Niana

Niana

Niana

Type of Mandaean prayer

For the Filipino dancer and social media personality, see Niana Guerrero.

In Mandaeism, a ʿniana (Classical Mandaic: ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡀ; plural form: ʿniania ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡉࡀ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies.[1] There is a total of 26 ʿniana prayers. They form part of the Qolasta.[2]

Etymology

ʿNiana literally means "response,"[3] since the prayers may have originally been recited in a call and response manner.

Manuscripts and translations

Jacques de Morgan's manuscript collection included a ʿniania manuscript dating back to 1833.[3]

The prayers have been translated into English by E. S. Drower (1959).[2] They have also been translated into German by Mark Lidzbarski (1920).[4]

List of niana prayers

The ʿniana prayers are numbered from 78–103 in both Drower's and Lidzbarski's versions of the Qolasta.

There are also two niana poems in Book 15 of the Right Ginza, which are chapters 15 and 16 of Book 15. These two poems contain the refrain "when the chosen/proven pure one went away" (kḏ azil bhira dakia ࡗ ࡀࡆࡉࡋ ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀ ࡃࡀࡊࡉࡀ).[5] This refrain is also found in prayers 205 and 233–256 of the Qolasta.[2]

See also

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References

  1. [1]
    Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
  2. [2]
    Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
  3. [3]
    Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2010). The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Piscataway, N.J: Gorgias Press. ISBN 978-1-59333-621-9.
  4. [4]
    Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
  5. [5]
    Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
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