abwatt:

graycloak:

john-constantines-spells:

Constantine 1×05: Danse Vaudou.

John and Papa Midnite’s first ritual together in Danse Vaudou – “Relictum Spiritum Ex Purgationes” or “Relictum spiritum expurgationis”, which means “Abandoned Spirits from the Purgatory” (Latin).

With thanks to thehallofjudgment

(If anyone happens to have a transcription of the entire command/spell used, please let me know. Thank you)

“ex purgationes” is not the same as “expurgationis.” This could just be a case of Latin Lite, where they just went with what sounded good. Purgationes is about purifying, and expurgationis is about the act of cleansing, or purging.

The concept of Purgatory, as a place, would have a purgatori- base. And with ex (in this case, from / out of) it would use the… ablative case? is that right, abwatt ? so it would look more like, ex Purgatoriis .. I think – second declension, neuter, and plural since they’re talking about multiple spirits.

But as expurgationis, the concept of cleansing/purging the remaining/that which is left/residual spirits, it still works. But my latin is super rusty… I’m more interested in what abwatt might have to say about it 😛   

I just really don’t think Purgatory is right here, because of the base being different – again, of course, unless they were just being super sloppy and thought it sounded “close enough.”  Which is totally possible, I admit 😛 hehe

Oh, man… 

I hate having to put my Latin skills on the spot like this.  Especially medieval Latin filtered through a TV show’s take on what looks good.  

OK, moaning aside, let’s take a crack at this: 

• relictum — from the word relictus, abandoned or widowed.
• spiritum — accusative form of spiritus, either spirit or soul or breath.
• expurgationis — looks like the genitive singular case of the noun meaning a cleanse/purification/vindication/excuse.

So… “of the purification/excusing/cleansing of a widowed/abandoned spirit”. 

Not having seen the TV show episode, I don’t know if that makes sense or not.  That said, it looks like a medieval title would look, although I don’t know of a prayer or exorcism that forms this specific structure in Latin.

I suppose one could write such a piece (although in English, and according to Anglican forms because I don’t have the Latin chops to compose a Latin prayer on the fly):

Of the Purification of an Abandoned Spirit
Eternal God, heavenly Father, who aided the witch of Endor in calling up the spirit of Samuel to warn Saul of his doom, and who sent his Son Jesus to the tomb of Lazarus to raise a beloved disciple from the dead: Assist me now, and excuse this abandoned spirit from this place and time, and cleanse their soul of the grime and trouble which keeps it here, and send thy angels to guide this widowed soul to the place where it may reside in grace and peace; for you have promised through your well-beloved Son that wherever two or three are gathered in His Name, your Holy Spirit is there. And so we ask this boon of you in the name of Christ Jesus your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

How’s that?

Thanks, graycloak and abwatt for your help. 🙂