Eniana Explained

In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana (myz|ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡀ|lit=response; plural form: ʿniania ࡏࡍࡉࡀࡍࡉࡀ) prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies.^[1] They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma prayers are often considered to be a subset of the eniana prayers.^[2]

Etymology

ʿNiana literally means "response," since the prayers may have originally been recited in a call and response manner.

Manuscripts and translations

Jacques de Morgan's manuscript collection included a ʿniania manuscript dating back to 1833.^[3]

The prayers have been translated into English by E. S. Drower (1959).^[4] They have also been translated into German by Mark Lidzbarski (1920).^[5]

A printed, typesetted Mandaic version was published by Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki in 1999.^{[2] [6]}

List of eniana prayers

Ktaba ḏ-Eniania

In Al-Mubaraki's Qulasta, the following prayers are included in Ktaba ḏ-Eniania ("Book of Responses").^[2]

• Ktaba ḏ-Eniania (Book of Responses) (Qulasta Volume 2, Part 1)
  • rušuma

104

• • asut malkia

105

• • rahmia

106–118

• • rahmia ḏ-iumia (daily rahmia prayers): 119–164
    • iuma ḏ-habšaba (Sunday): 119–124
    • iuma ḏ-trin habšaba (Monday): 125–130
    • iuma ḏ-tlata habšaba (Tuesday): 131–136
    • iuma ḏ-arba habšaba (Wednesday): 137–142
    • iuma ḏ-hamša habšaba (Thursday): 143–148
    • iuma ḏ-rhaṭia (Friday): 149–154
    • iuma ḏ-šapta (Saturday): 155–162
    • iuma ḏ-habšaba (Sunday): 163–164
  • abatar bauata ḏ-iumia (after the daily prayers)
    • 165–169
    • zhara
    • 170–174
    • 2, 4, 6 (širiata / šrita prayers = loosing / deconscrating prayers)
    • 178
    • 410
    • 175–177

Masbuta and masiqta prayers

The following prayers are also considered to be ʿniana prayers according to Buckley (2010).^[3] They are numbered from 78–103 in both Drower's and Lidzbarski's versions of the Qulasta. These prayers are also known as eniania ḏ-maṣbuta and eniania ḏ-masiqta. Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki includes them as part of the Sidra d-Nishmata (Book of Souls).^[7]

• Prayer 78
• Prayer 79

prayer for the klila for the staff (margna)

• Prayer 80

longer "hear me" (ʿunan ab ʿunian) prayer

• Prayer 81

shorter "hear me" (ʿunan ab ʿunian) prayer

• Prayer 82

mambuha prayer

Masbuta prayers (eniania ḏ-maṣbuta):

• Prayer 83
• Prayer 84
• Prayer 85
• Prayer 86
• Prayer 87
• Prayer 88
• Prayer 89
• Prayer 90

Masiqta prayers (eniania ḏ-masiqta):

• Prayer 91
• Prayer 92
• Prayer 93
• Prayer 94
• Prayer 95
• Prayer 96
• Prayer 97
• Prayer 98
• Prayer 99
• Prayer 100
• Prayer 101

Communion prayer:

• Prayer 102

Concluding prayer:

• Prayer 103

Several of the eniana prayers are duplicated in Book 3 of the Left Ginza (GL 3):^[3]

Prayer	GL chapter
	3.4
	3.10
	3.3
	3.2
	3.7

There are also two eniana poems in Book 15 of the Right Ginza, which are chapters 15 and 16 of Book 15. These two poems contain the refrain "when the chosen/proven pure one went away" (kḏ azil bhira dakia ࡗ ࡀࡆࡉࡋ ࡁࡄࡉࡓࡀ ࡃࡀࡊࡉࡀ).^[8] This refrain is also found in prayers 205 and 233–256 of the Qulasta.^[4]

See also

• Qulasta
• List of Qulasta prayers
• Call and response
• Sidra d-Nishmata

External links

• prayers (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
• prayers (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
• Diwan ʿNiani d-Masbuta (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)
• Diwan ʿNiani d-Masbuta (Mandaic text from the Mandaean Network)

Notes and References

1. Book: Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen. The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. Oxford University Press. New York. 2002. 0-19-515385-5. 65198443.
2. Book: Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi . Mubaraki . Brian . 2010 . Qulasta - 'niania & Qabina / Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book (Responses & Marriage) (volume 2) . Luddenham, New South Wales . Mandaean Research Centre . 9781876888152. (1999 edition: ISBN 0-9585704-4-X)
3. Book: Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen. The great stem of souls: reconstructing Mandaean history. Gorgias Press. Piscataway, N.J. 2010. 978-1-59333-621-9.
4. Book: Drower, E. S.. The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. E. J. Brill. 1959. Leiden.
5. Lidzbarski, Mark. 1920. Mandäische Liturgien. Abhandlungen der Königlichen Gesellschaft der Wissenschaften zu Göttingen, phil.-hist. Klasse, NF 17.1. Berlin.
6. Web site: Morgenstern . Matthew . . Qulasta . 2024-07-27.
7. Book: Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi . Mubaraki . Brian . 2010 . Qulasta - Sidra d Nishmata / Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book (Book of Souls) (volume 1) . Luddenham, New South Wales . Mandaean Research Centre . 9781876888145. (1998 edition: ISBN 0-9585705-1-5)
8. Book: Ginza Rba . Gelbert . Carlos . 2011 . Living Water Books . Sydney . 9780958034630.