Leise

For other uses, seeLeise (disambiguation).

TheLeiseorLeis(pluralLeisen;from the Greekkyrie eleison) is a genre ofvernacularmedievalchurch song. They appear to have originated in the German-speaking regions, but are also found in Scandinavia, and are a precursor ofProtestantchurch music.

Leisen arose in theMiddle Agesas briefresponsesin the vernacular to sung elements of the Latin Mass, especiallysequencessung on feast days of the ecclesiastical year, and were also sung duringprocessionalsand onpilgrimages.They often consist of a singlestanza,ending in some form ofKyrie eleison,which is supposedly the origin of the name.

Theneumedmanuscript of the Petruslied,Unsar trothîn hât farsalt,the oldest known Leise

The oldest known Leise, the Petruslied, is found on the last page (folio 158v) of a manuscript ofIn GenesinbyHrabanus Maurus,datedcirca860, formerly in the cathedral library ofFreising,now in theBayerische StaatsbibliothekinMunich.It is a song toSt. Peter,with the titleUnsar trothîn hât farsalt,and was added to the manuscript in the ninthor in the early tenth century.Another early example is theAdalbertuslied(forAdalbert of Prague), which was popular in Bohemia and was sung at the saint's grave during droughts; they were also sometimes sung before battles.They are an early expression of popular piety.

Martin Lutherexpanded several leisen intochorales,and they are therefore forerunners of German Protestanthymnology.

Leisen in current use

German

TheEvangelisches Gesangbuch(EG, the German-language Protestant hymnal used in Germany, Austria, Alsace, Lorraine, and Luxembourg) and the Catholic hymnalGotteslob(GL, used in Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol) include the following leisen:

• "Sei uns willkommen, Herre Christ"(EG 22), revised from the original
• "Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ"(EG 23, GL 252), first stanza 1380, expanded by Luther to the Christmas sequenceGrates nunc omnes
• "Du Kind, zu dieser heilgen Zeit" (EG 50, GL 254), a modern Christmas leise byJochen Klepper(1937)
• "Ehre sei dir, Christe" (EG 75)
• "Holz auf Jesu Schulter" (EG 97, GL 291), a modern Easter leise (Dutch 1963, German 1975)
• "Christ ist erstanden"(EG 99, GL 318), expanded by Luther to the Easter sequenceVictimae Paschali Laudes
• "Jesus Christus, unser Heiland"(EG 102)
• "Christ fuhr gen Himmel"(EG 120, GL 319), expanded by Luther
• "Nun bitten wir den Heiligen Geist"(EG 124, GL 348), adapted by Luther (the GL version has stanzas byMaria Luise ThurmairandMichael Vehe)
• "Gott sei gelobet und gebenedeiet"(EG 214, GL 215), accompanying theCorpus ChristisequenceLauda Sion
• "Herr Jesu Christe, mein getreuer Hirte" (EG 217), byJohann Heermann(1630)
• "Dies sind die heilgen Zehn Gebot"(EG 231), by Luther
• "In Gottes Namen fahren wir" (EG 498), pilgrim song
• "Mitten wir im Leben sind"(EG 518, GL 503), by Luther
• "Maria durch ein Dornwald ging"(GL 224)
• "Meine engen Grenzen" (GL 437; EG-West/Reformed Church 600; EG-Hesse 584; EG-Württemberg 589; EG-Austria 574)
• "Sonne der Gerechtigkeit"(GL 481; EG 262/263)

Swedish

• "Uthi Gudz Namn nu rese wij"(1695 Swedish hymnal, 336; 1996 Lutheran hymnal, 968), translation ofIn Gottes Namen fahren wir;in 1736 Lars Högmarck attributed the original toNikolaus Hermanand the translation toLaurentius Jonae Gestritius.