Anana (Mandaeism)

In Mandaeism, an anana (Classical Mandaic: ࡀࡍࡀࡍࡀ, lit. 'cloud') is a heavenly cloud in the World of Light that is considered to be the dwelling place of uthras.^[1] An anana can also be interpreted as a female consort.^[2]

The Mandaic term anana was also frequently used to refer to women in the Mandaean community.^[3]

Names of ananas

Right Ginza Book 17, Chapter 1 lists the names of several ananas and their uthras, many of which are gufnas (personified grapevines).^{[2]: 455–456}

Anana(s)	Uthra(s)	Notes
Nhur-Hiia-Anana	Mara ḏ-Rabuta	lit. 'Cloud of the Light of Life"'
Kimṣat-Anana	little Pirun	lit. 'Kimṣat Cloud'
Ptula ("the Virgin")	Hibil
Šahrat-ʿbdat-u-Kišrat	Great Mighty Mana and Niṭufta
Yasmus	Šarat, the great hidden first gupna
Sidar-Kasia	Yura	lit. 'Hidden Sidar'
Tatagmur	first-born son of Yušamin
Pihtat-u-Nihrat-u-Nipqat-mn-gu-mia (two clouds)	Nṣab and Anan-Nṣab	lit. 'Pihtat and Nihrat and Nipqat between the waters'
Barat and Ethrauribat	Sar and Sarwan
Nhar and Khar	Šilmai and Nidbai

In Right Ginza Book 3, Adakas Ziwa is paired with Anana ḏ-Nhura ("cloud of light").^[2]: 135

In the Asut Malkia, Bihrat Anana is mentioned as the name of an anana.^[4][5]

Niṭufta

Niṭufta is a similar concept in Mandaeism. In Qulasta prayers such as the Asut Malkia, the word niṭufta (spelled niṭupta ࡍࡉࡈࡅࡐࡕࡀ), which originally means 'drop' and has sometimes also been translated as 'cloud', is also often used as an appellation to refer to the consorts of uthras.^[6] It can also be interpreted as the semen or seed of the Father (Hayyi Rabbi), or a personified drop of "water of life".^[7]: 13 The Asut Malkia mentions Šarat and Kanat as names of individual niṭuftas.^[8]

Similarly, the Apocalypse of Adam (one of the Nag Hammadi texts) mentions droplets and clouds from heaven.^[9]

See also

• Shkinta
• Gufna
• Uthra

References

1. Gelbert, Carlos (2021). گینزا ربَّا = Ginza Rba (in Arabic). Edensor Park, NSW, Australia: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780648795407.
2. Gelbert, Carlos (2011). Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780958034630.
3. Gelbert, Carlos (2023). The Key to All the Mysteries of Ginza Rba. Sydney: Living Water Books. ISBN 9780648795414.
4. Drower, Ethel Stefana. 1937. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford At The Clarendon Press.
5. Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
6. Macúch, Rudolf (1965). Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. Berlin: De Gruyter.
7. Drower, E. S. (1960). The secret Adam: a study of Nasoraean gnosis. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
8. Al-Mubaraki, Majid Fandi; Mubaraki, Brian (2010). Qulasta - 'niania & Qabina / Mandaean Liturgical Prayer Book (Responses & Marriage). Vol. 2. Luddenham, New South Wales: Mandaean Research Centre. ISBN 9781876888152. (1999 edition: ISBN 0-9585704-4-X)
9. Meyer, Marvin (2007). The Nag Hammadi scriptures. New York: HarperOne. ISBN 978-0-06-162600-5. OCLC 124538398.