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Evil-averting chorus

Form
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A communal or repeated poetic device intended to repel evil or misfortune

Detailed Definition
An evil-averting chorus is a refrain or repeated stanza invoking protective deities, spells, or communal voices to ward off harm, drawing from ancient apotropaic rituals; in contemporary poetry, it may manifest as incantatory lines that blend mythic resonance with psychological defense against modern anxieties.
Example
Example in poetry:
A chorus that wards off evil through song, such as in ancient Greek drama where the chorus chants protective odes, or in spirituals like “Wade in the Water” believed to conceal escape routes
Additional Notes
A group or sequence of lines in a poem that function as an invocation, chant, or communal expression intended to ward off bad luck, evil spirits, or misfortune; links to ritualistic or folk poetry.
Also Known As
Protective chorus Apotropaic choral song Evil-warding refrain Apotropaic refrain
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