irmos

plural irmoi · alternative heirmos · alternative hirmos

1. ChristianityThe initial troparion of an ode of a canon.

   1 more example

   Each ode has its own meter and tune called an irmos (εἱρμός; plural irmoi), introduced in the first stanza and repeated. The second, third, and sixth odes are divided into two sections, with different irmoi, perhaps allowing Andrew a greater variety of chant melodies to break up what might otherwise become monotonous.

   2014, Derek Krueger, Liturgical Subjects: Christian Ritual, Biblical Narrative, and the Formation of the Self in Byzantium