sb. Forms: 3–5 letanye, 3–7 letanie, (4 letayne), 4–7 letany, (5 letony, -eny, latanie, 6 latenie, -ony, -yny, 7 latiny), 6– litany. [ad. med.L. litanīa, letanīa (whence OF. letanie, F. litanie, Pr., Sp. letania, Pg. ladainha, It. litania, letania, letana), a. Gr. λιτανεία prayer, entreaty, f. λιτανεύειν to pray, entreat, f. λιτανός suppliant, f. λίτη supplication, related to λίτεσθαι, λίσσεσθαι to supplicate.]
1. Eccl. An appointed form of public prayer, usually of a penitential character, consisting of a series of supplications, deprecations or intercessions in which the clergy lead and the people respond, the same formula of response being repeated for several successive clauses. A litany may be used either as part of a service or by itself, in the latter case often in procession.
Greater and Lesser Litany: see quot. 1885.
The name of ‘the Lesser Litany’ has also been given to the petitions Kyrie eleison, Christe eleison, Kyrie eleison, and ‘Lord, have mercy upon us, Christ, have mercy upon us, Lord, have mercy upon us.’
[a. 900. O. E. Martyrol., 3 May, 72. Cristes folc mærsiað letanias.]
a. 1225. Ancr. R., 22. Seoue psalmes siggeð sittinde oðer cneolinde, mit te Letanie.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 8393. Clerkes … on god gonne crye Wepinde wiþ procession & songe þe letanye.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), I. 375. He schal be housled and i-lad to þe dore of purgatorie wiþ processioun and letanye. Ibid., V. 299. Aboute þat tyme Seint Mammertus … ordeyned solempne letanyes þat beeþ i-cleped þe Rogaciouns,… and beeþ i-cleped þe lasse letayne for difference of þe more letayne þat Gregorye ordeynede to be seide a Seynt Markes day.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 21 b/2.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. 753. Whyle he was anoyntynge, the clergy sange the latyny.
1535. Stewart, Cron. Scot. (1858), II. 63. The sevin psalmis … to sing and reid, With latony, placebo, and the creid.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. i. § 4. In their publike Processions, and Letanies of the Church, this Petition was added, From the rage of the Normans, good Lord deliuer vs.
1704. Nelson, Fest. & Fasts, vi. (1739), 514. These earnest Supplications for the Mercy of God, which were called Litanies.
1866. Blunt, Annot. Bk. C. P., 22, note. The lesser Litany is an ancient and Catholic prefix to the Lords Prayer.
1877. Miss Yonge, Cameos, III. xxxiv. 366. The University of Paris commanded that there should be public litanies.
1883. R. W. Dixon, Mano, II. viii. 95. Through the streets the priests and monks gan pace In their procession, chanting litanies.
1885. Cath. Dict. (ed. 2), 519/2. The Litany of the Saints is chanted on the feast of St. Mark (April 25), and on the three Rogation days; on the former occasion it is called the Greater (litaniæ majores), and on the Rogation days the Lesser (litaniæ minores).
b. The Litany: that form of ‘general supplication’ appointed for use in the Book of Common Prayer, of similar form to those mentioned above, and consisting of petitions to the Trinity, deprecations, and obsecrations, with concluding suffrages and prayers.
[c. 1420–30. Primer (1895), 47. And here bigynneþ þe letanie.]
1544. Durham Acc. Rolls (Surtees), 726. Paid to the chaunter of Westmynster for pryking the new Latyny … in prykeson.
1548. Act 2 & 3 Edw. VI., c. 1 § 6. The Mattens, Evensonge, Letanye, and all other prayers.
1548–9. (Mar.) Bk. Com. Prayer, Litany (heading), The Letany and Suffrages.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 244. To have … the Lords Prayer, Creede and Letany in the English tongue.
1679–1714. Burnet, Hist. Ref. (1715), III. I. 164. In the Litany they did still [anno 1545] Invocate the Blessed Virgin … and all the Blessed Company of Heaven to pray for them.
a. 1695. A. Wood, Life (1848), 117. Which being all done … the fellowes went to the letany.
1885. Ruskin, Pleasures Eng., 136. Our petition in the Litany, against sudden death.
2. transf. A form of supplication (e.g., in non-Christian worship) resembling a litany; also, a continuous repetition or long enumeration resembling those of litanies.
c. 1400. Maundev. (1839), xvi. 177. Thei putten his name in hire Letanyes, as a Seynt.
1600. Holland, Livy, VII. xxviii. 268. Not onely the Tribes should go in solemne procession with their praiers and Letanies, but also [etc.].
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., II. § 10. Lord deliver me from my self, is a part of my Letany.
1649. Jer. Taylor, Gt. Exemp., Ep. Ded. 10. I shall think my returne full of reward if you shall … put me into your Letanies.
1658. trans. Bergerac’s Satyr. Char., ix. 28. The passengers Letanies are mixt with the mariner’s blasphemies.
a. 1822. Shelley, Stud. for Epipsychidion, 56. Hear them mumble Their litany of curses.
1834. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Seine, 168. Beggars throng the road, chanting their ceaseless litanies.
1881. Besant & Rice, Chapl. of Fleet, I. viii. (1883), 68. So did these reprobates maintain a perpetual litany of ribaldry.
¶ The form of a parody of the Litany has often been employed as a vehicle for scurrilous political satire.
1659. (title) A Free-Parliament-Letany.
1680. (title) The Loyal Subjects Litany.
1682. (title) The Cavalier’s Litany.
1817. (title) The Political Litany diligently revised. To be said or sung, until the appointed change come, throughout the Dominion of England and Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed.
1851. Mayhew, Lond. Labour, I. 236. One intelligent man told me properly to work a political litany, which referred to ecclesiastical matters, he ‘made himself up,’ as well as limited means would permit, as a bishop!
3. attrib. and Comb., as litany-chant, -book, -prayer; litany-desk, -stool, a low movable prayer-desk at which a minister kneels while reciting the litany; = FALDSTOOL 3; litany-wise adv., after the manner of a litany.
c. 1475. Pict. Voc., in Wr.-Wülcker, 755/9. A *letenyboke, Hec letenia.
1844. Cardl. Wiseman, Minor Rites, Ess. I. 511. It blesses the fields with its solemn procession and *litany-chant.
1725. T. Thomas, in Portland Papers VI. (Hist. MSS. Comm.), 130. A large stone, at the East End of the Choir … (on part of which stands the *Litany desk).
1845. Ecclesiologist, IV. 162. Let them … introduce the use of a Litany-desk.
1894. E. Bishop, in Dublin Rev., Oct., 452. The fact that these *Litany-prayers are found in the Sundays of Lent is interesting.
1845. Ecclesiologist, IV. 147. The nave will contain both lettern and *litany-stool.
1659. H. L’Estrange, Alliance Div. Off., iv. 102. Which versicle was used *Litany-wise (that is, returned by the people) in the service of the Temple.
Hence Litanying vbl. sb. (nonce-wd.), recitation of litanies.
1843. Carlyle, Past & Pr., IV. vii. Pause in thy mass-chantings, in thy litanyings, and Calmuck prayings by machinery. Ibid. (1865), Fredk. Gt., III. v. (1872), I. 169. Popish litanyings … and idolatrous stage-performances.
