From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Klila being held during a Parwanaya festival on the banks of the Tigris River in Maysan Governorate, Iraq on 17 March 2019

In Mandaeism, the klila ( Classical Mandaic: ࡊࡋࡉࡋࡀ) is a small myrtle ( Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡎࡀ, romanized: asa) wreath or ring (translated as " circlet" by E. S. Drower [1]) used during Mandaean religious rituals. The klila is a female symbol that complements the taga, a white crown which always takes on masculine symbolism. [2] [3]

The klila is used to adorn the drabsha, a wooden cross covered with a white cloth that is the main symbol of Mandaeism. [2]

Use in rituals

The klila is used during most Mandaean rituals, including masbuta, masiqta, and priest initiation rituals. [2]

In the Qolasta

Several prayers in the Qolasta are recited when consecrating and putting on the klila, including prayers 19, 46, 47, 61, and 79. [1]

In E. S. Drower's version of the Qolasta, prayers 305-329 are recited for the klila, as well as for the taga. [1]

Hazazban (or Haza-Zban) is mentioned in Qolasta prayers 19 and 27 as an uthra who sets wreaths (klila) upon the heads of Mandaeans who are performing masbuta. [1]

Syriac parallels

In the Syriac Peshitta, the word klila ( Classical Syriac: ܟܠܝܠܐ, lit.'wreath') is used to refer to Jesus' crown of thorns in the Gospels. In contrast, tga ( Classical Syriac: ܬܓܐ, lit.' diadem'), cognate with Mandaic taga, is used to refer to heavenly crowns in the Book of Revelation. [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
  2. ^ a b c Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN  0-19-515385-5. OCLC  65198443.
  3. ^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.
  4. ^ "Dukhrana Analytical Lexicon of the Syriac New Testament". Dukhrana Biblical Research. 2021-02-13. Retrieved 2023-12-10.

External links