A
canon is a structured
hymn used in a number of
Eastern Orthodox services. It consists of nine
odes, sometimes called
canticles or
songs depending on the translation, based on the Biblical
canticles. Most of these are found in the
Old Testament, but the final ode is taken from the
Magnificat and
Song of Zechariah from the
New Testament. For clarity, this article will use the term "canticle" to refer to the original biblical text, and "ode" to refer to the composed liturgical hymns.