E. S. Drower
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Ethel Stefana Drower ( Stevens; full name: Ethel May Stefana Drower; 1 December 1879 – 27 January 1972) was a
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cultural anthropologist Cultural anthropology is a branch of anthropology focused on the study of cultural variation among humans. It is in contrast to social anthropology, which perceives cultural variation as a subset of a posited anthropological constant. The portman ...
, orientalist and novelist who studied the
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and its cultures.Christa Müller-Kessler, Drower ée Stevens Ethel May Stefana, Lady Drower, in ''New Dictionary of National Biography'', vol. 16 (Oxford, 2004), pp. 193–194

/ref> She was and is still considered one of the primary specialists on the Mandaeism, Mandaeans, and was the dedicated collector of Mandaean manuscripts.


Biography

Drower was the daughter of a clergyman. In 1906, she was working for
Curtis Brown Curtis Lee "Curt" Brown Jr. (born March 11, 1956) is a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Air Force colonel. Background Colonel Brown was born March 11, 1956. He graduated from East Bladen High School in Elizabethtown, North Caroli ...
, a London literary agency when she signed
Arthur Ransome Arthur Michell Ransome (18 January 1884 – 3 June 1967) was an English author and journalist. He is best known for writing and illustrating the ''Swallows and Amazons'' series of children's books about the school-holiday adventures of childre ...
to write ''
Bohemia in London ''Bohemia in London'' (1907) was Arthur Ransome's seventh published book, and his first success. The book is about literary and artistic London in the 1900s, and the area of London covered is Chelsea, Soho, and Hampstead. He had moved to London in ...
''. In 1911, she married Edwin Drower and after his knighthood became Lady Drower. As E. S. Stevens, she wrote a series of romantic novels for
Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...
and other publishers. In 1921, she accompanied her husband to Iraq where Sir Edwin Drower was adviser to the Justice Minister from 1921 to 1947. Among her grandchildren was the campaigning journalist
Roly Drower Roland Paul Drower, FRAS (12 October 1953 – 12 May 2008), known as Roly, was an English software engineer, journalist, satirist, activist, poet, broadcaster and composer. He is best remembered for his contributions to the political and artistic ...
. Her works include the comprehensive description and display of the last practising gnostic
Mandaean Mandaeans ( ar, المندائيون ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and most important prophet. They ...
s' rituals, rites, and customs in ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran: Their Cults, Customs, Magic, Legends, and Folklore'', ''The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans'' (a translation of the
Qolasta The Qolastā, Qulasta, or Qolusta ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn) is the canonical prayer book of the Mandaeans, a Gnostic ethnoreligious group from Iraq and Iran. The Mandaic word ''qolastā'' means "collection". The p ...
), ''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis'', and ''The Peacock Angel'' (novel about the
Yezidis Yazidis or Yezidis (; ku, ئێزیدی, translit=Êzidî) are a Kurmanji-speaking endogamous minority group who are indigenous to Kurdistan, a geographical region in Western Asia that includes parts of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran. The majo ...
), editions of unique manuscripts such as astronomical divinations (
omen An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient times, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages fr ...
) (''The Book of the Zodiac'') and magical texts (''A Book of Black Magic''; ''A Phylactery for Rue''), and relevant translations of
Mandaean Mandaeans ( ar, المندائيون ), also known as Mandaean Sabians ( ) or simply as Sabians ( ), are an ethnoreligious group who are followers of Mandaeism. They believe that John the Baptist was the final and most important prophet. They ...
religious works such as ''The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa'' and ''The Coronation of the Great Šišlam''. Drower's final major work titled ''Mass and Masiqta'' or ''Messiah, Mass and Masiqta'' remains unpublished to this day and it is unclear if the full manuscript exists. Before her scholarly activity, "Already under her maiden name of Ethel Stefana Stevens, Lady Drower had been fired by the romance of the Orient; between 1909 and 1927 she published 13 novels, and she was the author of two delectable books of travel." Drower died on 27 January 1972. She was survived by her daughter, Margaret "Peggy" Hackforth-Jones, and other family members.


Awards and honors

Drower received several honours for her scholarly contributions: *honorary
DLitt Doctor of Letters (D.Litt., Litt.D., Latin: ' or ') is a terminal degree in the humanities that, depending on the country, is a higher doctorate after the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree or equivalent to a higher doctorate, such as the Doctor ...
from
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*honorary DD from
Uppsala University Uppsala University ( sv, Uppsala universitet) is a public university, public research university in Uppsala, Sweden. Founded in 1477, it is the List of universities in Sweden, oldest university in Sweden and the Nordic countries still in opera ...
*honorary fellow of the
School of Oriental and African Studies SOAS University of London (; the School of Oriental and African Studies) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury ar ...
of
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*the Lidzbarski gold medal for her work on the Mandaeans and their literary transmission on 1 October 1964


Drower Collection

The Drower Collection (DC), held at the
Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
in
Oxford University Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
, is the most extensive collection of Mandaean manuscripts. The collection consists of 55 manuscripts. Drower donated MSS. Drower 1-53 to the
Bodleian Library The Bodleian Library () is the main research library of the University of Oxford, and is one of the oldest libraries in Europe. It derives its name from its founder, Sir Thomas Bodley. With over 13 million printed items, it is the second- ...
in 1958. MS. Drower 54, ''
The Coronation of the Great Šišlam ''The Coronation of the Great Šišlam'' (or ''The Coronation of Shishlam Rabba''; myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡕࡓࡀࡑࡀ ࡖࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Šarḥ ḏ-Traṣa ḏ- Taga ḏ-Šišlam Rba) is a Mandaean reli ...
'', was given to the library by Lady Drower in 1961. MS. Drower 55, Lady Drower's personal notebook, was added in 1986.Mandaean manuscripts given by Lady Ethel May Stefana Drower
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After her death, some of Drower's private notebooks were obtained by
Rudolf Macúch Rudolf Macuch (16 October 1919, in Bzince pod Javorinou – 23 July 1993, in Berlin) was a Slovak linguist, naturalized as German after 1974. He was noted in the field of Semitic studies for his research work in three main areas: (1) Mandaic stu ...
. These notebooks are not part of the Bodleian Library's Drower Collection. MS. DC 2, which was copied by Sheikh Negm for Drower in 1933, mentions the
Mandaean baptismal name Mandaean names can include both birth names (i.e., secular names) and baptismal (zodiacal) names (i.e., religious names), called ''malwasha'' () in Mandaic. Birth names Mandaean birth names are secular names that are given at birth and are used ...
(i.e., spiritual name given by a Mandaean priest, as opposed to a birth name) of E. S. Drower as
Klila In Mandaeism, the klila ( myz, ࡊࡋࡉࡋࡀ) is a small myrtle (''asa'') wreath or ring (translated as "circlet" by E. S. Drower) used during Mandaean religious rituals. The klila is a female symbol that complements the '' taga'', a white cro ...
pt Šušian ("Wreath, daughter of Susan"), as her middle name Stefana means 'wreath' in Greek. MS. DC 26, a manuscript copied by copied by Sheikh Faraj for Drower in 1936, contains two ''qmahas'' (exorcisms). MS. DC 26 is dedicated to Drower's daughter, Margaret ("Peggy"), who is given the Mandaean baptismal name ''Marganita pt Klila'' ("Pearl, daughter of Wreath") in the text.


Bibliography


Works as E. S. Stevens


''The Veil: A Romance of Tunis'', New York, F.A. Stokes, 1909.
*''The Mountain of God'', London, Mills & Boon, 1911. * Two works reviewing the
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in 1911 - "Abbas Effendi: His Personality, Work, and Followers" in ''
Fortnightly Review ''The Fortnightly Review'' was one of the most prominent and influential magazines in nineteenth-century England. It was founded in 1865 by Anthony Trollope, Frederic Harrison, Edward Spencer Beesly, and six others with an investment of £9,000; ...
'', and "The Light in the Lantern" in ''
Everybody's Magazine ''Everybody's Magazine'' was an American magazine published from 1899 to 1929. The magazine was headquartered in New York City. History and profile The magazine was founded by Philadelphia merchant John Wanamaker in 1899, though he had little role ...
''. *''The Long Engagement'', New York, Hodder & Stoughton, 1912. *''The Lure'', New York, John Lane, 1912. *''Sarah Eden'', London, Mills & Boon, 1914. *''Allward'', London, Mills & Boon, 1915. *''"--And What Happened"'', London,
Mills & Boon Mills & Boon is a romance imprint of British publisher Harlequin UK Ltd. It was founded in 1908 by Gerald Rusgrove Mills and Charles Boon as a general publisher. The company moved towards escapist fiction for women in the 1930s. In 1971, the ...
, 1916. *''The Safety Candle'', London, Cassell and Company, 1917. *''Magdalene: A Study in Methods'', London, Cassell, 1919. *''By Tigris and Euphrates'', London, Hurst & Blackett, 1923. *''Sophy: A Tale of Baghdad'', London, Hurst & Blackett, 1924. *''Cedars, Saints and Sinners in Syria'', London, Hurst & Blackett, 1926. *''The Losing Game'', London, Hurst & Blackett, 1926. *''Garden of Flames'', New York, F.A. Stokes, 1927. *''Ishtar'', London, Hurst & Blackett, 1927. *''Folk-Tales of Iraq, set down and translated from the vernacular by E. S. Stevens'', New York, B. Blom, 1971.


Works as E. S. Drower


''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran: Their Cults, Customs, Magic, Legends, and Folklore''
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1937.

London: J. Murray, 1941. *''Water into Wine: A Study of Ritual Idiom in the Middle East'', London: Murray, 1956.
''The Secret Adam: A Study of Nasoraean Gnosis''
Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1960. *
A Mandaic Dictionary
' with Rudolf Macuch, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1963.''damienlabadie.blogspot.gr''
/ref> *''Drower's Folk-Tales of Iraq'', edited by Jorunn Jacobsen Buckley, Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias Press, 2007.


Translations as E. S. Drower

*''The
Book of the Zodiac The ''Book of the Zodiac'' ( myz, ࡎࡐࡀࡓ ࡌࡀࡋࡅࡀࡔࡉࡀ, translit=Sfar Malwašia) is a Mandaean text. It covers Mandaean astrology in great detail. The book is used to obtain a Mandaean's baptismal name (''malwasha''). Manuscrip ...
= Sfar malwašia: D. C. 31'', Oriental Translation Fund XXXVI; London: Royal Asiatic Society, 1949. *
Šarḥ ḏ qabin ḏ šišlam rba
(D. C. 38). Explanatory Commentary on the Marriage Ceremony of the great Šišlam'', text transliterated and translated, Rome: Ponteficio Istituto Biblico, 1950. *''
Diwan Abatur The ''Diwan Abatur'' ( myz, ࡃࡉࡅࡀࡍ ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ; "Scroll of Abatur") is a Mandaean religious text. It is a large illustrated scroll that is over 20 ft. long. A similar illustrated Mandaean scroll is the '' Diwan Nahrawata'' ( ...
or Progress Through the Purgatories'', text with translation notes and Appendices, Città del Vaticano: Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, 1950. *''
Haran Gawaita The ''Haran Gawaita'' (Mandaic ࡄࡀࡓࡀࡍ ࡂࡀࡅࡀࡉࡕࡀ "Inner Harran" or "Inner Hauran") also known as the ''Scroll of Great Revelation'', is a Mandaean text which recounts the history of the Mandaeans and their arrival in Media as ...
- The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa: the Mandaic text reproduced, together with translation, notes and commentary'', Città del Vaticano: Biblioteca apostolica vaticana, 1953. *''Mandaeans. Liturgy and Ritual. The
Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans The Qolastā, Qulasta, or Qolusta ( myz, ࡒࡅࡋࡀࡎࡕࡀ; mid, Qōlutā, script=Latn) is the canonical prayer book of the Mandaeans, a Gnostic Gnosticism (from grc, γνωστικός, gnōstikós, , 'having knowledge') is a collect ...
'', translated with notes, Leiden: Brill, 1959. *
Alf trisar šuialia
The Thousand and Twelve Questions ''The Thousand and Twelve Questions'' ( myz, ࡀࡋࡐ ࡕࡓࡉࡎࡀࡓ ࡔࡅࡉࡀࡋࡉࡀ ) is a Mandaean religious text. The ''1012 Questions'' is one of the most detailed texts on Mandaean priestly rituals. The text contains detailed com ...
: A Mandaean Text'', edited in transliteration and translation, Berlin: Akademie-Verlag, 1960. *''
The Coronation of the Great Šišlam ''The Coronation of the Great Šišlam'' (or ''The Coronation of Shishlam Rabba''; myz, ࡔࡀࡓࡇ ࡖࡕࡓࡀࡑࡀ ࡖࡕࡀࡂࡀ ࡖࡔࡉࡔࡋࡀࡌ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Šarḥ ḏ-Traṣa ḏ- Taga ḏ-Šišlam Rba) is a Mandaean reli ...
'', Leiden: Brill, 1962. *
A Pair of Naṣoraean Commentaries: Two Priestly Documents, the Great First World and the Lesser First World
', translated, Leiden: Brill, 1963.


References


External links



{{DEFAULTSORT:Drower, Ethel Stefana British anthropologists 1879 births 1972 deaths Place of birth missing Place of death missing Cultural anthropologists British women novelists British romantic fiction writers Women romantic fiction writers 20th-century British women writers 20th-century British novelists British women anthropologists Scholars of Mandaeism Translators from Mandaic