Modaina

THE LEGEND OF GOD AND THE HUMAN RACE.
God said to men: "Multiply on earth and bring forth and become families!" And the human race multiplied very much. But they revolted against God. Then God said to men again: 'Well then, man, bring forth and bury, that thou be ill and grieved !" And by this curse the human race brings forth and buries until this day. [This is what] they say.
OF HOW GOD TAKES CARE OF THE CHILDREN.
When God created the little children he gave them the choice (of one) of two gifts: "shall I sew every morning a [new] cloth and give it to you, or [make you] to rule over your father[s) and mother[s]?" And the little children chose to rule over their parents. And for this reason the children when they are little rule their parents and cry to them and try to get their will whatever it be. And the parents are under their rule; and they obey them and whenever anything happens to them, they are grieved about them. And they say as a proverb: 'He who begets loses.”

1) The "huts" have the form of a cone or a round pyramid.

THE MAKING OF BEVERAGES IN THE TIGRE COUNTRY.

1. The 'burying" or 'mixing" of mead.'
The mead is made of honey, in this way. They put water into a large jar until it is nearly full. Then they stir
honey with it until the water becomes thoroughly sweet and a little thick. They also dig out the roots of the caddo tree, (1) bark them and dry the bark, and [the latter) is kept in a pile in the house. Of the bark they grind a large handful or two handfuls; and this is mixed with the honey-water in the jar. And a quantity of sprouting dura grains, 1) corresponding to a third of the caddo, are pounded into two pieces each and [then] also mixed with the honey-water in the jar. Thereupon they cover the jar with its honey-water and wrap it up well; and they paste mud around it or clay, viz. clay that is made soft with water. And they bury it near the fire-place; or else they put it in some [other] place and cover it well with pieces of cloth in order that it may become warm. After this, some open the jar of the mead after four days. And they strain the mead into another jar, and then it is drunk. Now this Imead] does not intoxicate: it 'is for daily use.' But if they make the mead for some occasion for which they invite many people, [then,] in order that the mead be strong, and that the people do not drink too much at their expense, 3) that it suffice for all, and that it may intoxicate, they leave the mead seven days without uncovering it. And on
the seventh day they uncover it, and it is strained. And this mead is strong.
If they do not find the caddo for the mead, they dry instead of it leaves of the giso (4) tree and take a quantity somewhat larger than that of the caddo. But they pulverize the giso (gisho) leaves to a certain degree and put them [in the honey-water]. Now the making of the mead, with the exception of, the sprouting grains, is all done by men. But Sometimes also women that are clever make it. Most of it is drunk by men.
1)Rhanznus Dejlersii or Rhamnus Staddo.
2)These grains are made to sprout by being laid in water.
3)Literally: away from them.
4) Rhiiiinus Prinoide I'her.

2.The making or the brewing of beer.
They make the beer of dura and of barley; mostly, however, of, dura. In the Tigrina country, on the other hand, they make it mostly of dagus. (1) When the women intend to make beer, they put dura or barley, according to what 'they think [of making], unground in the water in some vessel'. And when, it has softened, they take the grains from the Water land put them] into another vessel. And they spread the leaves of the' gele' (2) over the 'grains; then put stones over them.- And these [grains] begin to sprout after three days. And they dry the grains in the sun.
And they grind coarsely as much dura as they intend to make beer; then they soak it in water in a jar. And when it has become salty, they grind it a second time. Thereupon it is baked, being stirred. Now they take a quantity of sprouting grains corresponding to a quarter or a fifth of the baked dough and pulverize them. And they sprinkle Water on this and on the dough and knead them together. And they put it by lumps into the jar in which the brew it. They cover the jar well up and after a week they uncover it and strain it into another jar in water. It is covered again for half a day until it is ready, and after this it is drunk. But if they want it to become mäsä, they put honey into the sifted beer until it becomes sweet. Then it stays covered up for half a day, and after that it is drunk. All the making of the beer is done by women; but most of it is drunk by men. is' done by women; but' most of it is drunk by. men.

1) Eteusine in different species.
2) Rieinus communt

I02.
THE MAKING OF UNLEAVENED BREAD'IN THE TIGRE COUNTRY.
Every man when he goes on a journey or when he wishes to go to a place of ploughing where there is no village, or the people who stay out with the pasturing cattle that are without milk, when they set out together from their village, take flour of wheat or of barley or of dura as their provisions; and also a water-skin that they may drink from it. Then when they come to the place where there is no village, they place branches together in a circle [like the spokes of a wheel] and kindle a fire, and pile much wood upon it, in order that it may char. And they put a stone about as large as ones fist into the fire. But if there are many people they take more stones: every stone is for one [loaf of] bread. One [loaf of] bread is enough for one man as his midday-meal, or his evening-meal. And the baker goes to a rock with a smooth hollow surface taking water and flour with him. But the place is near the fire.
He washes the hollow place on the rock well with water, and he washes also his hands. And of the flour he kneads as much as he thinks [of using], with water; and if there is no salt mixed with the flour, he pulverizes salt, and strews it on it: but somebody else drips the water for him. But,if there is no good rock for the kneading, he kneads it on clean leather-apron, or on a clean sheep-skin or again on new canvass-bag. Often, however, the people who stay on the sleeping place of the field or with the cattle that are without milk cut a kneading plate of wood, and, this is called gabbära; or they even knead in a wooden bowl. And after he has kneaded, a friend of his measures [the dough] for the loaves, or the kneader himself measures it. The measuring is done in this way: he divides the kneaded dough into round lumps; then he places the lower ends of his two palms together and takes the lump of dough between his two palms, and over the dough he makes his two middle fingers touch each other, without
pressing the dough. Doing the same to all loaves he measures them. And the man who bakes the bread takes each oaf that has been measured off and makes a hole. in the middle of it, fetches a stone of those put in the fire and places it in the hole; then he closes up the opening of the hole (Fig. I3). And he takes some charcoal out of the fire next to the flame and puts the loaf that is in his hand into it. Then he turns it around on all sides. Doing the same to every loaf he bakes them (Fig. 14) and he takes some charcoal out of the fire next to the flame and put the loaf that is in his hand into it. Then he turns it around on all sides. Doing the same to every loaf he bakes them.
(fig 14).
But they leave over a little of every loaf pinching it off while they measure it. Then, when the measuring of the loaves is done, they put together the pieces of dough which they have pinched off and left over of every one, and knead them. Thereupon they make the piece of dough flat like the palm of the hand or like a tongue and bake it on the charcoal. And this is called sellasé (1) or Sek 'Iyob. (Sheik Eyob) And when all is baked, they give the sellasé to the leader of the party and saying: "Triune Trinity, at home a protector, abroad a friend be unto us, Shek 'Iyob!"
he breaks the Sek -.'Iyob into as many equal pieces as there are men in the party. And he gives [them] to
somebody who passes [them] on. And the one who passes [them] on receives them with both hands. From his hands he gives everybody his piece beginning with the breaker of the bread, and saying sellasé. And every one that receives it] says: "May the Trinity give us and give thee!" Finally also the man who passes [them] on eats his piece. When all have eaten this, one man passes to every one of them his loaf. And everybody breaks his own loaf saying: "Bread, bring bliss, (2) be traded in loads (3) and in bag[s]!" And when they begin to eat, the Moslem says ',Mesmella' (4) the Christian 'Besbe'an", (5) and they put their hands on the food. And those who eat together sit near each other in a circle. And he who has milk, chews it with milk; who has meat, with it. He who has butter, breaks [the loaf] in small pieces, softens it in it and eats. He who has nothing to eat with it, eats it dry.
And if they are thirsty while eating, they say to somebody who is the youngest of all: "N. N., give us to drink
being a man!", or: "N. N., may thy enemy be a messenger, (1) give us to drink!" And taking the water-skin, he makes the round to all of them; he gives them to drink holding [the skin] for them. Then every one of them gives a small piece of his loaf to the water-bringer. And this small piece is called the fessotat of the water-bringer; - for it is of the same size as a fessotat, i. e. piece of dried meat. - When they have eaten and have done with it, every one of them says. "Praise be unto God! Make it to be healing and light for us! Let us eat and drink together! And after thou hast given us this, do not keep from us [thy gifts in] the future!" Or they say: 'Praise be unto God! Make (us) find it and do not withhold it [from us]! Let us eat and drink from plenty!" This is the use of unleavened bread all the time.


Footnote.
1) 1. e. "trinity."
2) Play upon the words bread (berketta) and bliss (barakat).
3) Literally "strap" used for tying loads on mules, asses and oxen.
4) 1,'or bismllah, "in the name of Allah"
5) For Besmia 'ab "in the name of the father."
5) This is to prevent him from saying: " I do not wish to be a messenger."

103

THE YEARS AND THE TIME WHICH THE BET-'ABREHE KNOW.
In the country of the Mänsa' But-'Abrehe they know the years and the periods in which some great wonders and signs have happened. Or rather they tell about the times at which those happened, and they reckon the birth of their children according to them. Also they reckon the birth of their children from the death of a well known man or from [the tirnes of their robbing or their being robbed. Now the great years that are very well known and about which they tell much are the following.

1. The "year of stagnations."

In the "year of stagnations" rain disappeared from the earth, and famine came over men and over beasts. And they fed the animals with leaves stripping the trees. And when the leaves were burned, they went with all their animals to the lowlands near the sea; and there they found locusts for them and fed them on them. And the milk of the animals resembled the colour of the locusts. And those that were born in this year have died as old People long ago, they say.

1) I. e. Degac Ubie who reigned in Northern Abyssinia about the middle of the 19th century and who was vanquished by King Theodore in the year 1855.

2. The year of the first "Obe [1844].

When Degac 'Obe (1) had begun to reign he made a robbing excursion against the country of the Bet-'Abrehe and the Bogos. At first Dagac 'Obe had said to the' Bet-Abrehe: Give me tribute." But the Bet-"Abrehe had not known of tribute up to that time; thus, they refused [it] to him. And for this reason he made a raid upon them. The flocks fled from him, he found little, but he killed many people. Those that were born in this year have died as old people not long ago.

,Däkäc 'Obe made a second time a raid upon the Bet-'Abréhe, when their village was in Tasasa (2). And he took rnany
animal from them. And those that were born in this year are living yet approaching old age.

1) 1. e. between Gäläb and Läba.

4. The time of Emperor Theodore. (1)
5. The year of the small-pox.

Even before that year they had known the small-pox, but up to that year it had not come in all its strength.
And in that year there died of the Bet-'Abrehe about seven hundred people, old and young. And they
vaccinated the people from the matter of each other. Those that were born in this year, are living in the prime of life.


6. The year of the denial.
In this year there was a great denial. At that time there was the malaria in the country of the Bet-'Abréhe, and many people died of it. And the denial was about death: for the old people buried the youths. (2) Those that were born in it are living as young men.

7. The year of the pulmonary disease.

The Bet-'Abrehe had not known cattle-diseases up to that time. And in that year a pulmonary disease came
over their cattle: every cow began to cough and died after a short sickness. And when they skinned her they found that her lung was swollen and that there was in her abdominal cavity something spun like a spider-web. And they called the disease sambu' (lung). They vaccinated the cattle from the blood of each other. And this year of the pulmonary disease is known in all the Tigre country. And only one or the other cow escaped from the disease. Those that were born in this year are also living as young men.

i) I. e. 1855-1868.
2) The youths denied their duty toward the old people: the opposite of what ought to have happened.

8. The time of Emperor John and. of Ras Alula. (1)

9. The year of the earth-quake.

In this year there was an earth-quake in the whole Tigre country. About noon-time the earth was torn asunder and trembled much; and on the mountains fires were kindled. (2) And many large bowlders that are now in the plain fell down from the mountains at that time, they say. And by the [se] stones that fell down some people were wounded in the country of the Mänsa' Bet-'Abrehe. And in the clefts of the earth also fire was seen, they say. And there are [people] who have seen a cow swallowed by the earth. And the earth-quake stopped after a short while.
And also the fires were soon exstinguished. Even those that were born in that year are living as young men. And this time is very well known.

10. The year of Wad-Qedras.

In this year the Bet-'Abrehe quarrelled among themselves, and they were divided into three factions. Now Wad-Qedräs was a follower of the party of Kantebay Be'emnet. And he insulted a man calling him "sorcerer"' without any reason. And the man that had been insulted had Wad-Qedras killed for this word. (3) But afterwards he payed the weregelt and gave also "house and cattle" (4) to the son of the dead.


i) I. e. about 1870-I890. Emperor John died in t889, Ras Alula in 1898.
2) A proof that there are volcanoes in Abyssinia.
3) Literally "lip."
4) I. e. He married his daughter to him without pay and gave her a dowry.



11. The year of Gerdefan.

Gerdefan was a man of the 'Ad Takles. And the Bet'Abrehe made a raid upon his flocks and killed him there. And they came with his cattle and divided it.

12.The year of 'Azzazi.

The Bet-'Abrehe were once split into parties. And 'Azzazi, the son of Hebtes, sided with the one party. And
when the two parties fought, 'Azzazi killed a prominent man of the other party, and afterwards he died there also. Those that were born in this year are living as youths.


13. The time of Egyptian rule or the time of Mestenger-Basa. (1)


I4. The year of the Turks and the Amhara.

In this year the Turks fought with Emperor John at Gera'. (Gura) and at Kesad-'Eqqa, and Emperor John was victorious. (2)

15. The year of the murrain.
In this year a disease came over the cattle. And it made them sick: it made their hair look singed, their ears
hang down, their eyes water, and their mouths drivel. Finally they died of it. And that was the end of their
abundance of cattle. And because it did not leave over (anything), they called it gelhay, i. e. the shaved (bald) one.

16. The year of 'Enti-écwu. (3)

1) l. e. Munzinger Pasha: the time is about 1870-1880.
2) 1, e. the war between the Egyptians and Emperor John in 1876.
3) I.e. 1896; the battle of Adua is meant.