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 ...
, Urfeil and Marfeil (or ʿUrpʿil and Marpʿil; myz, ࡏࡅࡓࡐࡏࡉࡋ ࡅࡌࡀࡓࡐࡏࡉࡋ) are a pair of
uthra
An uthra or ʿutra ( myz, ࡏࡅࡕࡓࡀ; plural: ʿutri) is a "divine messenger of the light" in Mandaeism. Charles G. Häberl and James F. McGrath translate it as "excellency". Jorunn J. Buckley defines them as "Lightworld beings, called 'utr ...
s (angel or guardian) in 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 ...
that are always mentioned together. They are mentioned in Books 3 and 5 (Chapter 1) of the ''
Right Ginza
The Right 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 Left Ginza.
Summaries of each book (or tractate), based mostly on Häberl (2007 ...
'',
as well as in
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 ...
prayer 168.
In ''Right Ginza'' 5.1,
Yawar Ziwa
In Mandaeism, Yawar Ziwa ( myz, ࡉࡀࡅࡀࡓ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ, lit=dazzling radiance; also known as Yawar Kasia "Hidden Yawar", or Yawar Rabba "Great Yawar") is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. He is the personification of li ...
appoints Urfeil and Marfeil over the east to watch over
Ur.
Etymology
The name Marfeil is
cognate
In historical linguistics, cognates or lexical cognates are sets of words in different languages that have been inherited in direct descent from an etymology, etymological ancestor in a proto-language, common parent language. Because language c ...
with the Hebrew word , which means 'healing.'
See also
*
Adathan and Yadathan
In Mandaeism, Adathan ( myz, ࡀࡃࡀࡕࡀࡍ) and Yadathan ( myz, ࡅࡀࡃࡀࡕࡀࡍ) are a pair of uthras (angel or guardian) who stand at the Gate of Life in the World of Light, praising and worshipping Hayyi Rabbi. In the ''Ginza Rabba'' ...
*
Shilmai
In Mandaeism, Shilmai (Šilmai; myz, ࡔࡉࡋࡌࡀࡉ) or Shalmai (Šalmai) is an uthra (angel or guardian) who serves as one of the two guardian spirits of Piriawis, the heavenly ''yardna'' (river) in the World of Light. In the ''Ginza Rabba'' ...
and
Nidbai
In Mandaeism, Nidbai ( myz, ࡍࡉࡃࡁࡀࡉ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) who serves as one of the two guardian spirits () of Piriawis, the heavenly ''yardna'' (river) in the World of Light. In the ''Ginza Rabba'' and ''Qolasta'', he is usua ...
*
Yufin-Yufafin
In Mandaeism, Yufin-Yufafin or Yupin-Yupapin ( myz, ࡉࡅࡐࡉࡍ ࡅࡉࡅࡐࡀࡐࡉࡍ, translit=iupin u-iupapin) is an uthra (angel or guardian) in the World of Light. In the ''Ginza Rabba'', Yufin-Yufafin is mentioned in Books 3 and 5.4 of ...
*
Xroshtag and Padvaxtag
Xrôshtag and Padvâxtag (''Xrōštag and Padvāxtag'') are a pair of Manichaeanism, Manichaean divinity, divinities, always depicted together, who serve as the personifications of the words "call" and "answer".Burkitt, F. C. 1935. Xrôshtag and P ...
in
Manichaeism
Manichaeism (;
in New Persian ; ) is a former major religionR. van den Broek, Wouter J. Hanegraaff ''Gnosis and Hermeticism from Antiquity to Modern Times''SUNY Press, 1998 p. 37 founded in the 3rd century AD by the Parthian Empire, Parthian ...
References
Pairs of angels
Uthras
Guardians of the directions
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