Lorica is a word that means “Breastplate.” I got the idea from St. Patrick. His Lorica is here.

I arise today 
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of the Trinity,
Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.

I arise today
Through the strength of Christ’s birth with His baptism,
Through the strength of His crucifixion with His burial,
Through the strength of His resurrection with His ascension,
Through the strength of His descent for the judgment of doom.

I arise today
Through the strength of the love of cherubim,
In the obedience of angels,
In the service of archangels,
In the hope of resurrection to meet with reward,
In the prayers of patriarchs,
In the predictions of prophets,
In the preaching of apostles,
In the faith of confessors,
In the innocence of holy virgins,
In the deeds of righteous men.

I arise today, through
The strength of heaven,
The light of the sun,
The radiance of the moon,
The splendor of fire,
The speed of lightning,
The swiftness of wind,
The depth of the sea,
The stability of the earth,
The firmness of rock.

I arise today, through
God’s strength to pilot me,
God’s might to uphold me,
God’s wisdom to guide me,
God’s eye to look before me,
God’s ear to hear me,
God’s word to speak for me,
God’s hand to guard me,
God’s shield to protect me,
God’s host to save me
From snares of devils,
From temptation of vices,
From everyone who shall wish me ill,
afar and near.

I summon today
All these powers between me and those evils,
Against every cruel and merciless power
that may oppose my body and soul,
Against incantations of false prophets,
Against black laws of pagandom,
Against false laws of heretics,
Against craft of idolatry,
Against spells of witches and smiths and wizards,
Against every knowledge that corrupts man’s body and soul;
Christ to shield me today
Against poison, against burning,
Against drowning, against wounding,
So that there may come to me an abundance of reward.

Madeleine L’Engle also was inspired by this verse. She included something very similar in A Swiftly Tilting Planet. My lorica isn’t one verse. It’s a collection of verses or refrains which together are part of the Song. Long ago, a young deaf boy named Petros was working with them, scribing them. He started to recover his hearing. He didn’t tell anyone for a while about the new ability he had gained, only his master, Jamis, knew.

A breastplate guards your heart.

Modric was rewriting the Lorica, building his Apokrypha. So Jamis and Petros decided to hide the refrains of the Lorica throughout the world, to be recovered later when there was need. In book 2, Dane must recover the refrains from where they were hidden.

But more than that, he must learn how to use it.