litany

litany

litany [Gr.,=prayer], solemn prayer characterized by varying petitions with set responses. The term is mainly used for Christian forms. Litanies were developed in Christendom for use in processions. In the West there were traditionally four days for these processional litanies, the Rogation Days . The Eastern liturgies make frequent use of litanies, recited by the deacon; the response is usually "Lord, have mercy." The Kyrie eleison is a relic of such a litany. In the Roman Catholic Church the one liturgical litany, the Litany of the Saints, dates from the 5th cent. substantially. Modeled after it are a number of nonliturgical (i.e., nonprescribed) litanies, of which the following are authorized: Litany of the Holy Name of Jesus (15th cent.), Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary (or of Loreto; 16th cent.), Litany of the Sacred Heart, and Litany of St. Joseph. The litany in the Anglican Book of Common Prayer is much like the Litany of the Saints. Moravian and Lutheran liturgies also use litanies.

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"litany." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"litany." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-litany.html

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litany

litany. A form of prayer consisting of a series of petitions or biddings sung or said by a deacon, priest, or cantors, to which the people make fixed responses. It apparently originated at Antioch in the 4th cent.; it spread to Constantinople and later to the W. Pope Gelasius I (492–6) introduced a litanic intercession (the Deprecatio Gelasii) into the Mass.

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E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-litany.html

E. A. LIVINGSTONE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church. 2000. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O95-litany.html

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litany

lit·a·ny / ˈlitn-ē/ • n. (pl. -nies) a series of petitions for use in church services or processions, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people. ∎  a tedious recital or repetitive series: a litany of complaints.

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"litany." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"litany." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-litany.html

"litany." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-litany.html

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litany

litany liturgical form of supplication. XIII. ME. letanie (later assim. to L.) — OF. letanie (mod. litanie) — ecclL. litanīa — Gr. litaneíā prayer, entreaty, f. litanós suppliant, f. lité supplication, litésthai entreat.

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T. F. HOAD. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-litany.html

T. F. HOAD. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-litany.html

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litany

litany. Christian prayer for supplication—'Deliver us, O Lord’, etc.—often set to mus. Sometimes the title of instr. works, e.g. Fricker's Litany for double str. orch.

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MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-litany.html

MICHAEL KENNEDY and JOYCE BOURNE. "litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. 1996. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O76-litany.html

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Litany, the

Litany, the in the Christian Church, a series of petitions for use in church services or processions, usually recited by the clergy and responded to in a recurring formula by the people.

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ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Litany, the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Litany, the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Litanythe.html

ELIZABETH KNOWLES. "Litany, the." The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable. 2006. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O214-Litanythe.html

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Litany

Litany (Gk., ‘supplication’). A form of prayer, often addressed to God, but also to the Virgin Mary or to saints, made up of a series of petitions.

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JOHN BOWKER. "Litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

JOHN BOWKER. "Litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Litany.html

JOHN BOWKER. "Litany." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions. 1997. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O101-Litany.html

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litany

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"litany." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 10 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"litany." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 10, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-litany.html

"litany." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 10, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-litany.html

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