Les Litanies de Satan
Encyclopedia
"Les Litanies de Satan" is a poem by Charles Baudelaire
, published as part of Les Fleurs du mal
. The date of composition is unknown, but there is no evidence that it was composed at a different time to the other poems of the volume.
The poem is a renunciation of religion, and Catholicism in particular. It includes a blasphemous
inversion of the Kyrie Eleison
and the Glory Be
, parts of the Catholic Mass, or it substitutes Satan for Mary
and liturgy directed towards her. Swinburne
called it the key to Les Fleurs du mal
. The poet empathises with Satan, who has also experienced injustice and can have pity for those who are outcasts. But for political reasons, Baudelaire had to preface the poem with a note explaining he had no personal allegiance with Satan. Even so, Les Fleurs du mal
led to he and his publishers being fined for "insult to public decency."
The poem is an inspiration to Satanists to this day.
Charles Baudelaire
Charles Baudelaire was a French poet who produced notable work as an essayist, art critic, and pioneering translator of Edgar Allan Poe. His most famous work, Les Fleurs du mal expresses the changing nature of beauty in modern, industrializing Paris during the nineteenth century...
, published as part of Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 , it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements...
. The date of composition is unknown, but there is no evidence that it was composed at a different time to the other poems of the volume.
The poem is a renunciation of religion, and Catholicism in particular. It includes a blasphemous
Blasphemy
Blasphemy is irreverence towards religious or holy persons or things. Some countries have laws to punish blasphemy, while others have laws to give recourse to those who are offended by blasphemy...
inversion of the Kyrie Eleison
Kyrie
Kyrie, a transliteration of Greek κύριε , vocative case of κύριος , meaning "Lord", is the common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, which is also called the Kýrie, eléison ....
and the Glory Be
Glory Be to the Father
Gloria Patri, also known as Glory Be to the Father’ , is a doxology, a short hymn of praise to God in various Christian liturgies...
, parts of the Catholic Mass, or it substitutes Satan for Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
and liturgy directed towards her. Swinburne
Swinburne
Swinburne may refer to:* A place:**Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia**Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus in Kuching, Malaysia**Swinburne Senior Secondary College in Melbourne, Australia...
called it the key to Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 , it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements...
. The poet empathises with Satan, who has also experienced injustice and can have pity for those who are outcasts. But for political reasons, Baudelaire had to preface the poem with a note explaining he had no personal allegiance with Satan. Even so, Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal
Les Fleurs du mal is a volume of French poetry by Charles Baudelaire. First published in 1857 , it was important in the symbolist and modernist movements...
led to he and his publishers being fined for "insult to public decency."
The poem is an inspiration to Satanists to this day.