Paper for Issue

ACCOUNTS REGARDING HISTORICAL EVENTS EXPOSED IN THE HAGIOGRAPHY OF ST. QAWƎSṬOS

Abstract

Apart from the life history and spiritual combats of saints, hagiographies deal with various historical occurrences that happened during the lifetime of the saints to whom they are dedicated. In some cases, incidents that took place before the rise of the saints are narrated in the hagiographies as standing points of the stories happened during their lifetime. The Hagiography of St. Qawǝsṭos is one of the oldest hagiographical manuscripts which are rich in cultural and historical accounts. It is composed by Abuna Mabāʻa Ṣǝyon who was the disciple of the saint in the 14th century. As a direct witness, the composer wrote the saint’s spiritual struggle and achievements sincerely and unambiguously. He has carefully mentioned the places where the incidents that had relation with the saint took place. The flow of the historical narratives covers the period between 970 BC to 15th CE, from Jerusalem to Kafā and ‘Ǝnsāro of Ethiopia. One of its peculiarities is that some of the historical accounts are not found written in other relevant sources. It also provides extent information with regard the known historical narrations such as the arrival of Ark of the Covenant in Ethiopia. The aim of this narrative article is to concisely demonstrate such historical narratives described in the hagiography. It consists of four sections and eight sub-sections which contain various selected issues. The first section is an introduction which gives an impression of the significance of hagiographies. The second and third sections deal with the tradition of the hagiography and the historical events described in it. The fourth section is a conclusion that delivers a short and kind recommendation.

NOTES ON LANGUAGE CHANGE IN AMHARIC

Abstract

This paper describes the rapidly changing phonological, morphological and lexical features in Amharic. The qualitative data collected from spoken and written sources suggest that Amharic sounds are being articulated differently. There is a tendency to articulate ejectives as non-ejectives and the flap as approximant. Shortening of syllables is frequent. There is a widespread replacement of /h/ by /k/ particularly in the 2MS agreement marking. In morphology, the locative marker ጋ /ga/ is being replaced with the accompaniment marker ጋር /gar/. The 2nd person respect form is being replaced by the 2nd person plural form. There is a tendency to replace the 1SG marker /-hu/ by /-w/ in verbs. Double case marking has become common. The use of incompatible tenses in written and spoken Amharic has become normal. Quite a large number of words are added into Amharic through derivation, compounding and semantic extension. Loan translation from English has brought a number of new words and expressions into Amharic. The extended greeting system is being reduced to ሰላም /sälam/ 'peace' or ሰላም ነው? /sälam n-äw/ 'Is it peaceful?'. There is a widespread use of ፒስ ነው? /pis näw/ lit. 'Is it peace?' combining English and Amharic. All the changes witnessed are either internally or externally motivated. The ongoing rapid change in the grammar and the lexicon are attributed to language contact, technological innovations and the change of the political landscape of the country since 1991. The young generation of speakers who enjoy ease of articulation and morphological economization in their interest to be viewed modern are the main actors. Quite a significant number of speakers believe that the language is developing, but at the same time worry, that it is suffering from unspeakable linguistic turbulence.

HISTORIC AYTEYEFE HALL: AN IMPOSING ARCHITECTURAL PIECE IN DESSIE, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

The study examines how and why Ras (later Negus) Mikael moved to and permanently settled at Jemmie hill (later renamed Ayteyefe) and built his palace complex including the gibir or banquet hall, known popularly as Ayteyefe Addarash (Ayteyefe hall). The construction of the hall was a milestone for the emergence and development of Dessie as a regional capital of Negus Mikael, which subsequently became the administrative center of the whole of Wallo. By closely examining the available written and oral sources, an attempt is made to fathom why, how and when Mikael managed to build this unusually huge structure at the majestic hill of Ayteyefe. Valuable historical lessons can be drawn by looking at how Negus Mikael mobilized the workforce, both foreign and local, and succeeded in realizing his dream of having one of the historically largest banquet halls in the country. Ayteyefe has been mentioned in the literature haphazardly, and this article endeavors to provide a full historical portrait that it deserves. The study also attempts to draw attention to a better appreciation and conservation of this little-known architectural piece.

THE ART OF BOOK-MAKING TRADITION IN ETHIOPIAN CHURCHES AND MONASTERIES: HISTORY AND PRACTICE IN MAHDERE MARYAM, SOUTH GONDAR

Abstract

The art of writing in Ethiopia has been a long tradition since the beginning of the first millennium BCE. The use of parchment as a medium of writing could be dated back to 7th C AD and continued actively until 19th C AD. Nowadays, writing on parchment is practiced only by few church fathers in few places. The objective of this article is to show the historical development of book-making and its change and continuity among the past and current practices in Ethiopian churches and monasteries. Data were collected through detailed survey in book-maker’s workshop, observation, interview and secondary data analysis. As the data shows, books in Mahdere Maryam are being produced in codex and scroll forms. Parchment, ink and ink pen are used in the production of a book in the form of manuscript. The parchment is processed from skin using different materials through various stages. Similarly, inks are produced from vegetable substances through traditional techniques. Ink pen also prepared from bamboo, reed and hen’s feather. While writing the books, the book-makers use one to four columns depending upon the nature and size of the book copying or writing. After they wrote the book in a selected column, the next step is binding the book by using thin wood and ox skin as a cover. As a part of binding they use different materials to decorate the cover of the book. The use of those materials to incise the cover to make decoration is not diversified as it was in the past. Finally, the tradition of book-making and its related knowledge has lost its importance and partially reliable among few Ethiopian churches and monasteries.

TRADITIONAL ETHIOPIAN TERGWAME ON 1 ENOCH: A GE’EZ COMMENTARY ON THE ANIMAL APOCALYPSE

Abstract

Western commentary on 1 Enoch is almost as old as the arrival in Europe of its first Ge'ez manuscripts. The pioneering works of Dillmann and Charles relied on these few manuscripts as well as the scattered fragments of 1 Enoch in Latin and Greek. With the publication of the recently discovered Qumran Aramaic and Chester Beatty Greek fragments, various scholars have continued to shed more light on the difficult passages of 1 Enoch. However, Ethiopian sources for the study of 1 Enoch still remain largely untapped. Indeed, most studies have been content to resort to the Ge'ez text solely to reconstruct from it the Aramaic original.1 The existence of an extensive Ethiopian commentary tradition and its potential for elucidating 1 Enoch has, for the most part, been sadly overlooked.2 The Andemta3 commentary, which is the oral commentary tradition taught in major Ethiopian exegesis schools, took its current shape around the eighteenth century. This exegetical tradition employs various biblical, patristic and local sources to give verse by verse commentary of the Ge'ez text in the vernacular Amharic. Even though western scholars have long known the existence of Andemta commentary manuscripts on 1 Enoch, this commentary tradition has yet to be published and adequately studied.4 Moreover, earlier traditional Ethiopian commentaries on 1 Enoch have been attested as far back as the fifteenth century. At the present stage of knowledge, it is difficult to assess the full extent of these early Ge'ez commentaries (Tergwame5). In his pioneering synopsis of Ethiopian biblical exegesis, Roger Cowley listed three Tergwame manuscripts on 1 Enoch then known to exist.6 We can now add to the list at least two more Tergwame texts.7 Even with these few manuscripts, we appear to possess early Ge'ez Tergwame commentary for all five books of 1 Enoch8—lending support to the possibility that an extensive Tergwame commentary on Enoch might have once existed. This article presents a Ge'ez Tergwame text on 1 Enoch as found in a seventeenth century manuscript.9 This manuscript contains fragments of four Tergwame commentaries. The first commentary text deals with the Animal Apocalypse (1 Enoch: 85-90),10 whereas the second fragment comments on scattered references to the "Righteous and the Wicked" in the Book of Watchers (1 Enoch: 1-36)11. The third text is a commentary on the Book of Parables (1 Enoch: 37-71),12 and the last text expounds the "Secrets" found scattered in 1 Enoch.13 Only the first Tergwame text on the Animal Apocalypse will be presented in this article.

LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY AND NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: A POSITION PAPER

Abstract

Ecological and social resources which are accumulated in and transmitted through indigenous languages and cultures are important pillar in the national development scenario if they are properly mobilized. This presupposes the complementary nature of correlation between national development and linguistic diversity. However, this correlation has not caught adequate attention to the level that it deserves. Besides, linguistic heterogeneity is perceived to impede economic advancement and political stability. The concern of this position paper is, therefore, to critically discuss if linguistic and cultural diversity contributes to, or rather hold back national welfare, and take position. To organize this paper, data were gathered from relevant secondary sources which argue both in favour of and against the role of linguistic and cultural pluralism for the welfare of a nation, critically reviewed, and systematically discussed and argued based on the evidences and justifications provided. The relevance and authenticity of the sources in relation to the issue under consideration was carefully examined. From the discussion, it was concluded that language is a historical heritage and is an intimate means of expressing one’s deepest thoughts and personality, and signifies identity and inalienable human rights. It is also the means of accessing knowledge, ideas and beliefs of the past that are bases for societal development of today. Furthermore, multilingualism by itself is not the cause for economic and political instability in a society; rather, these problems attribute to other social factors and political power inequalities between different groups. Therefore, so as not to disregard these resources and exclude large number of population from the national development agenda, linguistic diversity needs to be preserved and promoted.