MM,<\/p>\n
Occasionally when I’m writing, I like to listen to some meditative music. Tonight… er, last night since it’s morning now, I was listening to Anuna<\/a>. Anuna is the famous Irish choir that performs medieval and contemporary chants and songs. One of my favourite chants from them is Media Vita<\/em><\/a> (pronounced “mey-dee-ah vee-tah”).<\/p>\n Media Vita<\/em> is originally a Latin hymn said to be written by Notker Balbulus (c.840 – c.912). It later came to be used as part of the funeral rites of the Anglican Book of Common Prayer<\/em>. (See Wikipedia article on sequence (poetry)<\/a>.) The full Latin text of Media Vita<\/em> is given below followed by the English translation.<\/p>\n Media vita in morte suumus Chorus: <\/em>In te speraverunt patres nostris Media vita in morte sumus<\/em><\/p>\n In the midst of life we are in death Chorus: In you, our fathers placed their hopes In the midst of life we are in death<\/em><\/p>\n When I listen to this chant performed by Anuna, I can feel the power of it. Perhaps it is because the song is in Latin, and I have always found Latin to be a particularly beautiful languange. Perhaps it is because Anuna performs this chant excellently. Or perhaps there is some meaning in this chant that I find resonates with me. It is strange, but even as a pagan, I find this chant beautiful. Even realizing that it is originally written as a Christian hymn doesn’t faze me. Perhaps it is because this chant was written ages ago back when Christianity was closer to its original pagan elements. Listening to this chant, I get a sense of some of the pagan gods, most notably Jupiter<\/a> (Zeus<\/a> in Greek myth). Jupiter was the father god of Roman mythology, just as Zeus was the father god of Greek mythology. Perhaps Jupiter decided to hang around, even though people where intent on displacing him with a nameless, formless, transcendent god. Jupiter’s glory and power is reflected wonderfully in this song, even if the original writer may not have intended this.<\/p>\n Whether you are pagan or Christian or a person of any other faith, this is an amazing song as it reflects much about our relationship to god(s). I recommend giving it a listen<\/a> sometime.<\/p>\n Media vita in morte sumus Blessings,
\nQuem quaerimus ad iutorem nihi site domine
\nQui pro peccatis nostris<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSancte Deus, sancte fortis
\nSancte misericor salvator
\nAmare morti ne tradas nos<\/em><\/p>\n
\nSperaverunt et liberasti eos<\/em>
\n(Chorus 2x) \t\t <\/p>\n
\nWhat helper do we seek except you, O Lord
\nYou who for our sins<\/em><\/p>\n
\nHoly God, holy and powerful
\nOh holy compassionate savior
\nDo not give us over to the harshness of death<\/em><\/p>\n
\nThey placed their hopes and you freed them<\/em>
\n(Chorus 2x)<\/p>\n
\nIn the midst of life we are in death<\/em><\/p>\n
\nCassandrah
\nBrigid’s Flame<\/a><\/p>\n