As most of you know by now, I have a deep interest in Scandinavian Christianity. When it comes to Iceland, a remote branch of medieval and then Lutheran Christendom but nonetheless marked by a very ancient and profound literary culture, the Passion hymns of the seventeenth century poet and clergyman Hallgrímur Péturrson (1614-1674) are considered national treasures.
Hallgrímur spent most of his adult life as a parish priest in rural Iceland, ministering to his people. His last few years saw him stricken by disease and much suffering. But before that, shaped as he was by the already profound traditions of Lutheran hymnody as expressed in Germany and Denmark, he wrote many hymns, and the most important and those with a permanent impact on his land and culture were 50 hymns devoted to the Passion of Christ, from the garden of Gethsemane to His death. They are profound in their poetic expression, but also in their call to emulate and imitate Christ, and to grow spiritually from the consideration of the Passion. These hymns have become an integral part of Icelandic culture, and still are played, one each night, on Icelandic National Radio the 50 days leading up to Easter. His place in the liturgical, poetic and cultural fabric of his people is symbolized by the great church in Reykjavik, perhaps the city’s most notable landmark, dedicated to his memory.
These hymns have been made available in a new translation and study by Michael Fell. His book is an excellent presentation and analysis of the hymns, and an excellent introduction to the rich and perhaps unexpected Baroque religious culture of Iceland. I highly recommend it.
Each hymn is ultimately a call to recollection, repentance and transformation in following Christ. It is not easy to pick a small sample, but the following passage from Hymn 24 for me gets to the heart of what Passiontide and Holy Week is all about, namely the putting aside of conceits and excuses, and the chance once again to follow Christ in simplicity, honesty and humility:
“Dare not bring before thy God
Hypocrisy’s oblation.
Stand in His holy place unshod
With humble adoration.
Bow before Him both heart and knee,
Confess His grace thine only plea,
And shun all ostentation.”
Passion Hymn 24.
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