- Les Litanies de Satan
Les Litanies de Satan is a poem by
Charles Baudelaire , published as part ofLes Fleurs du Mal . The date of composition is unknown, but there's no evidence that it was composed at a different time to the other poems of the volume. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=WtxJAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&pgis=1] ]The poem is a renunciation of religion, and Catholicism in particular. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=9ow5eSO59bQC&pg=PA16&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&sig=ACfU3U0Zw5IwkyE-esnqfk2GNnFsCFd7ug] ] It includes a blasphemous inversion of the
Kyrie Eleison and theGlory Be , parts of the Catholic Mass, [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=JRvmSCDZ2dMC&pg=PA156&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&sig=ACfU3U1tkGtBm8iTk9dbTnd5ag2glZqdzQ] ] or it substitutes Satan for Mary and liturgy directed towards her. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=XC9dAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&pgis=1] ]Swinburne called it the key toLes Fleurs du Mal . [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=ntRZAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&pgis=1] ] The poet empathises with Satan, who has also experienced injustice [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=j89cAAAAMAAJ&q=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&pgis=1] ] 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. [ [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aZyGtcC3SLgC&pg=PA31&dq=%22Les+Litanies+de+Satan%22&lr=&sig=ACfU3U0NGk-BeOoApCFsJ-l62kUFlRHmMA] ] 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. [ [http://www.communistvampires.com/horror/Flowers%20From%20Hell.htm] ]
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