Agnus Dei

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Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˌæɡnəs ˈdeɪ.i/, /ˌɑːnjus ˈdeɪ.i/

Noun

Agnus Dei (plural Agnus Deis)

1. (Western Christianity) A liturgical chant recited as part of the Mass, beginning with those words, or the music to which it is set. [from 10th c.]
2. (Roman Catholicism, heraldiccharge) A small model, picture, or heraldic representation of a lamb with a cross and sometimes a flag (usually white with a red cross).
3. (Roman Catholicism) A bar of wax imprinted with a similar shape and blessed by the Pope. [from 16th c.]
   • 1796, Matthew Lewis, The Monk, Folio Society 1985, p. 194:

     Matilda continued her incantations; at intervals she took various items from the basket, the nature and name of most of which were unknown to the friar: but among the few which he distinguished, he particularly observed three human fingers, and an agnus dei, which she broke in pieces.

   • 1971, Keith Thomas (historian), Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 2012, p. 28:

     The most common of these amulets was the agnus dei, a small wax cake, originally made out of paschal candles and blessed by the Pope, bearing the image of the lamb and flag.

Translations

• Portuguese: agnus dei
• Russian: а́гнец бо́жий

Translations

• Russian: а́гнец бо́жий

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