DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0068
52
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
26
After passing through the Nonno country, Firrisa reached Gabba and tried to convert
Fatansa Hu, the king of Gabba, to the Moslem faith. However, Fatansa Hu, as he did not
understand the ascetic fervor of Firrisa, and saw that Firrisa and his companions offered
prayers and held religious ceremonies in a way which appeared to him very strange, im-
agined that Firrisa was a sorcerer and imprisoned him. In the meantime, Ras Tasamma
went to the frontier of Gabba and ordered Fatansa to consign Firrisa to the Amara soldiers.
Fatansa answered that Firrisa had been suspected of sorcery while he was a guest of Gabba.
Therefore, he (Fatansa) might condemn Firrisa, but by the ancient customs, he could not
deliver a guest of Gabba to strangers, especially to the Amara, enemies of the guest.
Then Fatansa assembled his army and went to the frontier. In the meantime, he ordered
that during the actions between his army and the Amara, no food should be given to Fir-
risa, to enfeeble him and thus hinder him from making sorceries against Gabba. Since,
during the battle the Doranni, led by their chief, Abba Galla, refused to fight in behalf
of their ancient enemy Firrisa, Fatansa was defeated by Ras Tasamma. However, he
imagined that his defeat had been caused by the sorceries of Firrisa, and returning to
his capital, ordered that Firrisa should be brought before him to inquire whether Firrisa
had fasted, according to orders. The orders had been executed, but it appeared to Fatansa
that, in spite of the fast, Firrisa had la bonne-chere. Then he sang:
fincanitti fincdni
gabbate natdni
qoriccd har ’a isdf ta ’d turd?
1 0 urine, son of urine! 2 He has eaten and grown fat. 3 Had he today a medicine ?
Qoriccd (v. 3), “medicine” is often used to mean “poison,” and also “sorcery.” Gun-
powder was called qoriccd gawe, “the medicine of the gun,” by the Galla when firearms were
first introduced among them.
27
After defeating Fatansa, the Amara advanced as far as Bure, the chief village of Gabba
Hu. Then Fatansa surrendered to Tasamma and consigned to him Firrisa, Sek Abderroman,
and their companions. Sek Abderroman was able to escape; the others were tried by Ras
Tasamma and condemned to death. Firrisa demanded to be executed holding the Koran
in his hands, and before the hanging he cried out that he would be buried outside Ethiopia.
In fact, says Loransiyos, although Tasamma had surrounded the gallows with sentries,
the corpse of Firrisa disappeared mysteriously during the night after the execution. The
tragic death of the last prince of Guma made a great and painful impression on the Galla.
Even today, all the Mussulmen of these lands consider Firrisa a saint (gvali). Fatansa Hu
repented delivering Firrisa to Ras Tasamma and feared divine vengeance. In fact he died
after some months, struck by lightning, and the day after his burial the sepulchre was
found open and the bones scattered in the ground.
HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
26
After passing through the Nonno country, Firrisa reached Gabba and tried to convert
Fatansa Hu, the king of Gabba, to the Moslem faith. However, Fatansa Hu, as he did not
understand the ascetic fervor of Firrisa, and saw that Firrisa and his companions offered
prayers and held religious ceremonies in a way which appeared to him very strange, im-
agined that Firrisa was a sorcerer and imprisoned him. In the meantime, Ras Tasamma
went to the frontier of Gabba and ordered Fatansa to consign Firrisa to the Amara soldiers.
Fatansa answered that Firrisa had been suspected of sorcery while he was a guest of Gabba.
Therefore, he (Fatansa) might condemn Firrisa, but by the ancient customs, he could not
deliver a guest of Gabba to strangers, especially to the Amara, enemies of the guest.
Then Fatansa assembled his army and went to the frontier. In the meantime, he ordered
that during the actions between his army and the Amara, no food should be given to Fir-
risa, to enfeeble him and thus hinder him from making sorceries against Gabba. Since,
during the battle the Doranni, led by their chief, Abba Galla, refused to fight in behalf
of their ancient enemy Firrisa, Fatansa was defeated by Ras Tasamma. However, he
imagined that his defeat had been caused by the sorceries of Firrisa, and returning to
his capital, ordered that Firrisa should be brought before him to inquire whether Firrisa
had fasted, according to orders. The orders had been executed, but it appeared to Fatansa
that, in spite of the fast, Firrisa had la bonne-chere. Then he sang:
fincanitti fincdni
gabbate natdni
qoriccd har ’a isdf ta ’d turd?
1 0 urine, son of urine! 2 He has eaten and grown fat. 3 Had he today a medicine ?
Qoriccd (v. 3), “medicine” is often used to mean “poison,” and also “sorcery.” Gun-
powder was called qoriccd gawe, “the medicine of the gun,” by the Galla when firearms were
first introduced among them.
27
After defeating Fatansa, the Amara advanced as far as Bure, the chief village of Gabba
Hu. Then Fatansa surrendered to Tasamma and consigned to him Firrisa, Sek Abderroman,
and their companions. Sek Abderroman was able to escape; the others were tried by Ras
Tasamma and condemned to death. Firrisa demanded to be executed holding the Koran
in his hands, and before the hanging he cried out that he would be buried outside Ethiopia.
In fact, says Loransiyos, although Tasamma had surrounded the gallows with sentries,
the corpse of Firrisa disappeared mysteriously during the night after the execution. The
tragic death of the last prince of Guma made a great and painful impression on the Galla.
Even today, all the Mussulmen of these lands consider Firrisa a saint (gvali). Fatansa Hu
repented delivering Firrisa to Ras Tasamma and feared divine vengeance. In fact he died
after some months, struck by lightning, and the day after his burial the sepulchre was
found open and the bones scattered in the ground.