Secret Lives of Words

Litany April 14, 2009

This blog is a litany, one might say. That makes this blog post a meta-example, also one might say.

Litany. This short, compact word has trailed after me all my life for no apparent reason.  It seems to follow me around. Perhaps, it’s I that is  attached to the word. Whatever, it’s one of the few words that always stayed with me. It’s a word about which I never have to say, I used to know that!

The very sound of the word litany, has  always, conjured up a weird mix of impressions:  headache, punishment, boredom, tedium, and exasperation.  Nonetheless, I did not ever let go of the word. Why was I so drawn to it?

Having acquired my vocabulary of English language mainly through the solitary act of reading, and it was an excellent range of reading list, all the aforementioned impressions,  just piled up in no order. There was little in my personal life to base my understanding of the word.  At one time or another, each one of those sensations came to me via the word Litany as found in books. However, learning the story and history of the word formally was a wonderful discovery worthy of an abecedarium.

Litany is related to Liturgy.  Liturgy is religious and hence dear to me. In liturgical context, litany is prayer.  Litany becomes prayer in a round about way.

Litany is not just any prayer. In church usage, it specifically refers to utterances made by the group leader, and replied to with repeated utterance of a fixed answer by  congregation. The priest may say a number of different prayer words, but the congregation responds with the same phrase over, and over.

It is the repetition that makes it a litany. Hence, it also means repetitive incantation even in a non-interactive, secular context.  A chanting of repeated utterances, of course,  could be about any sentiment: a wish, a curse, a spell or simply a prayer. In classical Greek (litanos) it simply and directly means to entreaty.

The Christian tradition has a number of Litanies. Historically, only a few are approved for popular use. The most wonderful example is the classic Catholic Litany of the Saints. A performance of it can be seen in the clip from the funeral of Pope John Paul II.

An equally lovely rendition, but in English, can be found here.    Not to draw too fine a point,  you can see the Latin version is truly incomparable.

In the early years of Christianity, Litany also meant a procession taken out by  adherents to proclaim and parade their faith, especially on days special to those who had not yet converted!

By virtue of the emphasis on repetition, or repetitive utterances, Litany has come to mean to catalog, to list, to complain, to be incessantly boring, and to be tiresome.  US poet-laureate Billy Collins wrote a poem entitled Litany. He recited it publicly to much delightful reaction, watch:

The poem Litany that Billy Collins recited can be  read here.

In colloquial usage, Litany of Complaints is the most familiar expression, and conveys it all.

Those feeling particularly like a besieged teenager, no matter what the real age may be, will enjoy this long list, Litany of Don’ts.

Thus ends my litany of tribute to this lovely word of lament and supplication.

Enjoy.