Holy Wisdom Orthodox Mission
1355 North 4th Street • Grand Junction, CO 81501
(On the corner of North 4th Street & Kennedy Street)

holywisdomorthodox@gmail.com • 720-295-7715
A mission parish of the
Orthodox Church in America , and the Diocese of the West
Complete Oktoechos in English translated from the Slavonic Menaion on this web page:
Tone 1 Tone 2 Tone 3 Tone 4 Tone 5 Tone 6 Tone 7 Tone 8

The Oktoechos

“Októechos” (Greek: Ὀκτώηχος/Octóechos; Slavonic: Октонхъ/Októikh or Осмогласникъ/Osmoglásnik) is an Orthodox Christian Liturgical term, referring either to the eight-tone (or eight-mode) system of Church hymnology or to the liturgical book containing the daily variable texts in each of these eight weekly tones.

What is the Októechos used for?
The Októechos covers an eight-week cycle, providing the daily texts chanted at Vespers, Matins, the Divine Liturgy, and Compline as well as at the Midnight Office on Sundays

How is the Októechos organized?
Each week begins a new “mode” (Greek: ἤχος/échos; Slavonic: глáсъ/glás, and the Októechos provides texts for each day of the week in that mode. The new mode begins with Saturday evening Vespers.

Is the Parakletiké the same as the Októechos?
The word Októechos is sometimes used to describe an abbreviated volume containing only the Sunday resurrectional texts. In that context, the complete version is referred to as the Parakletiké (Greek: Παρακλητική/Paraklētikē). The word Παρακλητική derives from parakaleín (Greek: παρακαλείν) which means "to supplicate" and this refers to the more penitential texts found on weekdays.

What do the various names for hymns in the Októechos mean?
In general, a hymn chanted at Vespers and Matins is referred to as a Sticherón (Greek: στιχηρόν/sticherón, plural στιχηρά/sticherá) which is a short stanza. The term, Sticherón, means “set in verses” and the Sticherá are typically chanted interspersed with Stíchoi (Greek στίχος/stíchos, plural στίχοι/stíchoi), verses, from the Psalms.

An Idiómelon (Greek: ἰδιόμελον/idiómelon; Slavonic: самогласенъ/samoglasen; from idio-=unique and -melon=melody) is a type of sticherón (hymn) with a unique melody.

An Avtómelon (Greek: αὐτόμελον/avtómelon; Slavonic: самоподобенъ/samopodoben самогласенъ/samoglasen; from auto-=same and -melon=melody) is an Iiómelon used as a “model melody.” A hymn based on the Autómelon is composed over the Autómelon melody and follows its poetic meter and musical rhythm.

The body of Avtómela form a genre referred to as Prosómoia (Greek: προσόμοιον/prosómoion; Slavonic: подобенъ/podoben; meaning “similar to”).

How did the Októechos develop over history?
On the one hand, the Októechos – like all the Orthodox Christian liturgical volumes – is simply a historical compilation of the hymns sung by the Church since the first-century Apostolic era. On the other hand, the volumes were compiled to meet the needs of Church chanters and choirs based on the liturgical seasons (e.g., Lent and Pentecost) as well as the specific roles of different chanters and choirs (e.g., right choir and left choir).

Such compilations continue to be assembled today, with developments in “printing technology” that have provided us with photocopiers, computers and printers, etc. For instance, it is very common for a monastery or a parish to have folders and notebooks containing “tailored” copies of the services for major feast days, such as Christmas.

The standard liturgical volumes we use today – the Októechos as well as the Orológion, Triódion, Pentekostárion, and Menaía – derive from monastic practice during the first millennium. It could correctly be stated that the books at the “chanters’ stand” today have not been changed since the eighth century.

The origins of the Októechos are in the Monastery of Saint Sabbas in Palestine, and Saint John of Damascus (AD 675–749) is credited with its initial compilation and with its shape and form which have remained consistent to the present day. That being said, new material has occasionally been added, especially to the Menaía as new saints are canonized and services commemorating their lives are composed. The structure has remained unchanging, though materials reflecting newer saints has been appended.

Early contributions to the Októechos are credited to Saint Kosmas the Hymnographer (ca. AD 706–787), Saint Joseph the Hymnographer (AD 810–886), Saint Theophanes of Nicaea(AD 775– 845); Saint Metrophanes of Smyrna (AD 867). The final form of the Parakletikí is attributed to Saint Joseph the Hymnographer.

Text of the Októechos.
Októechos texts below are those most-commonly used in parishes of the Orthodox Church in America. They are in the traditional King James English liturgical language. All are copyright http://www.st-sergius.org. They May not be sold, or bundled for sale with other texts.

Tone 1

Sunday
Tone 1

Monday
Tone 1

Tuesday
Tone 1

Wednesday
Tone 1

Thursday
Tone 1

Friday
Tone 1

Saturday
Tone 1
Tone 2

Sunday
Tone 2

Monday
Tone 2

Tuesday
Tone 2

Wednesday
Tone 2

Thursday
Tone 2

Friday
Tone 2

Saturday
Tone 2
Tone 3

Sunday
Tone 3

Monday
Tone 3

Tuesday
Tone 3

Wednesday
Tone 3

Thursday
Tone 3

Friday
Tone 3

Saturday
Tone 3
Tone 4

Sunday
Tone 4

Monday
Tone 4

Tuesday
Tone 4

Wednesday
Tone 4

Thursday
Tone 4

Friday
Tone 4

Saturday
Tone 4
Tone 5

Sunday
Tone 5

Monday
Tone 5

Tuesday
Tone 5

Wednesday
Tone 5

Thursday
Tone 5

Friday
Tone 5

Saturday
Tone 5
Tone 6

Sunday
Tone 6

Monday
Tone 6

Tuesday
Tone 6

Wednesday
Tone 6

Thursday
Tone 6

Friday
Tone 6

Saturday
Tone 6
Tone 7

Sunday
Tone 7

Monday
Tone 7

Tuesday
Tone 7

Wednesday
Tone 7

Thursday
Tone 7

Friday
Tone 7

Saturday
Tone 7
Tone 8

Sunday
Tone 8

Monday
Tone 8

Tuesday
Tone 8

Wednesday
Tone 8

Thursday
Tone 8

Friday
Tone 8

Saturday
Tone 8