Les Litanies de Satan

"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.[1]

The poem is a renunciation of religion, and Catholicism in particular.[2] It includes a blasphemous inversion of the Kyrie Eleison and the Glory Be, parts of the Catholic Mass,[3] or it substitutes Satan for Mary and liturgy directed towards her.[4] Swinburne called it the key to Les Fleurs du mal.[4] The poet empathises with Satan, who has also experienced injustice[5] 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.[6] 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.[7]

References

  1. ^ Starkie, Enid (1933). Baudelaire. G.P. Putnam's sons. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WtxJAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&pgis=1. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  2. ^ Debusscher, Gilbert; Schvey, Henry I.; Maufort, Marc (1989). New essays on American drama. Rodopi. p. 16. ISBN 9789051831078. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9ow5eSO59bQC&pg=PA16&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&sig=ACfU3U0Zw5IwkyE-esnqfk2GNnFsCFd7ug. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  3. ^ Lawler, James R. (1997). Poetry and moral dialectic: Baudelaire's "secret architecture". Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 156. ISBN 9780838637586. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JRvmSCDZ2dMC&pg=PA156&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1tkGtBm8iTk9dbTnd5ag2glZqdzQ. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  4. ^ a b universitet, Uppsala (1975). Studia anglistica upsaliensia. Almqvist & Wiksell. ISBN 9789155403317. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ntRZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&pgis=1. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  5. ^ Daniel, Robert R. (1997). The poetry of Villon and Baudelaire: two worlds, one human condition. P. Lang. ISBN 9780820434728. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j89cAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&pgis=1. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  6. ^ Leakey, F. W. (1992). Baudelaire, Les fleurs du mal. Cambridge University Press. p. 31. ISBN 9780521361163. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aZyGtcC3SLgC&pg=PA31&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0NGk-BeOoApCFsJ-l62kUFlRHmMA. Retrieved 21 September 2010. 
  7. ^ Flowers From Hell: A Satanic Reader

Links

Litanies of Satan, English and French