Accession number
MS M.1138
Object title
Ethiopian prayer scroll (MS M.1138).
Display Date
20th century.
Created
Ethiopia, 20th century.
Credit line
Bequest of Leonard Hansen in honor of William M. Voelkle, 2004.
Description
1 scroll (3 sections sewn together, 1 col., 206 lines), unbound : vellum, ill. ; 1715 x 120 mm. (645 x 120 mm, 680 x 110 mm, 390 x 110 mm)
Provenance
Copied for Walatta [the second part of the name is erased]; [name replaced with] (Walatta) Gäbre'ēl; Leonard J. Hansen (d. 20 September 2003); bequest of Leonard Hansen in honor of William M. Voelkle, 2004.
Notes
Ms. containing magical religious prayers; written in (rubbed out) red and black, and illuminated in Ethiopia, 20th century.
Decoration: 5 miniatures. 1) (at the beginning, 180 x 120 mm.) Angel, with drawn sword. 2) (after line 55, end of 1st section, 90/100 x 110/115 mm.) Sun (?) or Face of the guardian angel, with 22 rays. 3) (after line 112, middle of 2nd section, 90 x 110 mm.) Eight-pointed star on a 3x3 chessboard pattern with the face of an angel, or a demon, in the center and four talismans designed out of a four-petalled rosette. 4) (after line 171, beginning of 3rd section) Talisman designed out of a four-petalled rosette. 5) (at the end, 80 x 110 mm.) Cross with a handle.
Texts: 1) (lines 1-41) Prayers of Suseneyos against the evil spirit Werzeleyā (Ursula) who causes infant mortalitiy. 2) (lines 42-75) Prayer for binding demons. 3) (lines 76-97) Prayer for drowning evil spirits. 4) (lines 98-152) Greetings to Archangel Fānu'el, concluded with quotations from Psalms and the Gospels. 5) (lines 153-163) Prayer to stop bleeding at the end of the period of menstruation. 6) (lines 164-177) Prayer against maggāññā illness that causes sudden death. 7) (lines 178-201) Prayer against weg'āt illness, colic. 8) (lines 202-213) Prayer against nadarā and bārayā, evil eye.
Decoration: 5 miniatures. 1) (at the beginning, 180 x 120 mm.) Angel, with drawn sword. 2) (after line 55, end of 1st section, 90/100 x 110/115 mm.) Sun (?) or Face of the guardian angel, with 22 rays. 3) (after line 112, middle of 2nd section, 90 x 110 mm.) Eight-pointed star on a 3x3 chessboard pattern with the face of an angel, or a demon, in the center and four talismans designed out of a four-petalled rosette. 4) (after line 171, beginning of 3rd section) Talisman designed out of a four-petalled rosette. 5) (at the end, 80 x 110 mm.) Cross with a handle.
Texts: 1) (lines 1-41) Prayers of Suseneyos against the evil spirit Werzeleyā (Ursula) who causes infant mortalitiy. 2) (lines 42-75) Prayer for binding demons. 3) (lines 76-97) Prayer for drowning evil spirits. 4) (lines 98-152) Greetings to Archangel Fānu'el, concluded with quotations from Psalms and the Gospels. 5) (lines 153-163) Prayer to stop bleeding at the end of the period of menstruation. 6) (lines 164-177) Prayer against maggāññā illness that causes sudden death. 7) (lines 178-201) Prayer against weg'āt illness, colic. 8) (lines 202-213) Prayer against nadarā and bārayā, evil eye.
Script
Ethiopic
Language
Ge'ez
Resources
Century
Catalog link
Classification
Department