DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0066
50
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
ordered that his soldiers should not cut off the genitals of the conquered enemies, as was
usual among the Galla, and that they should not take prisoners in order to gain, after-
wards, great ransoms. The holy war, according to Firrisa, should not procure profane
trophies (v. 36).
Verses 37-40 allude to Sek Abderroman, native of Comma (see the introduction to this
song). He established in Guma and in the conquered lands many zawaya of the Tariqah
Mirganiyyah. (It is known that the Arabs called zawiyyah, pl. zawaya, the single seats of the
Moslem congregations. The congregations are called in Arabic tariqah, pl. turuq). The
verses 41-42 allude to Asfn Said (see the introduction to this song). Verses 43-44 refer to
Gufa Rufo, native of Giera, who was once obliged to take refuge in Kaffa, because he had
been banished from his native land. He, like Asfn Said (song 25), was favorable to the
Mussulmen of Guma, but did not fight in the holy war. Verse 47 alludes to the first sub-
mission of Guma to Ras Tasamma. Verses 48-51 honor the parliament assembled by
Firrisa in Ebfcca Ruya (see the introduction to this song). The singer in verses 50-51
puns on the two senses of the word ebicca, name of the aforesaid village and meaning also
a plant, vernonia myriocephala, and a kind of dark honey which is produced by the bees
from the flowers of this plant. Verses 52-60 sing about the mother of Firrisa, who was
a slave of Abba Foggf. Therefore, Firrisa had been insulted by his enemies, who declared
that, according to the Galla law, the sons of the king’s negro slaves must be excluded from
the throne. Likewise Abba Digga, when Gawe Onco died, was obliged to acknowledge that
the legitimate king was his younger brother, Abba Gubir. The verses 61-70 allude to a
strange episode of the battle at Gang!. Ras Tasamma, flying, abandoned the war-drums
of his army, and then sent Tucco Dannb to retake them. Tucco with twenty horsemen
defeated the guard of Firrisa and was able to restore this loss. The verses 71-75 praise the
bravery of fifteen warriors, natives of Siddf. Siddf is the place of the tombs of the Guma
kings; no strangers were allowed to enter there, and even today, after the Amara conquest,
a proclamation of the Emperor has forbidden even the soldiers of the Amara governor of
the country to enter this royal cemetery. The verses 78-80 allude to the Lieqa Horda, who
fought with their chief, Tucco Dannb, ally of Ras Tasamma, against the Mussulmen. The
verses 81-86 recall the battle at Qumba during the first Moslem war (see songs 18-19).
Firrisa took revenge for this defeat of his uncle Abba Gubir, by devastating Dapb. The
verses 90-95 allude to both brothers of Firrisa; Wayessa, who fought together with his
brother and died during a battle against the Christians, and Imama, who, traitor to his
family, ffew to Shoa to the court of the Emperor. The verses 96-100 relate to Ambiera, a
village where Firrisa had been brought up during his youth. Therefore, although Ambiera
had remained neutral during the holy war, Firrisa did not assault this village and force
it to pay the usual tribute of coffee. The verses 104-116 sing of the revenge which Firrisa
took against another enemy of his uncle, Hanna, which he pillaged and burned. During
the pillaging of Hdnna, Firrisa killed the horse of Iddo Irro, chief of the army of Abba
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
ordered that his soldiers should not cut off the genitals of the conquered enemies, as was
usual among the Galla, and that they should not take prisoners in order to gain, after-
wards, great ransoms. The holy war, according to Firrisa, should not procure profane
trophies (v. 36).
Verses 37-40 allude to Sek Abderroman, native of Comma (see the introduction to this
song). He established in Guma and in the conquered lands many zawaya of the Tariqah
Mirganiyyah. (It is known that the Arabs called zawiyyah, pl. zawaya, the single seats of the
Moslem congregations. The congregations are called in Arabic tariqah, pl. turuq). The
verses 41-42 allude to Asfn Said (see the introduction to this song). Verses 43-44 refer to
Gufa Rufo, native of Giera, who was once obliged to take refuge in Kaffa, because he had
been banished from his native land. He, like Asfn Said (song 25), was favorable to the
Mussulmen of Guma, but did not fight in the holy war. Verse 47 alludes to the first sub-
mission of Guma to Ras Tasamma. Verses 48-51 honor the parliament assembled by
Firrisa in Ebfcca Ruya (see the introduction to this song). The singer in verses 50-51
puns on the two senses of the word ebicca, name of the aforesaid village and meaning also
a plant, vernonia myriocephala, and a kind of dark honey which is produced by the bees
from the flowers of this plant. Verses 52-60 sing about the mother of Firrisa, who was
a slave of Abba Foggf. Therefore, Firrisa had been insulted by his enemies, who declared
that, according to the Galla law, the sons of the king’s negro slaves must be excluded from
the throne. Likewise Abba Digga, when Gawe Onco died, was obliged to acknowledge that
the legitimate king was his younger brother, Abba Gubir. The verses 61-70 allude to a
strange episode of the battle at Gang!. Ras Tasamma, flying, abandoned the war-drums
of his army, and then sent Tucco Dannb to retake them. Tucco with twenty horsemen
defeated the guard of Firrisa and was able to restore this loss. The verses 71-75 praise the
bravery of fifteen warriors, natives of Siddf. Siddf is the place of the tombs of the Guma
kings; no strangers were allowed to enter there, and even today, after the Amara conquest,
a proclamation of the Emperor has forbidden even the soldiers of the Amara governor of
the country to enter this royal cemetery. The verses 78-80 allude to the Lieqa Horda, who
fought with their chief, Tucco Dannb, ally of Ras Tasamma, against the Mussulmen. The
verses 81-86 recall the battle at Qumba during the first Moslem war (see songs 18-19).
Firrisa took revenge for this defeat of his uncle Abba Gubir, by devastating Dapb. The
verses 90-95 allude to both brothers of Firrisa; Wayessa, who fought together with his
brother and died during a battle against the Christians, and Imama, who, traitor to his
family, ffew to Shoa to the court of the Emperor. The verses 96-100 relate to Ambiera, a
village where Firrisa had been brought up during his youth. Therefore, although Ambiera
had remained neutral during the holy war, Firrisa did not assault this village and force
it to pay the usual tribute of coffee. The verses 104-116 sing of the revenge which Firrisa
took against another enemy of his uncle, Hanna, which he pillaged and burned. During
the pillaging of Hdnna, Firrisa killed the horse of Iddo Irro, chief of the army of Abba