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, Ab ...

, various beings inhabit 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 ...

Types

According to 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 (200 ...

'', the World of Darkness consists of many demons, dewis, and

evil spirit Evil, in a general sense, is defined as the opposite or absence of good. It can be an extremely broad concept, although in everyday usage it is often more narrowly used to talk about profound wickedness and against common good. It is generall ...

s, including: The ''Right Ginza'' describes them as:

Demons in the ''Ginza Rabba''

Main demons

Other than Ur,

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 ...

and her entourage of the 7 planets and 12 constellations, some infernal beings mentioned in 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 ...

'' are: *

Anathan In Mandaeism, Anathan or Anatan ( myz, ࡀࡍࡀࡕࡀࡍ) is a demon in the World of Darkness (''alma ḏ-hšuka'') or underworld. He is the husband of Qin, a demoness who is the mother of Ruha and Zahreil. Hibil Ziwa encounters Anathan during ...

(Anatan) – husband of Qin; described as a "warrior" and "war-like" in Book 5, Chapter 1 of the ''

'' *

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 ...

and Gafan (Gap and Gapan) * Giu (Giuo) *

Hag and Mag In Mandaeism, Hag ( myz, ࡄࡀࡂ) and Mag ( myz, ࡌࡀࡂ) are a pair of demons that are usually mentioned together. Hag is a male demon, while Mag is a female demon. Hibil Ziwa encounters Hag and Mag during his descent to the World of Darkness ...

(Hagh and Magh) – a male and female pair of demons, respectively *

Krun Krun (; myz, ࡊࡓࡅࡍ) or Akrun () is a Mandaean lord of the underworld. According to Mandaean cosmology, he dwells in the lowest depths of creation, supporting the entirety of the physical world. In mythology Krun is the greatest of the ...

(Karun) * Qin – queen of darkness, mother of

, grandmother of Ur; one of her epithets is Sumqaq * Shdum (Ashdum) – a ruler of the underworld *

Zahreil In Mandaeism, Zahreil or Zahrʿil ( myz, ࡆࡀࡄࡓࡏࡉࡋ) is the daughter of Qin, sister of Ruha, and mother of Ptahil. According to Book 5 of the ''Right Ginza'', during Hibil Ziwa's descent to the World of Darkness (''alma d-hšuka'') or ...

(Zahrʿil) – daughter of Qin and wife of

Hibil Ziwa In Mandaeism, Hibil ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ) or Hibil Ziwa ( myz, ࡄࡉࡁࡉࡋ ࡆࡉࡅࡀ) is an uthra (angel or guardian) from the World of Light. Hibil is considered to be the Mandaean equivalent of Abel. Prayers in the Qolasta frequently c ...

* Zartai-Zartanai

Minor demons

Other demons mentioned in the ''

'' are: *Aṭirpan (Aṭarpan), literally "foliage," mentioned with Lupan in Book 3 of the ''Right Ginza'' *Lupan, mentioned with Aṭirpan in Book 3 of the ''Right Ginza'' *Himun, described as a "man" in Book 5, Chapter 2 and Book 6 of the ''Right Ginza''; one of the

matarta In Mandaean cosmology, a maṭarta ( myz, ࡌࡀࡈࡀࡓࡕࡀ; plural form: ''maṭarata'') is a "station" or "toll house" that is located between the World of Light (''alma ḏ-nhūra'') from Tibil (Earth). It has variously been translated as " ...

guards *Karipiun (Karafiun), described as a "devourer" in Book 5, Chapter 3 of the ''Right Ginza'' *Karkum, described as a son of Ur in Book 4 of the ''Right Ginza'' *Shiqlun, mentioned in Book 15, Chapter 6 of the ''Right Ginza'' *Zamur, described as an "evil spirit" in Book 8 of the ''Right Ginza''

''Right Ginza'' 5.1

In Book 5, Chapter 1 of the ''

'' (also known as the "Book of the Underworld"),

descends the worlds of the "kings" and "giants of darkness" in the following order: * Zartai-Zartanai and his wife Amamit (an epithet of Libat, or Venus) *

, the two ''

manas Manas may refer to: Philosophy and mythology *Manas, the Pali and Sanskrit term for "mind"; see ** Manas (early Buddhism) ** Manas-vijnana, one of the eight consciousnesses taught in Yogacara Buddhism *''Ramcharitmanas'', a retelling of the Ramay ...

'' of darkness * Gap and Gapan, the mighty giants of darkness * Anatan and Qin *

Šdum 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 ''R ...

(Ašdum), king of darkness * Giu *

, King of Darkness, great mountain of flesh ()

Pillars of Jerusalem

In Book 15, Chapter 11 of the ''

'', the pillars of Jerusalem are named as: *ʿUsraʿil (

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

) *Yaqip (

Jacob Jacob (; ; ar, يَعْقُوب, Yaʿqūb; gr, Ἰακώβ, Iakṓb), later given the name Israel, is regarded as a patriarch of the Israelites and is an important figure in Abrahamic religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam ...

) *Adunai (

Adonai Judaism considers some names of God so holy that, once written, they should not be erased: YHWH, Adonai, El ("God"), Elohim ("God," a plural noun), Shaddai ("Almighty"), and Tzevaot (" fHosts"); some also include Ehyeh ("I Will Be").This i ...

) *Zatan (

Satan Satan,, ; grc, ὁ σατανᾶς or , ; ar, شيطانالخَنَّاس , also known as the Devil, and sometimes also called Lucifer in Christianity, is an entity in the Abrahamic religions that seduces humans into sin or falsehoo ...

) *Ṣihmai *Karkum Some of these names are also associated with beings in the World of Darkness, such as Karkum and Adunai (another name for Šamiš or the Sun).

Five Lords

Mandaeans also consider the "Five Lords of the World of Darkness" to be: * Zartai-Zartanai *

* Gap and Gapan *

The paired demons are considered to rule together as single lords, since Mag and Gapan are female consorts who are always with their male consorts Hag and Gap, respectively.

Skandola demons

, Hag, and Ur are depicted 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. ...

, a ritual

talisman A talisman is any object ascribed with religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made. Talismans are often portable objects carried on someone in a variety of ways, but can also be installed perm ...

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, or "true seal" ** Fur seal * Seal (emblem), a device to impr ...

used by Mandaeans to protect against evil.

References

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