Krun is the greatest of the five Mandaean lords of theunderworld,the others beingShdum,Hag,Gaf,andZartai-Zartanai,according to the 5th book of the right half of theGreat Treasure(Ginza Rabba) of the Mandaeans, their most sacred text.[2][3]
He is represented by the image of a lion on theskandolatalisman, which is used to seal the graves of the newly dead. The epithet most frequently associated with him isṭura rba ḏ-bisra(Classical Mandaic:ࡈࡅࡓࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ ࡖࡁࡉࡎࡓࡀ,lit. 'the great mountain of flesh').[4]
Image of the Mandaean underworld figure Krun created byCharles G. Häberl
The Mandaean community of Iraq and Iran is one of the few communities from the Middle East that still preserve the ancientBabyloniantradition of divination by the stars and heavenly bodies (astrology), directly from its source, even retaining the traditionalAkkadiannames for the stars and the visible planets.[5]Despite this unique distinction, the Mandaeans had previously been unrepresented in astronomical place-names.[6][7]
Starting March 20, 2015,the Search for Extraterrestrial Lifesolicited names, and votes on names, from the interested public for the features ofPlutoand its satellites, which had yet to be documented.[8]RutgersprofessorCharles G. Häberlinitiated a social media campaign, "Vote Krun," to recognizethe Mandaeansby bestowing aMandaicname upon one such feature.[6][9][7]The Vote Krun campaign noted that since the time ofPercival LowellandClyde Tombaugh,
heavenly cosmography had expanded beyond names from Greco-Roman antiquity to the celebrated figures of many cultures and traditions,[10]but not yet
the Mandaeans.[6][7]
A dark region along the equator of the dwarf planet Pluto, immediately to the right of the large bright featureTombaugh Regio,was informally named "Krun Macula" by NASA scientists.[11]However, Krun Macula was later superseded by the name Safronov Regio in 2023.[12]
