Shelfmark

Fondo Orientale, Crypt Aet. 11

Owning institution

Biblioteca statale del Monumento nazionale di Grottaferrata

Typology

Scroll

Copying date

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

Title

Protective prayers against diseases

Subject

Prayers, Healing

Language

Gǝʿǝz

Short description of the content

1) Ṣälot bäʾǝntä ʿäynä Barya wä-Šotälay (“Prayer against the [evil] eye of the Barya and Šotälay”)

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ጸሎት፡ በእንተ፡ ዓይነ፡ ባርያ፡ ወሾተላይ፡ ወዓይነ፡ ሰብእ፡ ቀዳሚሁ፡ ቃል፡ ውእቱ፡ ወቃል፡ ወውእቱ፡ ቃል፡ ኀበ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ፡ ወእግዚአብሔር፡ ውእቱ፡ ቃል፡

2) Ṣälot zä-qəddus Susnəyos bäʾǝntä asässǝlo däwe ǝm-ḥǝḍanat (Prayer of St Susnəyos for removing diseases from suckling infants)

Incipit: በስመ፡ … ጸሎት፡ በእንተ፡ ዓይነ፡ ሾተላይ፡ ወዓይነ፡ ሰብእ፡ በስመ፡ እግዚአብሔር፡ ሕያው፡ ነባቢ፡ ወተናጋሪ፡ ጸሎቱ፡ ለቅዱስ፡ ሱስንዮስ፡ በእንተ፡ አሰስሎ፡ ደዌ፡ እምሕፃናት፡

3) Ṣälot bäʾǝntä ḥǝmamä ʿäynät Barya wä-Legewon (“Prayer against the suffering [caused] by the [evil] eye, the Barya, and the Legewon”)

Incipit: በስመ፡ አብ፡ … ጸሎት፡ በእንተ፡ ሕማመ፡ ዓይነት፡ ባርያ፡ ወሌጌዎን፡ ወአየረ፡ አጋንንት፡ ወጥቁር፡ ወአንደረቢ፡ ወርኩስ፡ ዘይሰልብ፡ ልበ፡ ሰብእ፡ ወያጸልም፡ አዕይንተ፡ ወይመጽእ፡ ከመ፡ ጽላሎት፡

Writing material

Parchment of unspecified animal type

Outer size

1736 x 85 mm (633 + 569 + 534)

Number of strips

3

Sewing

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

Leather case

The scroll is stored inside a painted wooden case.

Layout

1 column

Ruling

–

Ruling pattern

–

Scribe

Unknown

Colophon

–

Additional notes

–

Decoration

On the first strip, at the top of text 1: nine squares between two geometric bands; the squares contain an eight-pointed star, a human face, and four stylized eyes.

On the second strip: an angel with red and black wings.

On the third strip, at the end of text 3: a cross with arms of the same size.

State of preservation

Discrete.

Provenance and history

Unknown provenance.

The manuscript belonged to a certain, Wälättä Mikaʾel, probably the original owner of the scroll since her name is written in the main hand at the end of the single texts. Another name, that of a certain Täsfa Mikaʾel (possibly a later owner), has been added interlineally.

It is not known when the manuscript entered the abbey library, presumably before 1908, year of death of Father Rocchi. The scroll is mentioned in Zanutto S., 1932, Bibliografia etiopica, in continuazione alla «Bibliografia etiopica» di G. Fumagalli, II: Manoscritti etiopici, p. 80 (nr. 153).