Talismanic Imagery in an Ethiopian Christian Manuscript Illuminated by the Night-Heron Master

Abstract

best protection against the challenges of life. But in a world threatened by demons, beasts, and everyday misfortune, sometimes words of prayer need amplification. A manuscript of the ˀÄrganonä Maryam (The Organ of Mary, አርጋኖነ፡ማርያም) (fig. 1) now at The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a rare example of an Ethiopian Orthodox Christian prayer book that combines religious words with talismanic imagery. The text is written in Gəˁəz (ግዕዝ), an AfroAsiatic Semitic language used in the Horn of Africa since at least the fifth century B.C. Also known as Ethiopic, Gəˁəz remains the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Täwah �ədo Christian Church. Different layers of religious protection intermingle in this book, blending the powers of word and image. Talismanic Imagery in an Ethiopian Christian Manuscript Illuminated by the NightHeron Master