Taga (Mandaeism)

Several tagas can be seen on the right in this 2008 photograph of a tarmida initiation ceremony in Baghdad.

In Mandaeism, the taga (Classical Mandaic: ࡕࡀࡂࡀ; sometimes also spelled taqa ࡕࡀࡒࡀ) is a white crown traditionally made of silk that is used during Mandaean religious rituals. The taga is a white crown which always takes on masculine symbolism, while the klila (myrtle wreath) is a feminine symbol that complements the taga.[1][2]

Use in rituals

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Along with the klila, the taga is used during most Mandaean rituals, including masbuta, masiqta, and priest initiation rituals.[3]

In the Qulasta

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Several prayers in the Qulasta are recited when consecrating and putting on the taga.[4]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.
  2. ^ Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (1989). "Why Once Is Not Enough: Mandaean Baptism (Maṣbuta) as an Example of a Repeated Ritual". History of Religions. 29 (1). University of Chicago Press: 23–34. doi:10.1086/463169. ISSN 0018-2710. JSTOR 1062837. S2CID 161224842.
  3. ^ Drower, Ethel Stefana (1937). The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Oxford at the Clarendon Press.
  4. ^ Drower, E. S. (1959). The Canonical Prayerbook of the Mandaeans. Leiden: E. J. Brill.