Creation story of Mani (1)

Text
Theodore bar Konai, Liber Scholiorum, 311ff.:
The Messenger then revealed his male and female forms and became visible to all the archons, the sons of Darkness, both male and female. At the appearance of the Messenger, who was beautiful in his forms, all of the archons became excited with desire, the males for the female image and the females for the male image. They began to eject as a result of their desire the light which they had consumed from the five luminous deities. Then the sin that was in them devised a plan. It mixed himself with the light that came forth from the archons like hair in bread-dough, and sought to enter within (the emitted light). Then the Messenger concealed his forms, and separated the light of the five luminous deities from the sin that was with them, and it (the sin) fell back upon the archons from whom it had issued, but they did not receive it back, just like a man who feels loathing for his own vomit. It (= the sin) thereupon fell upon the earth, half of it upon moist ground and half of it upon dry. (The half which fell upon moist ground) became an odious beast in the likeness of the King of Darkness, and the Adamos of Light was sent against her and he did battle with her and defeated her, and turned her over upon her back, and struck her with a spear in her heart, and thrust his shield over her mouth, and set one of his feet upon her thighs and the other upon her breast. That (half) which fell upon dry ground sprouted up into five trees.

Source (list of abbreviations)
Theodore bar Konai, Liber Scholiorum, 311ff.

Bibliography

Amar Annus

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