A chant (from
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
', from
Latin ', "to sing") is the iterative speaking or
singing of
words or
sounds, often primarily on one or two main
pitches called
reciting tones. Chants may range from a simple
melody
A melody (from Greek language, Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a Linearity#Music, linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most liter ...
involving a limited set of
notes to highly complex musical structures, often including a great deal of
repetition
Repetition may refer to:
*Repetition (rhetorical device), repeating a word within a short space of words
* Repetition (bodybuilding), a single cycle of lifting and lowering a weight in strength training
*Working title for the 1985 slasher film '' ...
of musical subphrases, such as Great Responsories and
Offertories
The offertory (from Medieval Latin ''offertorium'' and Late Latin ''offerre'') is the part of a Eucharistic service when the bread and wine for use in the service are ceremonially placed on the altar.
A collection of alms (offerings) from the co ...
of
Gregorian chant. Chant may be considered speech, music, or a heightened or stylized form of speech. In the later
Middle Ages some religious chant evolved into song (forming one of the roots of later Western music).
Chant as a spiritual practice
Chanting (e.g.,
mantra,
sacred text
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
, the
name of God/Spirit, etc.) is a commonly used
spiritual practice. Like
prayer, chanting may be a component of either personal or group practice. Diverse spiritual traditions consider chant a route to
spiritual development.
Some examples include chant in
African,
Hawaiian, and
Native American,
Assyrian and Australian Aboriginal cultures,
Gregorian chant,
Vedic chant,
Quran reading,
Islamic
Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God (or '' Allah'') as it was revealed to Muhammad, the mai ...
Dhikr,
Baháʼí chants, various
Buddhist chant
A Buddhist chant is a form of musical verse or incantation, in some ways analogous to religious recitations of other faiths.
Traditional chanting
In Buddhism, chanting is the traditional means of preparing the mind for meditation, especially as ...
s, various
mantras,
Jewish cantillation,
Epicurean repetition of the Kyriai Doxai, and the chanting of
psalms and prayers especially in
Roman Catholic (see
Gregorian chant or
Taizé Community),
Eastern Orthodox (see
Byzantine chant
Byzantine music (Greek: Βυζαντινή μουσική) is the music of the Byzantine Empire. Originally it consisted of songs and hymns composed to Greek texts used for courtly ceremonials, during festivals, or as paraliturgical and liturgical ...
or
Znamenny chant, for examples),
Lutheran, and
Anglican
Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...
churches (see
Anglican Chant).
Chant practices vary. In the
Theravada tradition, chanting is usually done in
Pali, and mainly from
Pāli Canon.
Tibetan Buddhist chant involves
throat singing, where multiple pitches are produced by each performer. The concept of chanting
mantras is of particular significance in many
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
traditions and other closely related
Indian religions
Indian religions, sometimes also termed Dharmic religions or Indic religions, are the religions that originated in the Indian subcontinent. These religions, which include Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, and Sikhism,Adams, C. J."Classification of ...
. India's bhakti devotional tradition centers on
kirtan
Kirtana ( sa, कीर्तन; ), also rendered as Kirtan, is a Sanskrit word that means "narrating, reciting, telling, describing" of an idea or story, specifically in Indian religions. It also refers to a genre of religious performance arts ...
, which has a following in many countries and traditions such as
Ananda Marga
Ānanda Mārga ("The Path of Bliss", also spelled Anand Marg and Ananda Marg) or officially Ānanda Mārga Pracāraka Saṃgha (organization for the propagation of the path of bliss), is a world-wide socio-spiritual organisation founded in J ...
. The
Hare Krishna movement is based especially on the chanting of
Sanskrit Names of God in the
Vaishnava tradition. Chinese ''
Shijing'' (诗经), or 'chanted poetry', mirrors
Zen Buddhist principles and is sung from the ''
Dan tien
Dantian, dan t'ian, dan tien or tan t'ien is loosely translated as "elixir field", "sea of qi", or simply "energy center". Dantian are the "qi focus flow centers", important focal points for meditative and exercise techniques such as qigong, ...
'' (or lower abdomen) — the locus of power in
Eastern traditions
The Eastern religions are the religions which originated in East, South and Southeast Asia and thus have dissimilarities with Western, African and Iranian religions. This includes the East Asian religions such as Confucianism, Taoism, Chi ...
.
See also
*
A lo divino
*
Fight song
*
Sea shanty
A sea shanty, chantey, or chanty () is a genre of traditional Folk music, folk song that was once commonly sung as a work song to accompany rhythmical labor aboard large Merchant vessel, merchant Sailing ship, sailing vessels. The term ''shanty ...
– Rhythmical work song sung on sailing vessels
*
Skipping-rope rhyme
*
Smot (chanting)
''Smot chanting'', or ''smot'' ( km, or ) is a chanting tradition performed primarily at funerals in Cambodia. It is associated with other various forms of Buddhist chanting used by Buddhism in Cambodia but distinct from both ''paritta'' chant ...
*
Football chant
References
External links
A site about Vedic chantsTraditional Buddhist Chants (Texts and Audio) as in the Buddhist Encyclopedia
{{Authority control
Spiritual practice
Articles containing video clips
Medieval music genres