During the priest initiation ceremony, the shkinta is constructed to the north of the andiruna. It symbolizes the World of Light and it covered by a white cloth roof. In contrast, the andiruna has a blue cloth roof to symbolize the color of Ruha. Together, the two adjacent huts symbolize complementary masculine and feminine elements.[2]
The škinta (cognate with the Hebrew word shekhinah; from the Semitic rootš-k-n, associated with dwellings) symbolizes the "male" side, and is associated with the World of Light, priests, the right side, gold, and the taga (crown).[2]
In contrast, the andiruna symbolizes the "female" side, and is associated with the earth (Tibil), laypeople, the left side, silver, and the klila (myrtle wreath).[2] Similarly, in a traditional Persian house, the women's quarters are known as andirūn.[1]
^ abDrower, E. S. 1937. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran. Leiden: Brill (1962 reprint).
^ abcBuckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN0-19-515385-5. OCLC65198443.
^"Sh-ken-ta". Casula Powerhouse Arts Centre. 2003-01-01. Retrieved 2023-08-26.
A reed house in the marshes of Basra Province, southern Iraq in 1978. The shkinta is based on such reed structures.
Miniature model of a shkinta displayed at the Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Miniature model of a shkinta displayed at the Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
Miniature model of a shkinta displayed at the Ganzibra Dakhil Mandi in Liverpool, New South Wales, Australia
