there once was a monarch named james
Part of the magic of the 1611 Bible is in its rhythm. It was, after all, meant to be heard more than read —– declared from lecterns in churches by readers reading aloud.
Particularly, the prayer that's sometimes called the Our Father, sometimes called the Lord's Prayer. It's one of the most famous passages in the English language. I've often thought it derives much of its catchiness from the fact that it sounds very much like a limerick.
Our Father, who art in heaven,Surely someone has thought this before, and mentioned it!! That's Internet Rule 62 or something.
Hallowed be Thy name.
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
And yet, I can find no mention of it. Can the Lord's Prayer Limerick Connection be an Original Thought?
No way. But I can't find anyone else who's ever talked about it.
A friend said, "It is likely that in the past until relatively fairly recently, discussing the Lord’s prayer as a limerick would’ve been considered sacrilegious."
Maaayyyyyybe. I mean, that might explain why it wouldn't have been mentioned up until fifty years ago. But the internet? In the 2020s? Or even pre-internet, the 1970s and 80s?
It's a mystery. Somebody please show me someone who's commented on this before, or that it's actually commonly discussed!
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