Notker’s genuine affection for Tutilo was not disturbed by Tutilo’s good-natured submission to unreasonable monastic regulations, which Notker regarded as symbolically significant. The Benedictine regulations were meant for the monasteries of southern Italy, and did not suit the convent of St. Gall very well. A midday nap was one of the Benedictine regulations, and so the monks of St. Gall had to retire and sleep two or three hours at midday every day. The Benedictine rule prescribed a diet of fish, fruit and vegetables—the usual diet of southern Italy. But fish and fruit were difficult to secure at St. Gall; meat, which was plentiful, was forbidden. And so the diet of St. Gall consisted mainly of pulse and pap. Notker who was the guardian of the discipline of the monastery, never had an occasion to bring up any reproach against Tutilo. Tutilo observed the midday nap, and flavoured with merriment the monotonous diet which maintained his splendid mortal clay.
SECTION V
LUTHERAN HYMNOLOGY
1520—
The Reformation of the sixteenth century put life into congregational hymn singing. Before this time it had been heard only in strains, broken, timid, and vague. The Reformation endowed congregational hymn singing with a sonorousness and power, as never before in the history of the Church. One of the main principles of the Reformation was that all Christians, as a spiritual priesthood (Rev. 1:6 and 1 Pet. 2:5), are privileged and obliged to approach God and bring Him their offering, without human mediators and deputies, only because of the merits of Christ, the one true mediator; and this not only individually in private life but also in public worship. The Reformation brought into play all serviceable forces and means to promote and make possible the realization of this principle in the cultus. The reformers sought to make the liturgy intelligible and accessible to the common people—for the Latin they substituted the language of the people, and the congregation was given an opportunity to take an active part in public worship. It was perfectly natural that church song could not remain in its mediaeval form, an exclusive privilege of the clergy, but be transferred to the people. And so popular church hymns were produced. Luther became the leader also in this great work. What kind of hymns he wanted, is quite clearly seen in one of his letters to the electoral court chaplain, Spalatin, whom he called upon to assist in this hymnological work: “I am willing to make German psalms for the people, after the example of the prophets and the ancient fathers; that is, spiritual hymns whereby the Word of God, through singing, may conserve itself among the people.” Later on in the same letter, he makes the following suggestion: “I desire, however, that new-fangled words, and courtly expressions, be omitted, in order that the language may be the simplest and most familiar to the people, and yet, at the same time, pure, and well suited to the clear sense of the psalm.” Such church hymns, thoroughly Biblical and at the same time popular, the great reformer wanted for the people. And Luther produced several church hymns, which have never been surpassed and rarely equaled. He translated and versified Davidic Psalms; he translated and revised old Latin hymns; he revised several old religious folk songs; and he wrote several original hymns. He was not alone in this hymnological work; many able assistants came forward. Thus the great Lutheran hymnody began.[1]
The outstanding merit of these church hymns is that they proclaim and extol God’s great works of love, in words and strains that burst forth from the very soul of the people—immediately they became the property of the people. As silent and yet as most eloquent witnesses of evangelical truth, these hymns made their way even to distant lands and awakened the languishing hearts of the people to new life, to joy and praise. The annals of the Reformation are rich in the most remarkable testimonies concerning these things, how the Lutheran hymns powerfully conquered the love of the people and how the people heartily sang them in the churches and in the homes, in weal and woe. And this great legacy from the Reformation era, the Lutheran Church has preserved, used well, and richly increased. The church hymn is the special glory of the Lutheran Church. No church communion can be compared to the Lutheran Church in this respect. Not without reason has the Lutheran Church been called the singing church.
MARTIN LUTHER
When we think of the Lutheran hymnody from the historical point of view, we must dwell, if but briefly, on its classical formation in the motherland of the Lutheran Church, Germany. Something permanent and peculiarly typical is present in the hymnody of the Reformation days.
With respect to Luther himself, his best hymns are our most precious possession. “Ein’ feste Burg” is known the world over. Christians everywhere are familiar with it.
At first Luther did not seem to be aware of his poetical gifts. It was not until in July, 1523, when two Belgian martyrs of the Lutheran Church had been burnt at the stake, that Luther’s first poetical product came into existence—in the folk song style. This song, “Ein neues Lied wir heben an,” spread very rapidly throughout Germany. Soon thereafter came two hymns, one about penance, and one about faith: “Out of the depths I cry to Thee” and “Dear Christians one and all rejoice.” They were supplied with tunes and spread very rapidly throughout the land.
1524 was the hymn-year of the Reformation. 24 of Luther’s 37 hymns appeared in various publications. “Ein’ feste Burg” seems to belong to the year 1527. Luther’s musical assistants were Conrad Rupf and Johann Walther. It is said that while these two musicians sat at the table, busy with the writing of the music, Luther walked about the large room and tried the tunes, singing them, or playing them on his flute. When we stop to consider what was then formed and created, we see clearly that this is a historical situation of epoch-making significance. Luther at the church door in Wittenberg, Luther at Worms, at Wartburg, in his home; so also Luther with his musical friends, creating or remodelling poetry and music for the new Church—a central figure in the history of the Church.
To characterize Luther’s hymns is no easy task, because of their richness. Luther’s soul possessed an enormous span of faith and spiritual life. It experienced the mediaeval thunder-tones of judgment as well as the brightness of the Gospel. Compare, for example, the two hymns, “Though in midst of life we be” and “Dear Christians one and all rejoice.” Compare the following stanza from “Ein feste Burg,”