Inkanta
Group: Admins
Posts: 1453
Joined: Feb. 2000 |
 |
Posted: Feb. 04 2003, 21:02 |
 |
I have never heard the word "incantation" used as merely a chant. But, in that I know very far from everything, I had a friend scope out the online Oxford English Dictionary for me. Here are the definitions contained therein:
Search Results
Displaying 9 of 9 results
1. incantation (100%)
•n. a series of words said as a magic spell or charm.
(From The Concise Oxford Dictionary in English
Dictionaries and Thesauruses)
2. incantation n. (100%)
a magical formula. the use of this.
(From The Oxford American Dictionary of Current
English in English Dictionaries and Thesauruses)
3. incantation (100%)
the chanting or reciting of any form of words deemed
tohave magical power, usually in a brief rhyming spell
with an insistent rhythm and other devices of
repetition; or the form of words thus recited.
Incantation is characteristic of magical charms, ...
(From The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Literary Terms
in Literature)
4. incantation (100%)
XIV. — (O)F. — late L. incantti, -n-, f. incantre
chant, charm, f. IN-1 + cantre sing, CHANT; see
-ATION.
(From The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English
Etymology in English Language Reference)
5. Incantation (100%)
see MAGIC.
(From The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions
in Religion and Philosophy)
6. incantation noun (100%)
he muttered some weird incantations chant, invocation,
conjuration, magic spell/formula, rune; N. Amer. hex,
mojo; NZ makutu.
(From The Oxford Paperback Thesaurus in English
Dictionaries and Thesauruses)
7. incantation noun (100%)
chant, chanting, invocation, conjuration, spell, magic
formula/word; abracadabra, open sesame.
(From The Oxford American Thesaurus of Current English
in English Dictionaries and Thesauruses)
8. incantation (100%)
ensalmo
(From The Concise Oxford Spanish Dictionary
(English-Spanish) in Modern Languages)
9. incantation (100%)
words Zauberspruch, der;
(From The Concise Oxford-Duden German Dictionary
(English-German) in Modern Languages)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I wouldn't describe Christian monkish chants as incantations. I'd call it chanting--though having said that, in that chanting, such as Gregorian chanting, was (is?) thought to purify the mind and calm the soul, perhaps it can be thought of as a magickal practice. It depends on how you define magick. From my very odd point of view, some Christian practices seem like magick. For example, the Catholic friends in my life tell me that during communion, the wine actually becomes the blood, and the bread becomes the body of Christ. If turning wine into blood isn't magick, I don't know what it is (except alchemy, perhaps). ?? Are words also recited? It's been so long since I've been to Mass that I can't remember. Certainly those words would constitute an "incantation."
--------------
"No such thing as destiny; only choices exist." From: Moongarden's "Solaris."
|
, I'd like to know if the meaning of the word 'incantation' is closer to (a) magic formula or (b) spell. I first thought it was (b), because we have the word 'incantesimo' [accent on the E], which means something like (b), i.e. something enchanted/enchanting that affects a person, a spell. 
But then I saw the word 'incantations' being used in reference to some of Enya's apparently invented Gaelic lyrics, and in that context it had a meaning much closer to (a). Can you please tell me what meaning is the most appropriate in the context of Mike's album?
