Dies Irae: Origin and Appropriations

This chapter gives an overview of the Dies Irae from its origin to the twenty-first century. The Dies Irae, a Gregorian chant that is part of the Latin Requiem mass, has been appropriated by composers since the fifteenth century and is used in films, games, and pop music. These uses, and the history and reception of the Dies Irae, are the topic of this chapter. I present a reasoned synopsis of the Dies Irae and its appropriations in relation to cultural patterns concerning coping with death and fate