Ethiopian prayer scroll
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.