Ethio-SPaRe Research Trip 9 (March 2015)
Field Research, Conservation and Instruction mission 9:
March 2015
Districts of activity:Western Tigray Zone, wäräda Wälqayt; Eastern Tigray Zone, wäräda Adwa
Churches and monasteries visited: May Gaba Qeddus Mika'el gädam; May Hargäs Giyorgis gädam
Mission report: read online or download PDF file.
Public Report
Introduction
The final field mission of the Ethio-Spare project took place on 13.-29.03.2015. This time, the trip was undertaken in cooperation with the University of Mekele, Department of History and Cultural Studies, which had enquired, earlier in the year, for collaboration in the task of urgent study of Mäzäga. This is a wäräda of West Tigray (previously out of the project’s research scope) where many areas will be submerged or affected in various ways, after a while, by the unfolding development projects[1]. The first studies of the area were conducted as early as 2008 and resulted in some discoveries; on 22 June - 1 July 2012, the specialists from Mekele University conducted further archaeological survey of the area[2], identifying more historical sites of importance. In the course of the discussions about current a future research opportunities which took place on the final conference of Ethio-SPaRe (July 2014), an idea was raised to make a survey of manuscripts in the ecclesiastic libraries of at least some of the main churches of the area, and it was realized in March 2015. The participants of the field mission (16.-25.03.2015) were the PI Dr Denis Nosnitsin and Magdalena Krzyzanowska from the side of Ethio-SPaRe project, and YohannesGebreselassie and YohannesAytenew from the side of Mekele University[3].
The areas which today are embraced by the West Tigray zone – wärädasKafta Humära, Ṣägäde, Wälqayt – are distant from the core of Tigray; they are climatically harsh, especially the lowland part, the lowland part of Wälqayt, also known as Mäzäga, which was to become the object of the joint research[4]. Even though, specifically the area Wälqayt – Mäzäga is known to play a role in the history of Ethiopia[5]. Formerly it was more heterogeneous then it is now in terms of languages and religions. In the 17th century it was, obviously, in the orbit of the Gondärine Kingdom; by the same period, the monastic culture of Waldǝbba became an influential factor in the life of region and the entire country. In the course of history, a number of churches and monasteries were established in both Highland Wälqayt and in Wälqayt-Mäzäga; to study and document their manuscript culture of the latter was set as the primary aim of the field research described below.
The research team made its base in May Gaba, the center of the ṭabiya-district called by the same name. In the next days, it made attempts to reach several churches in the surrounding area, which turned out to be very difficult due to the poor roads and the climate. A few church institutions refused access. Two of them, however, could be studied profoundly, May Ḥargäṣ Giyorgis and May GabaMikaˀel.
May Ḥargäs Giyorgis
May Ḥargäṣ (ˀƎnda) Giyorgis[6] is located in ṭabiya May Ḉäˁa, qušät called by the name of the church. May Ḥargäṣ Giyorgis is a monastic community and considered gädam. The round church hosts four tabots: St. George, St. Michael, ˀabunä ˀArägawi and St. Mary[7]. May Ḥargäṣ Giyorgis is located in the middle of climatically harsh, very hot area. The church of St. George is round, looking like plastered with concrete from the outside (fig. 1, fig. 2), but it was unfortunately not possible to see the inner part and check the presence of the murals on the sanctuary walls. The compound of the church and monastic settlement are hardly visible from the road since they stand below the level of the ground (fig. 3), but close to a gorge with a small river (May Ḉäˁa). The gorge is covered with thick vegetation (fig. 4); the local people say that it covers caves which were formerly used by hermits. The monastic compound is divided hosts dwelling for monks and nuns and there is a communal house (fig. 5, fig. 6).
The priests and monks could not refer to a foundation time of the monastery, but said that it was founded by “ˀabunä Minas hundred years ago”, which should be understood in such a way that May ḤargäṣGiyorgis is affiliated with the so-called Betä Minas[8], and was founded by its representatives.
The manuscript collection of the monastery turned out to be interesting[9]. Some books (both older and very recent) bear the short notice “Minas” or “zä-Minas”, or “zä-betä Minas”, indicating that they were indeed sent to May Ḥargäṣ Giyorgis from the Betä Minas – the Minas congregation of Waldǝbba. Apparently, there were no books older than late 16th/17th cent. The “Golden Gospel” is an interesting, heterogeneous book possibly dating to the 17th century: the first two Gospels (Matthew, Luke) are written by a very skilled scribe (fig. 7); a portion of John is written by a less skilled, but still very careful scribe (fig. 8); the rest is written by the first hand. The rubrication is carried out by those two hands respectively[10]. The numbers referring to the Canon Tables, punctuations signs, and meticulous text corrections[11] are carried out by a third hand, throughout the volume. The same hand inscribed also a short supplication of the person (donor or commissioner?) called Gäbrä Lǝˁul (fig. 9). The blank pages are covered with additional notes, mostly inventories (fig. 10).
Among the hagiographic manuscripts, the most interesting was a 17th century (?) codex containing the Vita of Kiros, Miracles of Gäbrä Mänfäs Qǝddus and (added later) mälkǝˀ-hymn for Kiros. The manuscript, of small size, is written in a peculiar broad and big script by the scribe called Zä-Mikaˀel, and commissioned by someone called ˀAfäKrǝstos (fig. 11).
A 19th century manuscript of Horologium (Mäṣḥafä säˁatat) contains interesting images: the church building (ˀAksumṢǝyon or another one?), a variation on the topic “Ephrem the Syrian meeting St. Mary” and four pictures of saints, among them such rare personages as Lätṣun and Ṗälamon[12] (fig. 12, fig. 13, fig. 14).
The Mäṣḥäfägǝbräḥemamat “Book of the Rite of the Holy Week”, written in the nice Gondärine (gwǝlḥ) script was produced, according to the colophon, in the 13th year of King Yoḥannǝs (most probably possibly Yoḥannǝs I, r. 1667-1682, then 1680?), commissioned by Zä-Giyorgis, and written by the scribe Matyas (though the colophon, with name of the commissioner, was added by a different scribe) (fig. 15, fig. 16). Underscoring the complexity of the library, from other additional notes in the book it follows that it was in the possession of another church, Kidanä Mǝḥrät of May Läbäṭa, another church in Waldǝbba.
May Gaba Mikaˀel
May Gaba Mikaˀel[13] is a big church located at the outskirts of the town of May Gaba. It is a monastic community with ca. 20 monks and 5 nuns. A traditional school is run at the monastery, offering teaching up to the level of liturgy (qǝddase). The church has only one tabot, that of St. Michael.
The history of this institution is peculiar since it was formerly located in another place, at the Bet Mulu Castle, which was the foundation of ˀAyanäˀƎgziˀ, the local governor in the first half of the 18th century. The church was moved from the hill of the castle down in 1953 by fitawrariYǝlma; in ca. 1971, the town of May Gaba was founded. Currently the town is quickly expanding; soon the monastery will stand in the urban area, the circumstance which will endanger the local ecclesiastic collection.
The current church is a recent building (fig. 17). However, the monks could not tell the name of the founder and an approximate foundation time. The head of May Gaba Mikaˀel only stated that the local community is closely connected with the Betä Minas of Waldǝbba.
The collection of May GabaMikaˀel has scores of interesting books, and shows a few typical for the monastic library[14]. As in the case before, there are some books marked with the sing of the “House of Minas” (Betä Minas). A sizable (25 quires) 17th century (?) manuscript of Täˀamrä Maryam “Miracles of Mary”, written in several hands, was donated, according to a note, by “communities of ˀAbräntant to KǝsadˀAga Maryam”; but the original commissioners were ˁAśratäṢǝyon, Mälkǝˁa Krǝstos and Märqorewos (fig. 18, fig. 19, fig. 20). Däbrä ˀAbräntant is one of the biggest Waldǝbba monasteries[15]. The library possesses a late 16th or 17th century Tǝrgwamemälˀǝktä Ṗawlos, Commentary of John Chrysostom on the Epistle of Paul to the Hebrews (with added glosses in commentaries in Gǝˁǝz) ( fig. 19) which occurs in monastic libraries of the upper level rather than in modest church libraries; a 17th-century (?) copy of ˀArägawi mänfäsawi “Spiritual Elder” and not very common ZenaˀAbäw, probably of the same age. A manuscript of Mäṣḥafä gǝnzät, Book of the funeral ritual, donated by ˁAśratäṢǝyon (the same as above?) and Wäldä Haymanot, datable to the 17th century at least, appears to be an exceptionally well preserved example of the service book ( fig. 20, fig. 21)[16] which is intensively used for the funeral service and do not survive over a long time.
Conclusion
The monastic libraries of the Waldǝbba churches and monasteries are reportedly extremely rich but have never been explored, and this area has been hardly accessible to the scholars. The field research produced clear indications that the manuscript culture of the area of study, adjacent to Waldǝbba, is richer than it was assumed. A lot of books which entered the collections of the churches, also of those recently founded, appears to have come from Waldǝbba or through the intermediation of Waldǝbba. It is important to start the systematic exploration and reconnaissance at least in the neighboring districts, which were also under the strong influence of Waldǝbba, to approach the latter in the future. It is equally important that the authorized institutions and scholars will start elaborating the strategy as to how this very specific cultural area can be recorded and protected, in view of the ongoing development projects and the overall deep changes taking place in the local physical and cultural landscape.
Quoted bibliography
EAE I–V = Uhlig, S. et al. (eds.), Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, Vol. I: A–C, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2003; Vol. II: D–Ha, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2005; Vol. III: He–N, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2007; Vol. IV: O–X, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010; Vol. V: Y-Z. Addenda. Corrigenda. Index, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2014.
Dore, G. – J.Mantel-Niecko – I. Taddia, Il quaderni del Wälqayt. Documenti per la storia sociale dell‘ Etiopia, Torino 2005.
Ellero, G., “Il Uolqait”, Rassegna di studi etiopici 7-1, 1948, pp. 89-112.
Hummel, S., “ˀAbba Lätṣun and a Treatise on Sabbath Observance”, in: D. Nosnitsin (ed.), Veneration of Saints in Christian Ethiopia. Proceedings of the International Workshop “Saints in Christian Ethiopia: Literary Sources and Veneration”, Hamburg, April 28-29, 2012, = Aethiopica Supplement 3 (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2015), pp. 67-93.
Kane, T.L. Tigrinya-English Dictionary, I–II, Springfield, VA: Dunwoody Press 2000.
Kindeneh Endeg Mihretie 2014. “Founded by, Dedicated to, and Fighting About the Holy Savior: Schism in Waldǝba, a Microcosm of Factionalism in the Ethiopian Church”, Northeast African Studies 14-1, 2014, 43-66.
Footnotes
[1] The so-called Welqayt Irrigation Project aimed at the large-scale sugar production.
[2] See the press-release of Mekele University “Rescue Project in Mezega and Surroundings, Western Tigray – Discoveries in Heritage and Culture, Improving the Livelihood” (accessed on 05.08.2015 at http://213.55.94.36/Old%20site%20backup/index.php/announcements/312-press-release-rescue-project-in-mezega-and-surroundings-western-tigray--discoveries-in-heritage-and-culture-improving-the-livelihood); a report was submitted to the French Center for Ethiopian Studies in Addis Abeba, which supported the research. Among the most important findings of the project was the systematic documentation of the Bet Mulu Castle site.
[3] I express my sincere thanks to Prof. Dr. WolberSmidt (Mekele University) whose help was decisive during the preparation of the trip.
[4]The area of Lowland Wälqayt – Mäzäga (sometimes called also MäzägaWälqayt) seems to have been mostly uncovered by the studies of G. Ellero, who dealt predominantly with the “Highland Wälqayt“ (its administrative center in ˁAddiRämäṣ, cp. Ellero 1948, Dore – Mantel-Niecko – Taddia 2005). Moreover, in his excellent anthropological studies, he paid only small attention to the manuscript materials preserved in the churches, concentrating on the oral traditions.
[5] The information from historical sources is summarized in EAE III, 891a-b-892b (it seems however that the historical Mäzäga does not fully coincide with today’s Lowland Wälqayt-Mäzäga); EAE IV, 1122a-1123a.
[6]Ḥargäṣ means “crocodile” in Tǝgrǝňňa (Kane 2000:198); the reason for such a name is not known.
[7] The main feasts are: 12 Ḫǝdar and 12 Säne for St. Michael, Ṭǝrr 18, Ḫǝdar 23 and Miyazya 23 for St. George, 14 Ṭǝqǝmt for ˀArägawi and 21 Ṭǝrr and 21 Säne for St. Mary.
[8] One of the two rivaling congregations of Waldǝbba (called after the 16th-century abbot Minas), the second one being BetäṬama (s. KindenehEndegMihretie 2014).
[9]Containing at least 20 varios older books, and at least 10-15 more recent.
[10]Including, for instance, the names Jesus and Christ.
[11] However, the division of the text to be used for the Canon Tables is carried out only for half of the book.
[12] Cp. Hummel 2015.
[13]Gaba means in a kind of thorny tree in Tǝgrǝñña (Kane 2000:2289, Zizyphusspinachristi).
[14] The library encompasses up to 15 historical books, and some 15 recent books.
[15]S. EAE II, 8a-9b.
[16] Noticeable are a rare ligature for the word halleluyyaሃሌ፡ሉያ፡, contracted into two signs ( fig. 21, col. Va, Ra), and the elegant frame for the readings’ indications in the upper margin (fig. 21).