In both Denmark and Sweden, the first reformers wanted to abolish the churching ritual of women 40 days after giving birth, but for practical reasons ended up retaining it. The resulting theological ambiguity left its mark on all subsequent authorised hymnals: either there was no (official) church hymn, or it was surrounded by paratextual reservations.

In this lecture, Helen Rossil will show how congregational singing of church hymns contributed to the construction of ideas about women's lives and motherhood in early modern Scandinavia. Based on the doctrine of the three estates, Helen Rossil examines which relationships are thematised in these hymns and how – poetically and musically. Helen Rossil will demonstrate a few examples, and if there is interest, we will sing a verse or two together.

Helen Rossil is a singer and music researcher with a PhD from Uppsala University on a thesis about folk hymn singing in Denmark. She is completing her project on church hymn singing with support from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.

This LUMEN lecture will be held in Danish.