Shelfmark

SGI 251

Owning institution

Società Geografica Italiana, Rome

Typology

Scroll

Copying date

19^th–20^th century, dated on a paleographical basis.

Title

Asmat-prayers against demons

Subject

Prayers, Healing

Language

Gǝʿǝz

Short description of the content

1) Unidentified asmat-prayer (Gäfä gäfä ḥaṣin gärraṭ). The prayer contains supplications for undoing charms and to the Archangels Michael and Gabriel.

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ገፈ፡ ገፈ፡ ገፈ፡ ሐጺን፡ ገራጥ፡ አዐፎአኤር፡ እክኤል፡ አስተይናወር፡ መሎስ፡ ሰይእ[.]ት፡ በዝንቱ፡ ቡዳ፡ ወአልስሕ፡ ወሠ[.]፡ ሥራየ፡ ብእሲ፡ ወብእሲት፡ ሥራየ፡

2) Unidentified asmat-invocation for undoing charms (“Abunazǝr Sǝmunazǝr, dispel and disperse, remove and dissolve the charm of the man and the woman”).

Incipit: በስመ፡ … አቡናዝር፡ ስሙናዝር፡ ፍታሕ፡ ወዘርዝር፡ ሠዓር፡ ወመንዝር፡ ሥራየ፡ ብእሲ፡ ወብእሲት፡ ወአስማተ፡ ካህን፡ ዘተገብረ፡ በላዕለ፡ ገብርከ፡ ተክለ፡ ሰንበት፡ ፍሐዝር፡ ፍሐዝር፡ ፍሐዝር፡ በአማን፡

3) Ṣälot bäʾǝntä śǝray wä-kin (“Prayer against [any] incantation and stratagem”).

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ጸሎተ፡ በእንተ፡ ሥራይ፡ ወኪን፡ ፍታሔ፡ ተፈታሕ፡ ወተረኃው፡ ብሂሊ፡ (!) ከማሁ፡ ተፈታሕ፡ ኵሉ፡ ሥራይ፡ ወኪን፡ ወ[..]ዎን፡ ወባርያ፡

4) Unidentified asmat-invocation for undoing charms (“Sǝfaḫazǝr Sǝfaḫazǝr Sǝfaḫazǝr in truth Sǝfaḫazǝr dispel and disperse, remove and dissolve any charm”).

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ስፉኃዝር፡ ስፉኃዝር፡ ስፉኃዝር፡ በአማን፡ ስፉኃዝር፡ ፍታሕ፡ ወዘርዝር፡ ሰአር፡ ወመንዝር፡ ኵሉ፡ ሥራይ፡ እምላዕለ፡ ገብርከ፡ ተክለ፡ ሰንበት፡

5) Ṣälotä fǝtḥatä śǝrayä aganǝnt (“Prayer for undoing the charms of the demons”).

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ጸሎተ፡ ፍትሐተ፡ ሥራይ፡ (!) አጋንንት፡ ሥራይ፡ ኵሎሙ፡ መናፍስተ፡ ርኩሳን፡ ሥራዮ፡ ሙለመሰርያን፡ ዮፍታሔ፡ ዮፍታሔ፡ ዮፍታሔ፡ ፍትሐተ፡ ሥራይ፡ ቅርጥናኤል፡ ቅርጥናኤል፡ ክፍትናኤል፡

Writing material

Goat parchment

Outer size

1370 x 58 mm

Number of strips

3

Sewing

The strips are joined together by means of small parchment strips.

Layout

1 column

Scribe

Unknown

Colophon

–

Additional notes

–

Decoration

On the first strip: a stylized cross drawn in black ink on the top of the text 1.

Two human figures in black and red ink, dressed in garments decorated with zig-zag lines.

On the second strip: a cross in black and red ink, decorated with curled arms. The cross is surrounded by the following caption, containing a praise to the Cross and a supplication for the owner: መስቀል፡ መስቀል፡ መዋኤ፡ ጸር፡ መስቀል፡ መግረሬ፡ ጸር፡ መስቀል፡ [.]ሣቴ፡ ጸር፡ መስቀል፡ ቅጥቃጤ፡ ጸር፡ መስቀል፡ መልእልተ፡ ኵሉ፡ ነገር፡ አድኅኖ፡ እምአይነ፡ ጸላኢ፡ ወጸር፡ ለገብርከ፡

State of preservation

Discrete.

Provenance and history

Unknown provenance. The manuscript came into possession of the Società Geografica d’Italia at some time before the 1930s, because it is mentioned in Silvio Zanutto’s Bibliografia etiopica (1932).