This research article attempts to uncover the literary activity in the 15th century Ethiopia. The general purpose of the study is surveying literary development in the period of Emperor Zara Yaqob, and specifically pays focus on the personal efforts and contributions of the King himself in the growth of literature in his reign. It also intends to endorse whether these texts qualify in literary features. Almost no researches are conducted on Zara Yaqob and his literary contribution, this fact is taken as inspirational point to do the study. Qualitative research method is applied, for the study is done on a text.
The Emperor has collected men of letter and scholars in the court yard and highly encouraged them to have a huge engagement in literary activities. These scholars, like Abba Giorgis of Gassecca, wrote numerous books which are religious but have great literary value and qualities. The King has written more than ten books; most of them have religious thematic preoccupation but also have secular subjects. These are: Matsehafä Berhan; Matsehafä Milad; Egziabher Nagsä; Sebhatä Fequr; Matsehafä Sellassie; Matsehafä Bahrey; Tä’aqebo Mestir; Tomarä Tesebe’it; Kehedatä Säytan; Darsanä Malaekt; Ra’eyä Ta’amer; Melke’a Gubae, and Mangadä Samay.
These texts are investigated out in content and literary value. In addition, he has produced hymns which are prepared in poetic form, and the lines are rhymed as rhymeisthemostfamiliarelementofpoetry; the hymns are constructed in end rhyme. In his hymns, figurative speeches especially simile and metaphor are well applied. The researcher has long realized potential value of the literary productions in the period of Zara Yaqob as source for the study of Ethiopian literature and history. The works are very important to study social, economic, historical, religious, and the political history of Ethiopia in addition to their literary values.
Table of Contents
Unit One
Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
1.2 Statement of the Problem
1.3 Objectives
1.3.1 General Objective
1.3.2 Specific Objectives
1.4 Significance
1.5 Methodology
1.5.1 Sources of data
1.5.2 Method of Analysis
Unit Two
Literature Review
2.1 Conceptual framework
2.1.1 Ethiopian Literature
2.2 Major Genres of Geez Literature
2.2.1 Hagiographies
2.2.2 Dersan(at)/ Homily
2.2.3 Mälke’a Mälkə’ or Mälkə’
2.2.4 Tä’ammər(ät)
2.2.5 Qəne
2.2.6 Other Theological Genres
2.2.7 Amharic Literature
2.3 Related Works
Chapter Three
The Contribution of King Zara Yaqob in Literature
3.1 Preliminary
3.1.1 Biographical Accounts
3.1.2 Zara Yaqob as a Religious Reformer
3.1.3 The Mariology of Zara Yaqob
3.1.4 Major Features in the Reign
3.2 The Development of Literature
3.2.1 The Golden Age
3.2.2 Prominent Figures and Works
3.2.3 Personal Endeavor for Literary Development
3.3 Literary Works of Zara Yaqob
3.3.1 Survey on the Works of Zara Yaqob
3.4 Merits of the Literatures
Chapter Four
Conclusion and Recommendations
4.1 Conclusion
4.2 Recommendations
Research Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this study is to explore the literary contribution of King Zara Yaqob to the development of Ethiopian literature, specifically examining his personal efforts as an author and patron during the 15th-century "Golden Age" of Ge'ez literature.
- The literary value and artistic features of the works attributed to King Zara Yaqob.
- The thematic preoccupations of the Emperor's writings, ranging from theology to social and historical commentary.
- The influence of King Zara Yaqob's religious reforms on the expansion of written Ethiopic literature.
- An analysis of the King's role in establishing a scriptorium and encouraging local literary production.
Excerpt from the Book
Mätshafä Birhan
The MätshafäBirhan is most reputable among the works of the Emperor. The book mostly covers theological affairs, though there are ample of historical, social and political references. Mätshafä Birhan which literally means ‘The Book of Light,’ is an exclusive source on political and social life in Ethiopia in the 15thC. It holds a wealth of new historical facts and social phenomena worth knowing. The Emperor’s tendency to observe Saturday as the Lord’s Day is reflected in the book. The Mästhafä Birhan is a large sized work written by Atse Zära Yaqob, which is composed to take action in the reorganization of the Ethiopian Church. The author of the book, Zara Yaqob, called his collection of treatises Mästhafä Birhan ‘Book of Light’, whose meaning is ‘Book of Christ’, for Christ is ‘Light’, because he guides Christians to the Orthodox faith’, as it is presented in the book and excerpted below. Here under is a description on how the book got this name:
ድር ሳ ን ዘ ይ ሰ መይ መጽ ሐ ፈ ብር ሃ ን ዘ ይትነ በብ በ ቀ ዳ ሚት ሰንበት ሰ መይ ና ሁ ለዝንቱ ድር ሳ ን መጽ ሐ ፈ ብር ሃ ን ዘ ይሜህ ር አ ምል ኮ ቶ ለ እ ግ ዚ አ ብሔር ብር ሃ ን … ድር ሳ ን ይ ሰ መይ መጽ ሐ ፈ ብር ሃ ን ዘ በ ት ር ጓ ሜሁ መጽ ሐፈ ክርስቶስ ብሂ ል ፡ ፡
Zara Yaqob made his book of 121 subjects that concern both church and state. The book is divided into 15 parts (dérsanat), with the last one for Passion Week subdivided into six for the six passion days: Monday to Saturday. The treatises are lessons as well as lesson-plans for Biblical and Apocryphal readings. Through this process, the Emperor was obviously attempting to bring uniformity of service to all the churches under his territory. The King has feared divisions in the Church, with a propagation of churches having their own liturgy. So does, he stress building a uniform system for the Church to be governed in. The relationship between and the unity of Church and State described abundantly clear in the MäshafäBirhan. In the work, the country is depicted as a theocracy ruled by a king elected by God from the royal family of the Orthodox Christian faith.
Summary of Chapters
Unit One: Provides an introduction to Ethiopia's rich literary history, setting the stage for the medieval period and outlining the research methodology used to study King Zara Yaqob’s contributions.
Unit Two: Surveys the conceptual framework and existing literature on Ge'ez literature, hagiographies, and the "Golden Age" of Ethiopian literary progress during the medieval period.
Chapter Three: Examines the biography of King Zara Yaqob, his role as a religious reformer, and provides an in-depth analysis of his personal literary works and contributions.
Chapter Four: Concludes the study by summarizing the King's impact on literature and offers recommendations for future research and accessibility of these medieval texts.
Keywords
King Zara Yaqob, Medieval Ethiopian Literature, Ge'ez, Hagiography, Homily, Hymn, Golden Age, Ethiopic, Religious Reform, Christian Manuscripts, Monastic Schools, Cultural Renaissance, Theological Prose, Biblical Scripture, Literary Patronage.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
The research explores the literary contributions of King Zara Yaqob to Ethiopian literature during the 15th century, analyzing his authorship, role as a patron, and influence on the religious and political landscape of the era.
What central themes are covered in the work?
Central themes include the development of the Ge'ez language, the significance of hagiographies, the "Golden Age" of Ethiopian literature, and the interaction between church reforms and literary production.
What is the core research question?
The study asks what the literary values, thematic preoccupations, and specific contributions of King Zara Yaqob were in the context of the development of Ethiopian literature.
Which scientific methodology is employed?
A qualitative, descriptive research method is applied, utilizing textual analysis of the King’s own writings and relevant historical manuscripts.
What does the main body of the work cover?
The main body covers the biographical background of Zara Yaqob, his religious reforms, a survey of his major literary works (such as Mätshafä Birhan), and an examination of the literary genres prevalent in his reign.
What defines the characterizing keywords of this work?
The keywords reflect the intersection of religious practice and literary scholarship, highlighting terms like "Golden Age", "Hagiography", and the King's specific book titles.
How does the work classify the authorship of the books attributed to Zara Yaqob?
The author argues, against some skeptics, that Zara Yaqob was indeed the primary author of the books attributed to him, citing his extensive monastic education and direct involvement in ecclesiastical matters.
What is the significance of the "Book of Light" (Mätshafä Birhan) in this context?
It is presented as the most reputable of the Emperor's works, serving as a comprehensive guide for church and state affairs, theological instruction, and the standardization of liturgical readings.
- Quote paper
- Dawit Girma (Author), 2019, King Zara Yaqob and the Development of Ethiopian Literature, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/498932
