Map

word

Blessing

Words · Rituals · Beliefs & concepts

Speech that confers favor or protection. Priestly blessings and casual well-wishing are not identical acts.

Vedic tradition

Islam

  • Blessing appears in Islam.

    The Qur’an names baraka and blessing-speech upon places, times, and what God sends down. Islamic blessing in that revelation, not Rigvedic hymn-blessing already walked and not a luck slogan.

    from M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (translation) · The Qur’an, 2004 (this translation); Arabic text 7th century CE

    appears in · sourced · documented

Buddhist traditions

  • Blessing appears in Buddhist traditions.

    Watson’s Lotus Sūtra lists blessings that come to those who hear, keep, and expound this sūtra. Named blessing speech in that sūtra, not Rigveda hymn-blessing alone and not casual well-wishing.

    from Burton Watson (translation) · The Lotus Sutra, 1993 (this translation); Sanskrit/Chinese recensions much older

    appears in · sourced · documented

Chinese tradition

Roman religion

  • Blessing appears in Roman religion.

    Virgil’s Aeneid seats spoken blessings and favorable numen—parental blessings, priestly favor, and gods’ prospering speech. Blessing as word-act in that epic, not Vedic/Islamic/Buddhist blessing walks restated.

    from Virgil · Aeneid, 19 BCE (unfinished at the poet’s death)

    appears in · sourced · documented

Egyptian religion

  • Blessing appears in Egyptian religion.

    The Book of the Dead gives the justified beneficent spell speech — offerings accepted, name enduring, enemies bound — named blessing force beside curse keep-apart, not a Vedic blessing dump and not prayer alone.

    from Raymond O. Faulkner (translation) · Book of the Dead, New Kingdom spells; Faulkner trans. 1972

    appears in · sourced · culturally specific

  • Blessing is associated with Curse.

    In the Jewish Encyclopedia, God’s retributive justice deals blessings to the observer of the law and sorrows or curses to the transgressor — blessing and curse are that paired outcome frame.

    from Isidore Singer et al. · The Jewish Encyclopedia, 1901–1906

    associated with · sourced · documented

  • Heaven is associated with Blessing.

    In Theophilus’s Divers Arts, a figure is cut as if descending from heaven and blessing, with letters between two circles on the chalice work — heaven sheds that blessing.

    from Theophilus Presbyter · On Divers Arts, c. early 12th century

    associated with · sourced · documented

sources

  • The Rigveda · Stephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton (translation)

    Stephanie W. Jamison and Joel P. Brereton, The Rigveda: The Earliest Religious Poetry of India.

  • The Qur’an · M.A.S. Abdel Haleem (translation)

    M.A.S. Abdel Haleem, The Qur’an (Oxford).

  • The Lotus Sutra · Burton Watson (translation)

    Burton Watson, The Lotus Sutra.

  • I Ching (Yijing) · Richard Wilhelm / Cary F. Baynes (translation)

    The I Ching or Book of Changes, trans. Richard Wilhelm, English Cary F. Baynes.

  • Aeneid · Virgil

    Virgil, Aeneid.

  • Book of the Dead · Raymond O. Faulkner (translation)

    Raymond O. Faulkner, The Ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.

  • The Jewish Encyclopedia · Isidore Singer et al.

    Isidore Singer et al., The Jewish Encyclopedia (1901–1906).

  • On Divers Arts · Theophilus Presbyter

    Theophilus, On Divers Arts (De diversis artibus / Schedula diversarum artium).