Reed houses, Iraq marshes 1978 - panoramio

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 ...

, a shkinta ( myz, ࡔࡊࡉࡍࡕࡀ, translit=škinta, lit=

shekinah Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a pla ...

) or shkina (''škina'') is a celestial dwelling inhabited by

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 'u ...

s 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 Rab ...

that is analogous to the

shekhinah Shekhinah, also spelled Shechinah ( Hebrew: שְׁכִינָה ''Šəḵīnā'', Tiberian: ''Šăḵīnā'') is the English transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning "dwelling" or "settling" and denotes the presence of God, as it were, in a pla ...

in Jewish mysticism. In

Tibil In Mandaean cosmology, Tibil ( myz, ࡕࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or occasionally Arqa ḏ-Tibil (lit. "Tibil-Earth") is the Earth (World) or earthly middle realm. It is separated from the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') above and the World of Darkness (' ...

(the physical earth), it refers to a

reed Reed or Reeds may refer to: Science, technology, biology, and medicine * Reed bird (disambiguation) * Reed pen, writing implement in use since ancient times * Reed (plant), one of several tall, grass-like wetland plants of the order Poales * ...

hut that is used during

Mandaean priest A Mandaean priest or ''Rabbi'' refers to an ordained religious leader in Mandaeism. Overview All priests must undergo lengthy ordination ceremonies, beginning with tarmida initiation. Mandaean religious leaders and copyists of religious texts ho ...

initiation ceremonies, since Mandaean priests represent

s on earth. Drower, E. S. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint).

Ceremonial usage

During the priest initiation ceremony, the shkinta is constructed to the north of the

andiruna An andiruna ( myz, ࡏࡍࡃࡉࡓࡅࡍࡀ, translit=ʿndiruna, lit=chamber) is a temporary reed hut used during Mandaean priest initiation ceremonies. Drower, E. S. 1937. ''The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran''. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint). Etym ...

. It symbolizes the

and it covered by a white cloth roof. In contrast, the

has a blue cloth roof to symbolize the color 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 U ...

. Together, the two adjacent huts symbolize complementary masculine and feminine elements.

Symbolism

The ''škinta'' ( cognate with the Hebrew word

; from the

Semitic root The roots of verbs and most nouns in the Semitic languages are characterized as a sequence of consonants or "radicals" (hence the term consonantal root). Such abstract consonantal roots are used in the formation of actual words by adding the vowels ...

''š-k-n'', associated with dwellings) symbolizes the "male" side, and is associated with the

, priests, the right side, gold, and the taga (crown). In contrast, the

symbolizes the "female" side, and is associated with the earth (

), laypeople, the left side, silver, and the

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 ...

(myrtle wreath). Similarly, in a traditional Persian house, the women's quarters are known as ''andirūn''.

References

Mandaean buildings Mandaic words and phrases Religious buildings and structures Mandaean cosmology Mandaean given names {{mandaeism-stub

Ceremonial usage

Symbolism

See also

References