Concept

Arzhang

Résumé
The Arzhang ( ارژنگ/; Eikōn; dw bwngʾhyg [dō bunɣāhīg], meaning "Worthy"), also known as the Book of Pictures, was one of the holy books of Manichaeism. It was written and illustrated by its prophet, Mani, in Syriac, with later reproductions written in Sogdian. It was unique as a sacred text in that it contained numerous pictures designed to portray Manichaean cosmogony, which were regarded as integral to the text. The original Arzhang illustrated by Mani has been lost and its exact content is unknown. However, it is known that its illustrations were of appreciable quality, and copies were preserved in the Middle East as late as 1092 AD, when it is recorded that the library of Ghazni held a copy. Since the discovery of Manichaean artwork during the German Turfan expeditions, scholars began piecing together the style of the Arzhang and reassessed the influence of Manichaean art in general. One of Mani's primary beliefs was that the arts (namely painting, calligraphy, and music) were of the same esteem as the divine spirit (Middle Persian: Mihryazd), believing that the creation of art was comparable to god's creation of living forms, and therefore the experience of art was more of a divine act than any other in the material world. Throughout the 1400-year history of Manichaeism, didactic books of paintings were used to illustrate the religion's teachings and beliefs. From the beginning, the prophet Mani envisioned his religion (which included the teachings of Zarathustra, Buddha, and Christ) as a universal and therefore "transcultural" entity, leading to its vast spread from Europe to Asia. The Manichaean mission employed multifaceted means of communication (including oral, textual, and pictorial) so the beliefs may adapt to the variety of cultures it entered. These picture books covered the primary themes of Manichaeism, such as its dualism of light and darkness, maps of a religious universe, the process of human salvation, as well as various Manichaean prophets and deities, and were considered principal pieces of the Manichaean canon.
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Concepts associés (2)
Écritures manichéennes
Les écritures manichéennes comprennent neuf livres principaux : les sept traités de manichéisme, tous écrits personnellement par Mani en syriaque, le Shabuhragan écrit par Mani en moyen-perse, et l'Arzhang, une série d'illustrations peintes par Mani. Sept traités du manichéisme, parfois aussi appelés l'Heptateuque manichéen, sont sept écritures écrites personnellement par le fondateur du manichéisme, Mani, et sont les écritures du manichéisme. Reconnaissant les lacunes des religions qui l'ont précédé, Mani était déterminé à créer une religion mondiale et unifiée.
Manichéisme (religion)
right|thumb|Prêtres manichéistes écrivant sur leur bureau, avec une écriture en sogdien (manuscrit de Qocho, bassin du Tarim). Le manichéisme est une religion fondée par Mani au . C'est un syncrétisme du judaïsme, du bouddhisme, du brahmanisme et du christianisme, mais pas du zoroastrisme qui était la religion officielle de l'empire perse où le manichéisme est apparu. Il a pour fondement une séparation du monde entre royaume de la Lumière et royaume des Ténèbres.