Ethiopian literature dates from Ancient Ethiopian literature (around 300 AD) up until modern Ethiopian literature. Ancient Ethiopian literature starts with Axumite texts written in theGeʽez language using theGeʽez script, indigenous to bothEthiopia andEritrea.
There is linguistic evidence of Semitic languages being spoken in Ethiopia since 2000 BC.[1]
Ge'ez literature began with Christianity being declared the state religion around 340 AD byKing Ezana.[2] However, Christianity has existed since 100 AD in Ethiopia.[3]
The oldest known example of the old Ge'ez script is found on theHawulti obelisk inMatara, Eritrea. The oldest surviving Ge'ez manuscript is the 5th or 6th centuryGarima Gospels.
Almost all texts from this early "Aksumite" period are religious (Christian) in nature, translated from Greek. Up till the 4th century, Aksumite royal inscriptions are commonly in both Greek and Ge'ez; but from 350, the Aksumite kings increasingly employed only Ge'ez; and it is likely that the translation of the Bible was embarked on soon after, and was complete by the end of the 5th century. The Ethiopic Bible contains 81 Books; 46 of the Old Testament and 35 of the New. A number of these Books are called "deuterocanonical" (or "apocryphal" according to certain Western theologians), such as theAscension of Isaiah,Jubilees,Enoch, theParalipomena of Baruch,Noah,Ezra,Nehemiah,Maccabees, andTobit. TheBook of Enoch in particular is notable since its complete text has survived in no other language.
Also to this early period dates Qerellos, a collection of Christological writings beginning with the treatise ofSaint Cyril (known asHamanot Rete’et orDe Recta Fide). These works are the theological foundation of the Ethiopic Church. Another important religious document isSer'ata Paknemis, a translation of the monastic Rules ofPachomius. Secular works translated in this period includePhysiologus, a religious interpretation of natural history that is also very popular in Europe.
"The most common form of written history sponsored by the Solomonic royal court was the biography of contemporary rulers, who were often lauded by their biographers along with the Solomonic dynasty. The royal biographical genre was established during the reign ofAmda Seyon I (r. 1314–1344), whose biography not only recounted the diplomatic exchanges and military conflicts with the rival IslamicIfat Sultanate, but also depicted the Ethiopian ruler as theChristian savior of his nation.[4] The chronicle titled,The Glorious Victories of Amda Seyon, is far more detailed than any previous Ethiopian work of history and is regraded by historianRichard Pankhurst to be a "masterpiece in historical chronicling".[5] The origins of the dynastic history (tarika nagast) are perhaps found in the biographicalchronicle ofBaeda Maryam I (r. 1468–1478), which provides a narrative of his life and that of his children and was most likely written by thepreceptor of the royal court.[4] Teshale Tibebu asserts that Ethiopian court historians were "professional flatterers" of their ruling monarchs, akin to theirByzantine Greek andImperialChinese counterparts.[6] For instance, the anonymously written biography of the emperorGelawdewos (r. 1540–1549) speaks glowingly of the ruler, albeit in anelegiac tone, while attempting to place him and his deeds within a greater moral and historical context.[7]"
After the decline of the Aksumites, a lengthy gap follows; no works have survived that can be dated to the years of the 8th through 12th centuries. Only with the rise of theSolomonic dynasty around 1270 there is an evidence of authors committing their works to writings. Some writers consider the period beginning from the 14th century an actual "Golden Age" of Ge'ez literature—although by this time Ge'ez was no longer a living language. While there is ample evidence that it had been replaced by theAmharic language in the south and by theTigrigna andTigre languages in the north, Ge'ez remained in use as the official written language until the 19th century, its status comparable to that ofMedieval Latin in Europe.
The early 15th centuryFekkare Iyasus "The Explication of Jesus" contains a prophecy of a king calledTewodros, which rose to importance in 19th century Ethiopia asTewodros II chose this throne name.
Literature flourished especially during the reign of EmperorZara Yaqob. Written by the Emperor himself wereMats'hafe Berhan ("The Book of Light") andMats'hafe Milad ("The Book of Nativity"). Numerous homilies were written in this period, notablyRetu’a Haimanot ("True Orthodoxy") ascribed toJohn Chrysostom. Also of monumental importance was the appearance of the Ge'ez translation of theFetha Negest ("Laws of the Kings"), thought to have been made around 1450, and ascribed to one Petros Abda Sayd – that was later to function as the supreme Law for Ethiopia, until it was replaced by amodern Constitution in 1931.
Another significant medieval Ethiopian text isThe History of Alexander, believed to have been written around 1500. It narrates the life and conquests ofAlexander the Great, depicting him as a Christian warrior.[8]
By the beginning of the 16th century, the Islamic invasions put an end to the flourishing of Ethiopian literature. A letter of Abba 'Enbaqom (or "Habakkuk") to ImamAhmad Ibn Ibrahim, entitledAnqasa Amin ("Gate of the Faith"), giving his reasons for abandoning Islam, although probably first written in Arabic and later rewritten in an expanded Ge'ez version around 1532, is considered one of the classics of later Ge'ez literature.
During this period, Ethiopian writers begin to address differences between the Ethiopian and the Roman Catholic Church in such works as theConfession of EmperorGelawdewos,Sawana Nafs ("Refuge of the Soul"),Fekkare Malakot ("Exposition of the Godhead") andHaymanote Abaw ("Faith of the Fathers"). Around the year 1600, a number of works were translated from Arabic into Ge'ez for the first time, including theChronicle ofJohn of Nikiu and theUniversal History of Jirjis ibn al'Amid Abi'l-Wasir (also known asal-Makin).
Most Jewish manuscripts in Ethiopia seem to be heavily influenced by Biblical or Christian texts. Ethiopian Orthodox Christians also use many texts used by the Beta Israel but other rabbinic Jewish groups but not other Christian groups. Among the most famous Jewish manuscripts in Ethiopia is theEthiopic Apocalypse of Ezra.[9]
Most of Islamic literature of Ethiopia is center in the eastern lowland withHarar being the most important.
It is during this period thatAmharic started to emerge as a written language. One of the most important people of this era is Ethiopian priest and lexicographer,Abba Gorgoryos (1595–1658).[10] Gorgoryos along with his colleague and friendHiob Ludolf co-authored the earliest grammar book of theAmharic language and also an Amharic-Latin dictionary. Amharic became the first African language to be translated intoLatin.[11] Gorgoryos's other accomplishments include developing a Ge'ez lexicon, co-authoring encyclopedias for bothAmharic andGe'ez as well as contributing to Ludolf's bookAHistory of Ethiopia.
Another important figure in this era is the Ethiopian monkAbba Bahrey. Bahrey was both a historian and anethnographer who is best known for his 1593 workThe History of the Galla (Ge'ez: ዜናሁ ፡ ለጋላ,zēnāhū lagāllā). Written in Ge'ez, it told of the history of theOromo and their 16th-century migration into what is now central and western Ethiopia.[12] This work was significant because it is the only documentation of the Oromo people in the 16th century. Bahrey also authoredThe History of King Sarsa Dengel which chronicles the reign of EmperorSarsa Dengel.[13]
Perhaps the most famous literary contributor to this century is authorHaddis Alemayehu. His tragic novel,Love to the Grave (ፍቅር እስከ መቃብር;Fəqər əskä Mäqabər), is one of the most renowned books in modern Ethiopian literature, considered a modern masterpiece.[14]Baalu Girma'sOromay (1983) is also well-regarded.[15]
EmperorHaile Selassie wrote an autobiography,My Life and Ethiopia's Progress in 1973–74.
In 1240 AD, the structure of the church and the country was organized according toFetha Nagast.
