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Orthodox Hymnology Trivia Quiz

What do you know about the hymns of the Eastern Orthodox Church and their history? Take this quiz and find out!

A multiple-choice quiz by manny96. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
manny96

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
289,869

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
360

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. St. Basil the Great once said that this hymn is "so old, that we don't know where it comes from." Hint

"Christ is Risen"

"Holy God"

""We Have Seen the True Light"

"Gladsome Light"

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Which hymn was written by the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great? Hint

"Save us, O Son of God"

"O Only-Begotten Son"

"Through the Intercessions of the Theotokos"

"Cherubic Hymn"

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Which usually chanted liturgical response dates from the time of the Apostles and was originally used by them? Hint

"To Thee, O Lord"

"Mother Mary, come to me"

"Most Holy Theotokos, save us."

"And all the people"

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. What is the book that contains all of the hymns associated with each of the 8 Tones called? Hint

Typicon

Octoechos or Paraklitiki

Triodion

Pentikostarion

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Which hymn of the Divine Liturgy was originally associated with Baptism? Hint

"Blessed Be the Name of the Lord"

"We Have Seen the True Light"

"Praise Ye the Lord"

"Holy God"

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which hymn is possibly the only one that has retained its original (Byzantine) melody from the very beginning up until now? Hint

"As Many of You as have been Baptized in Christ"

"Gladsome Light"

"Christ Is Risen"

"Holy God"

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Which tone is sometimes referred to by old-time Byzantine chanters as the "crying mode"? Hint

Second Plagal (6th)

Grave (7th)

First Plagal (5th)

First

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. We know that this hymn dates back at least to the time of the Council of Chalchedon in 451, because it is mentioned in the proceedings as having been sung. Hint

"Holy God"

The polychronion ("many years") to the Patriarch

"Blessed Be the Name of the Lord"

None of these

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. All the Communion Hymns sung throughout the Church year are direct quotes from the Bible except one. Which? Hint

"May your Good Spirit Guide Me" (Pentecost)

"I will Raise the Cup of Salvation" (feasts of the Theotokos)

"Praise Ye the Lord" (Regular Sundays)

"Receive the Body of Christ" (Pascha)

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. Which traditional, well known Orthodox hymn did Tchaikovsky incorporate into his "1812 Overture"? Hint

"God is the Lord, and has Revealed Himself to Us"

"Thy Cross we Venerate, O Master"

"O Lord, Save Thy People"

"The Angel Cried"

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. St. Basil the Great once said that this hymn is "so old, that we don't know where it comes from."

Answer: "Gladsome Light"

Some researchers say that this hymn dates back to Apostolic times.

2. Which hymn was written by the Byzantine emperor Justinian the Great?

Answer: "O Only-Begotten Son"

Justinian wrote this as a statement of faith in approximately the year 535. If you examine it closely, it is actually a more poetic rendering of certain parts of the Nicene Creed.

3. Which usually chanted liturgical response dates from the time of the Apostles and was originally used by them?

Answer: "Most Holy Theotokos, save us."

This comes from the time of the Dormition of the Theotokos. According to tradition, just after Mary reposed, the Apostles were assembled in an upper room for a meal, having left a place for Jesus and bread for Him if He appeared, which was their custom. Suddenly, the Theotokos appeared to them, verifying what the Apostles had found--her empty grave. Upon her appearance, they simultaneously shouted, "Most holy Theotokos, save us!" From that time up to this day, a portion of the consecrated bread that we call Amnos (Lamb) is always reserved for her, and that phrase is used whenever we commemorate her during the Divine Liturgy and other services.

4. What is the book that contains all of the hymns associated with each of the 8 Tones called?

Answer: Octoechos or Paraklitiki

"Octoechos" literally means "eight tones". In Slavonic it is called the "Obihod". It contains all the hymns for each tone for those fixed portions of Vespers and Matins where the hymns in the tone of the day are to be sung.

5. Which hymn of the Divine Liturgy was originally associated with Baptism?

Answer: "We Have Seen the True Light"

If you think of this hymn's text, it is easy to see the connection. Actually, this comes from the time when people used to be baptized en masse in large bodies of water such as lakes or rivers. Later it was incorporated into the Liturgy as a hymn of thanksgiving after Holy Communion.

6. Which hymn is possibly the only one that has retained its original (Byzantine) melody from the very beginning up until now?

Answer: "Christ Is Risen"

The most venerable of all Orthodox hymns, it is only natural that this hymn just may have retained its original melody for almost 2000 years.

7. Which tone is sometimes referred to by old-time Byzantine chanters as the "crying mode"?

Answer: Second Plagal (6th)

This is because of the intervals we call minor seconds and augmented seconds in Western music that occur in the scale of this tone. Byzantine scales are not tempered and it is impossible to play this scale on a tempered instrument with any accuracy. Some of the intervals are less than a minor second, and the augmented seconds are actually greater than that--they are almost major thirds, especially the distance between scale degrees 6 and 7. Think of the Greek song "Misirlou" or the Jewish "Havah Naghila", which are written in this mode.

This is what gives this scale its Middle Eastern quality and the wailing or crying mood it can portray.

8. We know that this hymn dates back at least to the time of the Council of Chalchedon in 451, because it is mentioned in the proceedings as having been sung.

Answer: "Holy God"

"Holy God" is another hymn that we can't possibly know what the original melody was.

9. All the Communion Hymns sung throughout the Church year are direct quotes from the Bible except one. Which?

Answer: "Receive the Body of Christ" (Pascha)

That is why we don't chant the usual threefold Alleluia after this hymn, at least in Byzantine practice. Alleluia is chanted only for those texts that are quotes from Scripture.

10. Which traditional, well known Orthodox hymn did Tchaikovsky incorporate into his "1812 Overture"?

Answer: "O Lord, Save Thy People"

This was the traditional battle hymn of both the Russians and the Greeks. In the 1812 Overture, it is the rather slow, choral-sounding section. He also incorporated the Russian and French national anthems into this work that dealt with the Russians fighting Napoleon.

Source: Author manny96

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor CellarDoor before going online.
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