CHD Litanie Omnium Sanctorum - Statistics II:

Martyrs, Confessors & Virgins

The total number of martyrs, confessors and virgins in the litanies




The graphs show the distribution of the total number of saints in 550 litanies (without the Apostles and Disciples). The horizontal line is the number of saints from 0 to 165 in one litany, the vertical line is the number of litanies (from 0 to 12) containing the corresponding number of saints. This is more clearly indicated in the graph below with the same data as above
The distribution is a normal Gaussian curve, not perfect, but very broad and flat at the top, with no clear peak. There is in consequence no such thing as a "normal" size for a litany, - any total number of saints between 30 and 80 are equally common.




The extremes range from a litany with only 8 names, to one with 163. From here is there a considerable gap up to the unchallenged record of 211 names (not included here) with 115 martyrs (in a Breviary dated 1532 from Die in Southern France). The very long litanies can only have been composed by the inclusion of all the saints in the liturgy of the church, down to the saints that are commemorated by a short prayer or only mentioned in the calendar.


General Introduction to the Litanies: Litanie Omnium Sanctorum
For further details see Statistics I: The Hierarchy of the Saints Some statistics on the Litanie Omnium Sanctorum.

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© Erik Drigsdahl 1997 - Last update: 14/12/1997