Originally published 1569 | ||
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Thomissøn's hymnal (titled Den danske Psalmebog 'The Danish Hymnal') was a hymnal published in Denmark that received royal authorization in 1569.
The hymnal's original full title was Den danske Psalmebog, met mange Christelige Psalmer, Ordentlig tilsammenset, formeret oc forbedret. Aff Hans Thomissøn (The Danish Hymnal, with Many Christian Hymns, Carefully Gathered, Expanded, and Improved. By Hans Thomissøn). The book was published by Lorenz Benedict in Copenhagen in 1569.
Thomissøn's hymnal was the only hymnal allowed in Denmark–Norway after it received royal authorization. After this, churches were required to have it lying on their altars.
Hans Thomissøn was the country's leading hymnologist and he translated many of the hymns from German into Danish. He began his work on the hymnal, which took him twelve years, before he became the parish priest at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen in 1561. The work was the most important Reformation-era hymnal.
Melodies to accompany Thomissøn's hymnal were printed in 1573 in Niels Jespersen's gradual.
The hymnal contains 269 hymns, many of which are still known today, such as: