In
Mandaeism
Mandaeism (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ ; Arabic: المندائيّة ), sometimes also known as Nasoraeanism or Sabianism, is a Gnostic, monotheistic and ethnic religion. Its adherents, the Mandaeans, revere Adam, Abel, S ...
, ʿUr ( myz, ࡏࡅࡓ) is the king ( myz, ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ, translit=malka) of 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 ...
(''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or
underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underworld.
...
. He is the son of
Ruha
In Mandaeism, Rūha ( myz, ࡓࡅࡄࡀ, lit=spirit/breath; also known as Namrūs or Hiwat (Ewath; myz, ࡏࡅࡀࡕ)) is the queen of the World of Darkness (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or underworld. She rules the underworld together with her son Ur ...
, the queen of the underworld,
and her brother
Gaf
GAF may refer to:
Military
* General of the Air Force, US
* Ghana Armed Forces
* Guardia alla Frontiera, Italy
Other uses
* Gaf, a Perso-Arabic letter
* Gaf (Mandaeism), a demon of the Mandaean underworld
* GAF Materials Corporation, an Amer ...
(also spelled Gap), one of the giants in the World of Darkness described in book 5 of the ''
Ginza Rabba
The Ginza Rabba ( myz, ࡂࡉࡍࡆࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Ginzā Rbā, lit=Great Treasury), Ginza Rba, or Sidra Rabba ( myz, ࡎࡉࡃࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ, translit=Sidrā Rbā, lit=Great Book), and formerly the Codex Nasaraeus, is the longest ...
''. Ur is typically portrayed as a large, ferocious dragon or snake.
He is represented by the image of a serpent on the ''
skandola
The skandola (literally meaning "dwelling of evil") is a ritual talismanic seal used by Mandaeans to protect against evil.
Description
The skandola is an iron ring with a chain attached to an iron knife. It is used as a sacred talismanic seal. ...
'' talisman.
The
Mandaean Book of John
The Mandaean Book of John (Mandaic language ࡃࡓࡀࡔࡀ ࡖࡉࡀࡄࡉࡀ ') is a Mandaean holy book in Mandaic Aramaic which is believed by Mandeans to have been written by their prophet John the Baptist.
The book contains accounts of Jo ...
contrasts Ur, the King of Darkness, with the King of Light (''
Hayyi Rabbi
In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi ( myz, ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ, translit=Hiia Rbia, lit=The Great Life), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate. He is also known as 'The First Life', since during the creation of th ...
'').
Names
Ur has also been referred in Mandaean texts as
Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
( myz, ࡋࡉࡅࡉࡀࡕࡀࡍ, translit=liuiatan; from ''
Right Ginza'' 15.1). According to the ''Right Ginza'' 5.1, his mother Ruha called him "the Great Giant, the Power of Darkness" (''gabara rba, haila ḏ-hšuka'').
Ur's
epithet
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
s include Bar-Spag ( myz, ࡁࡓ ࡎࡐࡀࡂ, lit=Son of Spag) and other names.
Parallels
Aldihisi (2008) compares Ur to
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...
in Babylonian mythology and
Yaldabaoth
Yaldabaoth, Jaldabaoth, or Ildabaoth is an evil deity and creator of the material world in various Gnostic sects and movements, sometimes represented as a theriomorphic, lion-headed serpent. He is identified as the Demiurge and false god who ke ...
in Gnostic literature.
See also
*
Shdum
In Mandaeism, Shdum (Šdum) ( myz, ࡔࡃࡅࡌ) or Ashdum (Ašdum) is a demon in the World of Darkness (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or underworld. Hibil Ziwa encounters Shdum during his descent to the World of Darkness in Chapter 1 of Book 5 in the '' ...
, also known as the "King of Darkness"
*
Leviathan
Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
*
Nagaraja
Nagaraja ( sa, नागराज ', ) is a title used to refer to the nagas, the serpent-like figures that appear in Indian religions. It refers to the kings of the various races of the nāga, the divine or semi-divine, half-human, half-serpen ...
*
Tiamat
In Mesopotamian religion, Tiamat ( akk, or , grc, Θαλάττη, Thaláttē) is a primordial goddess of the sea, mating with Abzû, the god of the groundwater, to produce younger gods. She is the symbol of the chaos of primordial creati ...
*
Yaldabaoth
Yaldabaoth, Jaldabaoth, or Ildabaoth is an evil deity and creator of the material world in various Gnostic sects and movements, sometimes represented as a theriomorphic, lion-headed serpent. He is identified as the Demiurge and false god who ke ...
*
Ahriman
Angra Mainyu (; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎 ''Aŋra Mainiiu'') is the Avestan-language name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of th ...
*
Asrestar
Asrestar is a class of demons in Manichaeism. They appear prominently in the Manichaean creation myth, especially the creation of mankind. Accordingly, Az decided to create humans in the image of the Third Messenger and mingled the demonic asrest ...
*
Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism)
References
{{Authority control
Demons in Mandaeism
Legendary serpents
Incest in mythology
Leviathan