Church services are held in the same scenario and consist of separate parts. Important components of worship are troparia and kontakion. They can be dedicated to Jesus Christ, the Theotokos and holy saints. It is important to understand what troparion and kontakion are, since these genres of church chanting have completely different meanings. Initially, troparia was written in prose, and their main purpose was to honor the memory of the martyrs and companions. Only after a while they began to write rhymed, even after a while began to attach a melody.
What is a troparion and when is it read?
Troparion from the Greek language is translated as a melody or trophy. By this concept we mean a short chant that reveals the main essence of the holiday, and some saint can also be glorified in it. It was with the troparion that the hymnography of the Christian faith began to develop. If the song is intended for a holiday, then the essence of the celebration will be revealed in it, and if the troparia are dedicated to a specific saint, then the text will tell about its features, exploits, and also glorify his life and holiness.
Considering that this is a troparion, it is worth mentioning some classification for certain species. The whole point is that with the development of the liturgy, several varieties of this kind of hymn appeared. For example, there is a division on the subject: lean and festive troparia. There is also a "retreat", which in its lines indicates a particular saint, a feast or an icon. A similar term is used to refer to a kind of musical illustration of a sermon or service as a whole. Another division of troparia takes into account their functionality. For example, there is a troparion of stichera, which repeats the text of the psalm. Another option is kathisma, such a chant is an insertion between the main songs. In their functions, they also distinguish kontakion, the troparion of the third and sixth canon songs. There is another species called the irmos, which is sung at the very end of the chanting by all the people who are in the temple.
Kontakion is also a short chant, in which a certain event is set forth. It appeared much later, and the distinguishing feature is the receipt of the expanded information. It is believed that the kontakion complements and, as it were, develops the main theme of the troparion. Translated from the Greek language, the word "kontakion" means a wand on which parchment is wound. The founder of this genre of chant is Roma the Sweetheart. Another kontakion is called the stanza of the akathist.
Troparion and kontakion for every day is also called verbal icons, so they have a continuous connection with the shrines. In Orthodox worship every day of the week has its troparion, which is dedicated to a certain memory:
- Monday. On this day of the week it is customary to honor the memory of ethereal celestial ranks. On Monday, the Orthodox turn to the archistrategists, who are the main among the angels.
- Tuesday. On this day, songs of praise are sung in honor of John the Baptist and other prophets.
- Wednesday and Friday. These days are meant for believers to remember the death of God.
More songs are dedicated to the Life-giving Cross, on which Jesus was crucified. - Thursday. On this day, the holy apostles and Nicholas the Miracle-Worker, who unites all the saints, are honored.
- Saturday. On this day, it is customary to honor all the martyrs, and the funeral troparia are read.
There are hymns that have become very popular, which were later translated into another language. They include a troparion called "Light quiet", which was created for Vespers. This beautiful troparion was marked by Latin liturgy. Another famous troparion is dedicated to Christ's resurrection.