In the

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

( Hiberno-Scottish)

monastic Monasticism (from Ancient Greek , , from , , 'alone'), also referred to as monachism, or monkhood, is a religion, religious way of life in which one renounces world (theology), worldly pursuits to devote oneself fully to spiritual work. Monastic ...

tradition, a lorica is a prayer recited for protection. It is essentially a 'protection prayer' in which the petitioner invokes all the power of God as a safeguard against evil in its many forms. The Latin word ''lōrīca'' originally meant "armor" (body armor, in the sense of

chainmail Chain mail (properly called mail or maille but usually called chain mail or chainmail) is a type of armour consisting of small metal rings linked together in a pattern to form a mesh. It was in common military use between the 3rd century BC and ...

cuirass A cuirass (; french: cuirasse, la, coriaceus) is a piece of armour that covers the torso, formed of one or more pieces of metal or other rigid material. The word probably originates from the original material, leather, from the French '' cuirac ...

). The idea underlying the name is probably derived from Ephesians 6:14, where Paul bids his readers stand, "having put on the breast-plate of righteousness,". The Greek word here translated as "breast-plate" is θώραξ, in the Vulgata version rendered ''lorica''.

Invocation

Similar to a

litany Litany, in Christian worship and some forms of Judaic worship, is a form of prayer used in services and processions, and consisting of a number of petitions. The word comes through Latin '' litania'' from Ancient Greek λιτανεία (''lit ...

, the lorica often listed whose protection was requested. "Gabriel be my breastplate, Michael be my belt, Raphael be my shield..." Notable loricas include ''Rob tu mo bhoile, a Comdi cride'', which in its

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

translation provides the text for the

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

Be Thou My Vision "Be Thou My Vision" ( sga, Rop tú mo baile or ''Rob tú mo bhoile'') is a traditional Christian hymn of Irish origin. The words are based on a Middle Irish poem that has traditionally been attributed to Dallán Forgaill. The best-known English ...

'', the ''Lorica of Laidcenn'', and the ''Lorica of Gildas''.

Lorica of St Patrick

The Lorica of Saint Patrick, begins:

:I arise today :Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity, :Through a belief in the Threeness, :Through confession of the Oneness :Of the Creator of creation.

Linguists cannot trace this lorica back further than the eighth century, which raises the question of whether it was based on an earlier poem dating back to the time of St. Patrick (5th century), or whether it was actually completely unknown to the saint to whom it has been ascribed.

Lorica of St Fursey (or Fursa)

The Lorica of St Fursa dates from the early seventh century and is still a popular prayer in Ireland. The original text of the Fursey Lorica is held in the British Library. The translation, from Old Irish and German, was made by Fr Francis Mullaghy CSSR and Fr Richard Tobin CSSR, for use in St Joseph's Monastery, Dundalk, Co Louth. This Lorica translation is quoted by John Ó Ríordáin (3) and begins: The arms of God be around my shoulders, The touch of the Holy Spirit upon my head, The sign of Christ’s cross upon my forehead, The sound of the Holy Spirit in my ears,

Caim

A "caim" is similar to a lorica only in being a category for a particular type of protection prayer. The word "caim" possibly derives from

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well ...

as listed in the

Carmina Gadelica ''Carmina Gadelica'' is a compendium of prayers, hymns, charms, incantations, blessings, literary-folkloric poems and songs, proverbs, lexical items, historical anecdotes, natural history observations, and miscellaneous lore gathered in the Gaelic- ...

meaning "loop, curve, circle, or sanctuary". As noted on the Wikipedia page however, the

is controversial in how accurate it preserved various traditions, and was mostly drawn from the Outer Hebrides. In contrast, the only meaning given in the ''Dictionarium scoto-celticum'' for the word "caim" is "fault", and so the

etymology Etymology ()The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p. 633 "Etymology /ˌɛtɪˈmɒlədʒi/ the study of the class in words and the way their meanings have changed throughout time". is the study of the history of the Phonological chan ...

is unclear. The

does not contain liturgical rubrics, nor is there a ritual action described that accompanies the prayer. However, one modern usage of a caim prayer involves the creation of an imaginary circle around the self with the index finger while rotating the body. One prayer that is used can be found in the Carmina Gadelic with additions, and by tradition is often attributed to St. Columba:

Be to me a bright flame before me Be to me a guiding star above me, Be to me a smooth path below me, Be to me a kind shepherd behind me, Today, tonight, and forever.

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* 'The Music of What Happens', John Ó Ríordáin, pp. 46–47, The Comumba Press Dublin, 1996 * Add MS 30512 folio.35v

External links

The Lorica of St. Patrick

The Lorica of St. Fursey

Christian prayer Christian monasticism