Plural of contakion (also spelled kontakion); a type of liturgical hymn or prayer used in Eastern Orthodox and Byzantine Christian churches, typically sung or recited during worship services.
From Greek kontákion, derived from kontáx meaning 'pole' or 'staff,' referring to the staff around which hymn scrolls were wound in ancient Byzantine churches. The term originally described the physical scroll holder before meaning the hymn itself.
Byzantine monks created these incredibly long, poetic hymns—some hundreds of lines—and would memorize them completely, which shows how music and religion were tools for memory long before writing and printing became common.
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