Carl Gustaf Boberg

How Great Thou Art lyricist Carl Boberg (August 16, 1859 – January 17, 1940) was a Swedish poet, writer and legislator best known for writing the Swedish Hymn O Store Gud. Born in Mönsterås, Sweden, near Kalmar, Boberg was a carpenter’s son, worked briefly as a sailor and served as a lay minister. He was the editor of a weekly Christian newspaper, Sanningsvittnet (Witness of the Truth), from 1890 until 1916. Boberg served in the Swedish Parliament for twenty years from 1912 – 1931. He published more than 60 poems and hymns, including a collaboration with Swedish hymnist Lina Sandell. However, it is How Great Thou Art, one of the most recorded hymns ever, that has preserved Carl Boberg’s name in history, August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1859 (MDCCCLIX) is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar). ... January 17 is the 17th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... MönsterÃ¥s Municipality is a municipality in Kalmar County, in south-eastern Sweden, with its seat located to the town of MönsterÃ¥s (pop. ... Kalmar is a city in SmÃ¥land in south east Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. ... 1890 (MDCCCXC) was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar). ... 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar). ... The Riksdag or Sveriges Riksdag is the Parliament of Sweden. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link is to a full 1931 calendar). ... How Great Thou Art is Christian Hymn written by Carl Gustav Boberg in Swedish in 1885, translated into English by Stuart Hine. ...

Origin of How Great Thou Art

Boberg wrote the poem O Store Gud in 1885 as a nine verse poem. The inspiration for the poem came when Boberg was walking home from church near the village of Kronabäck, Sweden. A sudden awe inspiring storm gripped Boberg’s attention, and then just as suddenly as it had made its violent entrance, it subsided to a peaceful calm which Boberg observed over Mönsterås Bay. 1885 (MDCCCLXXXV) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Boberg first published O Store Gud in the Mönsterås Times in 1886 and later sold the rights to the Swedish Missionary Society. It was set to an old Swedish folk tune and sung in public for the first time in 1888. 1886 (MDCCCLXXXVI) is a common year starting on Friday (click on link to calendar) // Events January 18 - Modern field hockey is born with the formation of The Hockey Association in England. ... Year 1888 (MDCCCLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ...

Translation and migration of the song

The song then made a most remarkable international journey. It was first translated from Swedish to German by Manfred von Glehn and became popular in Germany. Eventually, the German version traveled to the Soviet Union where a Russian version managed to get published in 1927. 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...

British missionary Stuart Hine first heard the song while on a mission to the Carpathian Mountains in Ukraine, near the Polish border. Hine added the third verse: Satellite image of the Carpathians. ...

"And when I think that God, His Son not sparing, sent Him to die, I scarce can take it in; that on the Cross, my burden gladly bearing, He bled and died to take away my sin. Then sings my soul, my Savior God, to Thee, how great Thou art! How great Thou art!"

He eventually managed to translate the other verses from Boberg's original poem into English and brought the hymn to England at the conclusion of his mission. The poem became popular in each country that it reached. British missionaries began to spread the song around the world to former British colonies in Africa and India in its current English version. Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: God Save the King/Queen Capital London (de facto) Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq mi  Population    - 2006 est. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ...

In a small village nearby Deolali, India, Dr. J. Edwin Orr of the Fuller Theological Seminary discovered the song being sung by a choir of the Naga tribe near Burma. From there it returned to the United States, eventually becoming the “signature song” of the 1950s Billy Graham Crusades. Fuller Theological Seminary, located in Pasadena, California, is the largest multidenominational seminary in the world. ... Naga people The Naga people of about two and half million are found in Nagaland, parts of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Myanmar. ... // Recovering from World War II and its aftermath, the economic miracle emerged in West Germany and Italy. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

How Great Thou Art was ranked second, after Amazing Grace, on a list of the favorite hymns of all time in a survey by Christianity Today in 2001. George Beverly Shea's recording of the beloved hymn ranks number 204 on the top recordings of the century according to the Recording Industry Association of America. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Christianity Today is an Evangelical Christian periodical based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ... 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – Winchester, Ontario, Canada) is a prominent singer/songwriter of gospel music. ... The RIAA Logo. ...

External links

• A detailed history of the song
• Listed as a Swedish invention
• Excellent MIDI piano version of How Great Thou Art
• MIDI organ rendition of How Great Thou Art
• Vocal recording by Jim Nabors
• Original Swedish lyrics
• Transmigration of the hymn
• Ranked 2nd in popularity
• Another version of how the hymn transformed over time from a poem to a timeless classic of hymnody.