Ethiopian prayer scroll

Accession number:

MS M.1139

Title:

Created:

Ethiopia, late 19th or early 20th century.

Credit:

Bequest of Leonard Hansen in honor of William M. Voelkle, 2004.

Description:

1 scroll (3 sections sewn together, 1 col., 161 lines), unbound : vellum, ill. ; 1695 x 95/105 mm (635 x 95/105 mm, 755 x 105 mm, 305 x 105 mm)

Provenance:

Copied for Gabra [second name erased, replaced with] Gabra Sanbat, Gabra Śellasē, Hāyla Śellasē, Walatta Yoh*annes; 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 red and black, and illuminated in Ethiopia, late 19th or early 20th century.
Decoration: 4 miniatures. 1) (at the beginning, 160 x 95/105 mm.) Eight-pointed cross set out as a 3 x 3 chessboard pattern, the face of an angel, or a devil, in the centre, an eye in each angle and St. Andrew's cross in each extremity. 2) (after line 49, end of 1st section, 150 x 105 mm.) Same motive as miniature 1. 3) (after line 123, end of 2nd section, 220 x 105 mm.) Guardian angel with drawn sword. 4) (at the end, 24 x 105 mm.) Geometric motives, St. Andrew's cross.
Texts: 1) (lines 1-16) Prayer against the evil spirit Lēgēwon. 2) (lines 16-31) Prayer against the eye of the Bāryā, Lēgēwon and Ğamin. 3) (lines 31-44) Prayer to drive away demons. 4) (lines 44-59) Prayer of justification. 5) (lines 59-98) Prayer to subdue the enemy. 6) (lines 98-130) Prayer against 'āyna nadarā wa-'āyna bāryā, evil eye. 7) (lines 131-137) Prayer against rheumatism. 8) (lines 138-161) Prayer against charm.

Script:

Ethiopic

Language:

Ge'ez

Resources:

Description/Bibliography

Century:

19th century

20th century

Genres:

Manuscripts

Scrolls (information artifacts)