![Mandaean Scroll of Abathur](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Mandaean_Scroll_of_Abathur.jpg)
In
Mandaean cosmology
Mandaean cosmology is the Gnostic conception of the universe in the religion of Mandaeism.
Mandaean cosmology is strongly influenced by Jewish, Babylonian, Persian, Egyptian, Greek, Manichaean and other Near Eastern religions and philosophies.
E ...
, Hiṭpun (Hiṭfun) or Hiṭpon (Hiṭfon) ( myz, ࡄࡉࡈࡐࡅࡍ) is a great dividing river separating the
World of Darkness
''World of Darkness'' is a series of tabletop role-playing games, originally created by Mark Rein-Hagen for White Wolf Publishing. It began as an annual line of five games in 1991–1995, with '' Vampire: The Masquerade'', '' Werewolf: The Apoca ...
from the
World of Light
In Mandaeism, the World of Light or Lightworld ( myz, ࡀࡋࡌࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ, translit=alma ḏ-nhūra) is the primeval, transcendental world from which Tibil and the World of Darkness emerged.
Description
*The Great Life (''Hayyi Rabbi ...
.
It is mentioned in Hymn 25 of the third book of the ''
Left Ginza
The Left Ginza is one of the two parts of the Ginza Rabba, the longest and the most important holy scripture of Mandaeism. The other part of the Ginza Rabba is the Right Ginza.
Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (200 ...
''.
The river of Hiṭfon is analogous to the river
Styx in
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...
and
Hubur
Hubur () is a Sumerian term meaning "river", "watercourse" or "netherworld", written ideographically with the cuneiform signs . It is usually the "river of the netherworld".
Usage and meaning
A connection to Tiamat has been suggested with par ...
in
Mesopotamian mythology
Mesopotamian mythology refers to the myths, religious texts, and other literature that comes from the region of ancient Mesopotamia which is a historical region of Western Asia, situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system that occupies ...
.
It is also known as ''hapiqia mia'' or ''hafiqia mia'' ( myz, ࡄࡐࡉࡒࡉࡀ ࡌࡉࡀ), which means "streams/springs of water" or "outflowing water." The water is fresh, and is located in a realm that is situated between
Abatur
Abatur ( myz, ࡀࡁࡀࡕࡅࡓ, sometimes called Abathur; Yawar, myz, ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ; and the Ancient of Days) is an Uthra and the second of three subservient emanations created by the Mandaean God ''Hayyi Rabbi'' ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁ ...
's and
Yushamin
In Mandaeism, Yushamin ( myz, ࡉࡅࡔࡀࡌࡉࡍ) and also known as the 'Second Life', is the primal uthra (angel or guardian) and a subservient emanation who was created by the Mandaean God 'The Great Life' (''Hayyi Rabbi'' or 'The First Lif ...
's realms.
In Mandaean scriptures
The ''
Scroll of Abatur'' has many illustrations of boats ferrying souls across this river.
According to the ''
1012 Questions'',
masiqta
The masiqta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ) is a mass or ritual practiced in the Mandaean religion in order to help guide the soul (''nišimta'') towards the World of Light in Mandaean cosmology. They are typically performed as funerary rites for ...
rituals are needed to guide departed souls across the river and into the World of Light.
See also
*''
Shahrat''
*
Piriawis
In Mandaean cosmology, Piriawis ( myz, ࡐࡉࡓࡉࡀࡅࡉࡎ; sometimes also spelled Biriawiš Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. ''Mandäische Liturgien''. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, N ...
*
Hubur
Hubur () is a Sumerian term meaning "river", "watercourse" or "netherworld", written ideographically with the cuneiform signs . It is usually the "river of the netherworld".
Usage and meaning
A connection to Tiamat has been suggested with par ...
in Mesopotamian mythology
*
Styx in Greek mythology
*
Gjöll
Gjöll (Old Norse: ''Gjǫll'' ) is the river that separates the living from the dead in Norse mythology. It is one of the eleven rivers traditionally associated with the Élivágar, rivers that existed in Ginnungagap at the beginning of the worl ...
in Norse mythology
*
Vaitarna River (mythological)
Vaitarna or Vaitarani (Vaitaraṇî) river, as mentioned in the Garuda Purana and various other Hindu religious texts, lies between the earth and the infernal Naraka, the realm of Yama, Hindu god of death, and is believed to purify one's sins ...
in Hinduism
*
Yomotsu Hirasaka
In Japanese mythology, Yomotsu Hirasaka is a slope or boundary between this world, where the living live, and the other world, where the dead live (Yomi).
Overview
The myth, which holds that there is a boundary place between the realms where t ...
in Shinto cosmology
*
Sanzu River
The is a mythological river in Japanese Buddhist tradition similar to the Hindu concept of the Vaitarna and Greek concept of the Styx.
Before reaching the afterlife, the souls of the deceased must cross the river by one of three crossing poin ...
in Japanese Buddhist mythology
*
Kalunga line The Kalunga line is a watery boundary between the world of the living and the dead in religious traditions of the Congo region. The word Kalunga is Kikongo for "threshold between worlds". The Kalunga line is often associated with bodies of water, ...
in Kongo mythology
References
Mythological rivers
Mandaean cosmology
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