The ''Lyra Davidica'' ("the harp of

David David (; , "beloved one") was a king of ancient Israel and Judah and the third king of the United Monarchy, according to the Hebrew Bible and Old Testament. The Tel Dan stele, an Aramaic-inscribed stone erected by a king of Aram-Dam ...

"; expanded title: ''Lyra Davidica, or a Collection of Divine Songs and Hymns, Partly New yComposed, Partly Translated from the High-German and Latin Hymns'') is a collection of

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hymn'' d ...

s and tunes first published in 1708. The volume was published by John Walsh (printer). The collection was one of many containing hymns translated (mostly) from German, at a time when

Anglicanism Anglicanism, also known as Episcopalianism in some countries, is a Western Christianity, Western Christian tradition which developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the ...

was heavily influenced by German evangelical

pietism Pietism (), also known as Pietistic Lutheranism, is a movement within Lutheranism that combines its emphasis on biblical doctrine with an emphasis on individual piety and living a holy Christianity, Christian life. Although the movement is ali ...

Only surviving melody

One well-known hymn from the collection is the

Easter Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...

hymn " Jesus Christ Is Risen Today", whose melody is the only one which has survived since the original publication in 1708.

Impact

Philip Pullman named Lyra Belacqua, the heroine of his trilogy ''

His Dark Materials ''His Dark Materials'' is a trilogy of fantasy novels by Philip Pullman consisting of '' Northern Lights'' (1995; published as ''The Golden Compass'' in North America), '' The Subtle Knife'' (1997), and '' The Amber Spyglass'' (2000). It follo ...

'', after the ''Lyra Davidica.''

References

External links

''Lyra Davidica''
at the Internet Archive 1708 non-fiction books 1708 compositions 1708 in Christianity 18th-century Christian texts Anglican hymnals Anglican liturgical books {{Christian-music-stub