Ur (Mandaeism)
Character within Mandaeism From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In Mandaeism, ʿUr (Classical Mandaic: ࡏࡅࡓ) is the king (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ, romanized: malka) of the World of Darkness (alma ḏ-hšuka) or underworld. He is the son of Ruha, the queen of the underworld,[1] and her brother Gaf (also spelled Gap), one of the giants in the World of Darkness described in book 5 of the Ginza Rabba. Ur is typically portrayed as a large, ferocious dragon or snake.[2] He is represented by the image of a serpent on the skandola talisman.[3]: 37
The Mandaean Book of John contrasts Ur, the King of Darkness, with the King of Light (Hayyi Rabbi).[4]
Names
Ur has also been referred in Mandaean texts as Leviathan (Classical Mandaic: ࡋࡉࡅࡉࡀࡕࡀࡍ, romanized: liuiatan; from Right Ginza 15.1). According to the Right Ginza 5.1, his mother Ruha called him "the Great Giant, the Power of Darkness" (gabara rba, haila ḏ-hšuka).[5]
Ur's epithets include Bar-Spag (Classical Mandaic: ࡁࡓ ࡎࡐࡀࡂ, lit. 'Son of Spag') and other names.[5]
Parallels
Aldihisi (2008) compares Ur to Tiamat in Babylonian mythology and Samael in Gnostic literature.[2]
See also
- Shdum, also known as the "King of Darkness"
- Leviathan
- Nagaraja
- Tiamat
- Yaldabaoth
- Ahriman
- Asrestar
- Prince of Darkness (Manichaeism)
References
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