Hymns about the Sea and Maritime Metaphors

Scientific Essay from the year 2008 in the subject Musicology, University of Greenwich (Greenwich Maritime Institute), course: 5th International Congress of Maritime History (IMEHA2008), language: English, abstract: Maritime hymns are part of what is generally referred to as ‘maritime literature’ - a term used for fictional and non-fictional texts about the sea. Maritime hymns are not just Christian hymns written for sailors. They take us on a metaphorical sea journey which surpasses any national and denominational boundaries. Comparing maritime hymns from Germany with those from England and the U.S. has revealed that the sea journey of the soul is an archetype which forms an intrinsic part of our European cultural and spiritual heritage.