hymn

Song in praise of a deity. Examples include Akhenaton's hymn to the Aton in ancient Egypt, the ancient Greek Orphic hymns, Old Testament psalms, extracts from the New Testament (such as the ‘Ave Maria’), and hymns by the English writers John Bunyan (‘Who Would True Valour See’) and Charles Wesley (‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’). The earliest sources of modern hymn melodies can be traced to the 11th and 12th centuries, and the earliest polyphonic settings date from the late 14th century. Gospel music and carols are forms of Christian hymn-singing.