Mani and the Whale: a Buddhist Motif in the Coptic Manichaica and the Construction of Mani as Universal Apostle
The present article examines a brief miraculous story concerning the life of Mani, the reputed founder of Manichaeism, and his encounter with a "whale" or "sea-monster" (κῆτος). The article proposes a new interpretation of the story, situating it within the structure of the homil...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2026
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| In: |
Vigiliae Christianae
Year: 2026, Volume: 80, Issue: 1, Pages: 1-23 |
| Further subjects: | B
Medinet Madi Homilies Codex
B Buddhism B Salmaios’ Lament B animal fables B Prophetology B Mâni (Turkish folk song) |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (kostenfrei) Volltext (kostenfrei) |
| Summary: | The present article examines a brief miraculous story concerning the life of Mani, the reputed founder of Manichaeism, and his encounter with a "whale" or "sea-monster" (κῆτος). The article proposes a new interpretation of the story, situating it within the structure of the homiletic text of which it is a part as well as the biographical traditions of Mani more generally. Furthermore, the article examines the broader cultural context of the story through its relations to ancient narratives concerning encounters between animals and sages. It argues that the closest parallels are to be found in Buddhist avadāna traditions, and that there are good reasons to think that the Manichaean story represents a variation of these tales. It thereby provides striking evidence for the early Manichaean community’s engagement with Buddhist literary traditions and signals the need to revisit the relationship between Manichaeism and India. |
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| ISSN: | 1570-0720 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Vigiliae Christianae
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15700720-bja10113 |