Dirge
Encyclopedia
A dirge is a somber song
expressing mourning
or grief
, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral
. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived
from the Latin
Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam ("Direct my way in your sight, O Lord my God"), the first words of the first antiphon
in the Matins
of the Office for the Dead. The original meaning of "dirge" in English referred to this office.
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
expressing mourning
Mourning
Mourning is, in the simplest sense, synonymous with grief over the death of someone. The word is also used to describe a cultural complex of behaviours in which the bereaved participate or are expected to participate...
or grief
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
, such as would be appropriate for performance at a funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
. A lament. The English word "dirge" is derived
Etymology
Etymology is the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time.For languages with a long written history, etymologists make use of texts in these languages and texts about the languages to gather knowledge about how words were used during...
from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
Dirige, Domine, Deus meus, in conspectu tuo viam meam ("Direct my way in your sight, O Lord my God"), the first words of the first antiphon
Antiphon
An antiphon in Christian music and ritual, is a "responsory" by a choir or congregation, usually in Gregorian chant, to a psalm or other text in a religious service or musical work....
in the Matins
Matins
Matins is the early morning or night prayer service in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran and Eastern Orthodox liturgies of the canonical hours. The term is also used in some Protestant denominations to describe morning services.The name "Matins" originally referred to the morning office also...
of the Office for the Dead. The original meaning of "dirge" in English referred to this office.
Examples
Examples of dirges include:- Danny BoyDanny Boy-Background:The words to "Danny Boy" were written by English lawyer and lyricist Frederic Weatherly in 1910. Although the lyrics were originally written for a different tune, Weatherly modified them to fit the "Londonderry Air" in 1913, after his sister-in-law in the U.S. sent him a copy. Ernestine...
- Dies IræDies IraeDies Irae is a thirteenth century Latin hymn thought to be written by Thomas of Celano . It is a medieval Latin poem characterized by its accentual stress and its rhymed lines. The metre is trochaic...
- Ailein duinnAilein duinnAilein duinn is a traditional Scottish song for solo female voice, a lament that was written in Gàidhlig for Ailean Moireasdan by his fiancée, Annag Chaimbeul . In 1788, Ailean, a sailor, set off with his ship to Scalpay, Harris, where he and Annag would be married...
- The Lyke-Wake DirgeLyke-Wake DirgeThe "Lyke-Wake Dirge" is a traditional English song that tells of the soul's travel, and the hazards it faces, on its way from earth to Heaven. Though the song is from the Christian era and features references to Christianity much of the symbolism is thought to be of heathen origin.-The title:The...
- Caoineadh Airt Uí LaoghaireCaoineadh Airt Uí LaoghaireCaoineadh Airt Uí Laoghaire or the Lament for Art Ó Laoghaire is an Irish keen, or dirge written by his wife Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill. It has been described as the greatest poem written in either Ireland or Britain during the eighteenth century....
- "Just a Closer Walk With Thee"
- "In the Sweet By-and-By"
- "Bye and ByeBye and Bye"Bye and Bye" is a song written by Bob Dylan, released in 2001 as the fourth track on his album Love and Theft.Musically, "Bye and Bye" is what Oliver Trager calls an "easygoing, lilting ballad...something one would expect from Leon Redbone or, from an earlier era, Bing Crosby...
" on the album Love and Theft by Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly... - "Dirge" on the album Planet WavesPlanet WavesPlanet Waves is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 14th studio album, released by Asylum Records in January 1974....
by Bob DylanBob DylanBob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly... - "O DeathO DeathO Death, also known as O, Death, Oh Death and Conversations with Death is a traditional Appalachian dirge originating from southern Appalachia....
", a traditional Appalachian dirge - "Over in the Gloryland"
- "Westlawn Dirge"
- "(Cadence of) The Dirge" by ExhorderExhorderExhorder is an American thrash/groove metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana. They are credited as the purveyors of the groove-oriented thrash sound later made famous by bands such as Pantera, White Zombie, and Machine Head. Initially active from 1985 to 1992, they have since reformed in...
- "MACABRE -揚羽ノ羽ノ夢ハ蛹-" by Dir En GreyDir en greyDir En Grey is a Japanese metal band formed in 1997 and currently signed to Firewall Div., a sub-division of Free-Will. As of 2011, they have recorded eight full-length records...
- "The Birthday Dirge" see http://www.faqs.org/faqs/music/birthday-dirge-faq/
- "Dirge For November" by OpethOpethOpeth is a Swedish heavy metal band from Stockholm, formed in 1990. Though the group has been through several personnel changes, singer, guitarist, and songwriter Mikael Åkerfeldt has remained Opeth's driving force throughout the years...
- "Dirge For The Planet" by FirelakeFirelakeFirelake is a Ukrainian melodic death metal band from Kiev. The band was formed in 1997 by Oleg Yavorsky , Alexey Akulshyn and Andrey Salnikov...
- "To Live is to DieTo Live Is to Die"To Live Is to Die" is a mostly instrumental composition by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It is the eighth track on the band's fourth album ...And Justice for All . Keeping up with the tradition of the band's previous two albums, the instrumental track comes late in the album and is long...
" by MetallicaMetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ... - "Malfunction" by the Cro-MagsCro-MagsCro-Mags are a hardcore punk turned crossover thrash band from New York City. The band, which had a strong cult following, released many records, their first two considered the most influential...
- "Dirge" by Death in VegasDeath in VegasDeath in Vegas are a psychedelic rock and electronic rock band from the United Kingdom, comprising two permanent members: Richard Fearless and Tim Holmes...
on the album The Contino SessionsThe Contino SessionsThe Contino Sessions is the second album by British band Death in Vegas. It was released in 1999.In 2000 the album was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize.- Track listing :# "Dirge" – 5:44# "Soul Auctioneer" – 5:59# "Death Threat" – 4:50... - Two Square EnixSquare Enixis a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
games, Dirge of Cerberus and Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days. 358/2 Days features a song called Dirge of the XIV, the battle theme Xion (considered number 14 of the Organization) uses before she is destroyed. - "Musical Death (A Dirge)" by TestamentTestament (band)Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
- Dirge Inferno by Cradle of FilthCradle of FilthCradle of Filth are an English extreme metal band, formed in Suffolk in 1991. The band's musical style evolved from black metal to a cleaner and more "produced" amalgam of gothic metal, symphonic black metal, and other extreme metal styles, while their lyrical themes and imagery are heavily...
- Bloody Mary by Lady GagaLady GaGaStefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta , better known by her stage name Lady Gaga, is an American singer and songwriter. Born and raised in New York City, she primarily studied at the Convent of the Sacred Heart and briefly attended New York University's Tisch School of the Arts before withdrawing to...
Cultural references
- "And we sang dirges in the dark the day the music died", from the album American PieAmerican Pie (album)American Pie is the title of a 1971 music album by Don McLean, best known for its title track about The Day the Music Died. The third track, "Vincent," is a tribute to the famed artist Vincent Van Gogh....
by Don McLean - "Strike up a dirge" said by Frieza in Dragon Ball Z when he thought Goku was giving up.
- Dirge, album by Wormrot
- Dirge is the name of one of the seekers in the Transformers franchise. He is Referred to as one of the "Coneheads".
- Prohibition Dirge by Ennio Morricone from "Once Upon a Time in America" (Soundtrack)
- Final FantasyFinal Fantasyis a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
game called Dirge of cerberus
See also
- ElegyElegyIn literature, an elegy is a mournful, melancholic or plaintive poem, especially a funeral song or a lament for the dead.-History:The Greek term elegeia originally referred to any verse written in elegiac couplets and covering a wide range of subject matter, including epitaphs for tombs...
- Funeral marchFuneral marchA funeral march is a march, usually in a minor key, in a slow "simple duple" metre, imitating the solemn pace of a funeral procession. Some such marches are often considered appropriate for use during funerals and other sombre occasions, the most well-known being that of Chopin...
- JeremiadJeremiadA jeremiad is a long literary work, usually in prose, but sometimes in poetry, in which the author bitterly laments the state of society and its morals in a serious tone of sustained invective, and always contains a prophecy of society's imminent downfall....
- LamentLamentA lament or lamentation is a song, poem, or piece of music expressing grief, regret, or mourning.-History:Many of the oldest and most lasting poems in human history have been laments. Laments are present in both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and laments continued to be sung in elegiacs accompanied by...
- OppariOppariAn Oppari is type of a folk song in the southern part of India, especially in Tamilnadu and in North-East Sri Lanka where Tamils live. Many people across different communities use this "Oppari" to express their sadness on a person's death. It is sung by females during a death ceremony...
- RequiemRequiemA Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
- ThrenodyThrenodyA threnody is a song, hymn or poem of mourning composed or performed as a memorial to a dead person. The term originates from the Greek word threnoidia, from threnos + oide ; ultimately, from the Proto-Indo-European root wed- that is also the precursor of such words as "ode", "tragedy", "comedy",...