If they did actually expect the Inquisition, what would they sing?
December 13, 2009 7:33 PM   Subscribe

Church Lyrics filter: Help me find old Catholic Church music with Latin lyrics (with English translations) about about smiting the Devil.

I'm looking for lyrics that are ominous and very "Oh Lord, strike down Satan with your righteous smiteyness". Yeah see, this is why I'm asking for help.

Something that hundreds of years ago, a local church choir would have broken and brushed up on when they heard the Inquisitor was heading to town, and they wanted to greet him with appropriate music.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey to Religion & Philosophy (5 answers total)
 
Are you asking for something you know to exist, or something that you think possibly exists? Because I don't think that particular thing exists.
posted by ocherdraco at 8:41 PM on December 13, 2009


If you search for keyword "Satanas" on the CANTUS database, the only results that show up are two texts built around Bible verses that mention Satan (1) "Simon, Satan has asked to sift you like wheat", (2) "He said to Satan, 'do not put the Lord your God to the test.'" Most medieval chants were directly from the Bible, and I don't think any of them come close to what you want.
posted by Pater Aletheias at 8:53 PM on December 13, 2009


Well, there's the Dies Irae. (Gregorian chant version)

And if you can figure out what Bible verses are especially applicable, you can use this database to find more.
posted by MsMolly at 9:02 PM on December 13, 2009


Given that hymns are meant to be a praise of God, there aren't many that would have that kind of vengeful/anti-Satan bent you are looking for. Speaking as someone who sings Catholic hymns in Latin on a regular basis, I certainly haven't heard any along those lines. Do these need to be set to music? If not, the rite of exorcism might fit the bill...but again, there is no smiting of Satan, just expelling.
posted by Wavelet at 10:21 PM on December 13, 2009


Response by poster: Okay, this is leading me in the right direction.

I may have watched too much Monty Python as a kid and assumed that there was something like what I described out there.

I may be hearing Cotton Mather in the back of my head and just assuming that there was a Medieval Catholic version. Thanks for the links, I'll do a bit of plowing and see what I come up with.
posted by Pirate-Bartender-Zombie-Monkey at 11:54 PM on December 13, 2009


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