Masiqta

ThreeMandaean priests(oneganzibraand twotarmidia) performing a masiqta during the 2015ParwanayainAhvaz,Iran

Themasiqta(Classical Mandaic:ࡌࡀࡎࡉࡒࡕࡀ"ascent") is a mass or ritual practiced in theMandaean religionin order to help guide the soul (nišimta) towards theWorld of LightinMandaean cosmology.They are typically performed as funerary rites for Mandaeans who have just died. Although usually translated as "death mass", a few types ofmasiqtaare also performed for living people, such as when priests are ordained.Masiqtas are also used to consecrate houses of worship (bit manda).

Purpose

The complex ritual involves guiding the soul through themaṭarta,or toll houses located between the Earth (Tibil) and theWorld of Light,which are guarded by variousuthrasand demons.

A successful masiqta merges the incarnatesoul(ࡍࡉࡔࡉࡌࡕࡀnišimta;roughly equivalent to thepsycheor "ego"inGreek philosophy) andspirit(ࡓࡅࡄࡀruha;roughly equivalent to thepneumaor "breath" in Greek philosophy) from the Earth (Tibil) into a new merged entity in the World of Light called theʿuṣṭuna.Theʿuṣṭunacan then reunite with its heavenly, non-incarnate counterpart (or spiritual image), thedmuta,in theWorld of Light,where it will reside in the world of ideal counterparts (Mšunia Kušṭa).

Types

There are several different types of masiqtas depending on the cause or timing of the death.AdamandShitil(Seth) both have masiqtas named after them.

Themasiqta of Shitil(described inThe Thousand and Twelve Questions) is performed for certain unclean deaths, such as:

• priests who die without theirmyrtlewreaths (klila) or otherwise improperly clad
• women who die on or after the 7th day after childbirth
• people dying during the 36 hours of seclusion onNew Year's Eve(Kanshiy u-Zahly)

Themasiqta of Adamis performed for people who have died on one of thembaṭṭaldays, such as onDehwa Rabba(New Year's Day).The masiqta of Adam and the masiqta of Shitil are both performed together for people dying in one place but are being buried in another.

TheṬabahata Masiqta,or the "masiqta of the Parents", is held only once a year during theParwanayaintercalaryfestival. Priests recite dozens of prayers, prepare 72faṭiras(small, round, saltless, half-baked biscuits for ritual use) symbolizing ancestors, and also sacrifice a white dove, calledBa,which symbolizes the spirit. TheŠarḥ ḏ-Ṭabahata( "The Scroll of Ṭabahata," or "TheScroll of the Ancestors") describes aspects of this masiqta. According toThe Thousand and Twelve Questions,this masiqta cannot be held at any other time other than during the Parwanaya.It is celebrated in the names of a man and a woman, and is linked with the celebration ofDukrana lhdaia rba zadiqa.

Other masiqtas are listed below.

• TheBukrais the first masiqta performed by a priest after ordination (i.e., newly consecratedganzibra).
• Themasiqta of Zihrun Raza Kasiais performed for people who have died during one of the minormbaṭṭaldays (inauspicious days during which all rituals are forbidden), etc. TheŠarḥ ḏ-Zihrun Raza Kasia( "The [Masiqta] of Zihrun, the Hidden Mystery" ) is a Mandaean religious text that describes the ritual and prayer sequence for this masiqta, as well as for theMasbuta of Zihrun Raza Kasia.This masiqta is also described inThe Thousand and Twelve Questions,which also describes the "masiqta of the dukrania."
• Themasiqta of Samandriʿil:is performed for people who have died from burns, trees falls, or drowning. (Samandriʿil is the name of anuthra.)
• Themasiqta of Kanatis performed for women who died during pregnancy. (Kanat, also known as Kanat Niṭufta in theAsiet Malkia,is the name of an uthra.)
• Themasiqta of Hai-Šūmis performed for people who have died fromsnakebites.(Hai-Šūm is the name of anuthra.)

There are also other masiqtas for bridegrooms who have died during wedding ceremonies, and for moving the remains of a dead person.

Ritual objects

Ritual objects used in masiqtas includeteriani(plates made from mud and reed).

See also

• Masbuta
• Requiem
• Prayer for the dead
• Valentinianism § Death
• Bariah
• Qeej,used to guide departed souls in Hmong rituals
• Balafon,used to guide departed souls in African rituals

Further reading

• Al-Sabtī, Rāfid ʿAbd Allāh Naǧm(2004).Masiqt̲ā: al-suʻūd wa-al-irtiqāʼ(in Arabic). Nijmegen.ISBN978-90-90-18165-3.OCLC319811837.{{cite book}}:CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

External links

• Tamasha (Cleansing) and Masiqtaperformed at the 2014Parwanayafestival at theNepean Riverin Australia
• Sydney 2014 Masiqta 04: Doves to be sacrificed during Masiqta representing the liberation of the soul