Parthian Hymns Dedicated to the Narisah Yazad in Western Middle Iranian Manuscripts in Sogdian Script from the Turfan Collection

This article examines and analyzes four Parthian Pahlavi fragments from the Turfan collection, dedicated to the worship of the Narisaf Yazad. The study begins with a detailed and comprehensive description of the codicological features of the manuscripts, including their physical dimensions, leaf structure, preservation status, the material and quality of the writing surfaces, and script characteristics. It then provides transliteration, transcription, grammatical analysis, and translation of the texts to clarify their linguistic, orthographic, and syntactic aspects. A content analysis also highlights Narisaf’s position within the Manichaean cosmic and religious system, the concepts associated with ritual practices, and the role of short hymns in ceremonial and religious traditions. The findings indicate that these hymns, besides their religious and historical significance, reflect the linguistic, orthographic, and codicological characteristics of Parthian Pahlavi Manichaean texts. Through meticulous reading, translation, and documented analysis, the article offers a comprehensive, clear, and up-to-date picture of the linguistic, content-related, orthographic, and codicological dimensions of the Parthian Manichaean hymns in Turfan.