaac Watts, John Wesley, and many others in the 1700s. There are over 400,000 hymns, ranging from Gregorian chants (plainsongs) to rousing gospel music.