The Scottish Origins of ‘The Cornish Litany’

The so-called ‘Cornish Litany’, often associated with twentieth-century Cornwall, actually has its roots elsewhere in Great Britain. Tracing literary artefacts of the prayer back in time, the author finds its earliest form in some of the oldest records of Scottish folk life. Despite a clear process of change over time with respect to its vocabulary and form, the prayer’s essential character endured to a remarkable degree over the centuries, demonstrating the resilience of this particular item of folk belief.