Eniana


In Mandaeism, a ʿniana or eniana prayer is recited during rituals such as the masiqta and priest initiation ceremonies. They form part of the Qulasta. The rahma prayers are often considered to be a subset of the eniana prayers.

Etymology

ʿNiana literally means "response," since the prayers may have originally been recited in a call and response manner.

Manuscripts and translations

's manuscript collection included a ʿniania manuscript dating back to 1833.
The prayers have been translated into English by E. S. Drower. They have also been translated into German by Mark Lidzbarski.
A printed, typesetted Mandaic version was published by Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki in 1999.

List of eniana prayers

''Ktaba ḏ-Eniania''

In Al-Mubaraki's Qulasta, the following prayers are included in Ktaba ḏ-Eniania.
  • Ktaba ḏ-Eniania
  • *rušuma: 104
  • *asut malkia: 105
  • *rahmia: 106–118
  • *rahmia ḏ-iumia : 119–164
  • **iuma ḏ-habšaba : 119–124
  • **iuma ḏ-trin habšaba : 125–130
  • **iuma ḏ-tlata habšaba : 131–136
  • **iuma ḏ-arba habšaba : 137–142
  • **iuma ḏ-hamša habšaba : 143–148
  • **iuma ḏ-rhaṭia : 149–154
  • **iuma ḏ-šapta : 155–162
  • **iuma ḏ-habšaba : 163–164
  • *abatar bauata ḏ-iumia
  • **165–169
  • **zhara
  • **170–174
  • **2, 4, 6
  • **178
  • **410
  • **175–177

    Masbuta and masiqta prayers

The following prayers are also considered to be ʿniana prayers according to Buckley. They are numbered from 78–103 in both Drower's and Lidzbarski's versions of the Qulasta. These prayers are also known as eniania ḏ-maṣbuta and eniania ḏ-masiqta. Majid Fandi Al-Mubaraki includes them as part of the Sidra ḏ-Nišmata.
Masbuta prayers :
  • Prayer 83
  • Prayer 84
  • Prayer 85
  • Prayer 86
  • Prayer 87
  • Prayer 88
  • Prayer 89
  • Prayer 90
Masiqta prayers :
  • Prayer 91
  • Prayer 92
  • Prayer 93
  • Prayer 94
  • Prayer 95
  • Prayer 96
  • Prayer 97
  • Prayer 98
  • Prayer 99
  • Prayer 100
  • Prayer 101
Communion prayer:
  • Prayer 102
Concluding prayer:
  • Prayer 103
Several of the eniana prayers are duplicated in Book 3 of the Left Ginza :
PrayerGL chapter
Prayer 923.4
Prayer 933.10
Prayer 943.3
Prayer 963.2
Prayer 983.7

There are also two eniana poems in Book 15 of the Right Ginza, which are chapters 15 and 16 of Book 15. These two poems contain the refrain "when the chosen/proven pure one went away". This refrain is also found in prayers 205 and 233–256 of the Qulasta.