Origins and Context of "Jerusalem My Happy Home"

Image of New Jerusalem, similar to the description in 
Jerusalem My Happy Home 
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/02/ce/a7/02cea7ba98a6f47
10c7177798c5ebe06--book-of-revelations-revelation-.jpg)

   This week in memorizing Jerusalem My Happy Home by Joseph Bromehead, I viewed the poem as a uplifting and encouraging hymn meant to give Christians hope for the second coming of Christ. The almost hymnal like structure of the poem makes it clear that it is meant to sung during praise and worship. However, as I discussed with classmates about their poems, I realized a key difference between Jerusalem My Happy Home and the other poems assigned this week. Unlike Bromehead, the Muslim and Jewish authors of the other poems seemed to focus more on the secular and upsetting themes and topics regarding the city and its relationship with its people. These authors, for the most part, did not describe Jerusalem as a holy city in the clouds, but as a holy city that houses many worldly imperfections that must be addressed. Even in the poems that contained praise and love for the city still prefaced their praise with concern. This disparity between the poems, despite referring to the same city, sparked my interest as to the origin of Jerusalem My Happy Home and why it is so differently toned than the other poems. 

    While Joseph Bromehead popularized his altered version as a hymn in 1795, the poem dates back to a Latin text in the Meditations of St. Augustine called "Mater Hierusalem, civitas sancta Dei". The text, which translates to "O mother, dear Jerusalem", was written in the 11th century by an author named Johannes, who scholars believe is actually Jean, the abbot of Fécamp, who was a medieval spiritual writer of the time (Bromehead). It is believed that the text was intended as an uplifting message for Agnes, widow of King Henry III of Germany.  While Bromehead's  poem is more of an adaption of this longer text, they share many of the same themes of praise. The poem speaks about looking past "pain and woe" and not to "feel at death's dismay" as soon Christ will come and deliver his followers to a heavenly Jerusalem (Bromehead). This would explain why the poem focuses on Jerusalem as the site of heavenly existence and the second coming Christ, as the text it was based on was meant to console a grieving widow. 

      While some of the other poems discussed in class seem to act as a cry for change, Jerusalem My Happy Home stands out as a song of joyous and hopeful praise that may reflect some of the religious trends of its day. Perhaps this poem reflects the increased faith as a result of the protestant movement in the early 16th century or may be used to highlight differences between Jewish and Christian perceptions of Jerusalem during this time. Regardless, it is important to understand the origin of works like these as it provides insight into the cultural and religious differences of groups throughout history. 

Works Cited

Bromehead, Joseph. Jerusalem, My Happy Home. 1795.

Fenner, Chris. “Mater Hierusalem.” Hymnology Archive, 2021, www.hymnologyarchive.com/jerusalem-my-happy-home. Accessed 3 Feb. 2024.