Meroitic / Oromo Ethiopian Continuity: Call for a Research Project (original) (raw)
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Presentation originally given at the Oromo Studies 2005 Conference First published in: http://www.americanchronicle.com/articl ... leID=21760 Subsequently published in: Oromo Studies Association, 2005 Conference Proceedings, Washington D.C., 2005, 10p Online mention: http://oromostudies.org/Proceedings/OSA.Proceeding.2005.pdf The present text has been slightly edited. This paper deals, among others, with the development of Meroitic studies, the Meroitic civilization, the destruction of the city of Meroe, the dispersal of the Meroitic people after the collapse of their state, the Christianization of the post Meroitic states in Ethiopia (i.e. Northern Sudan / it is to be reminded that the modern state of Abyssinia is fallaciously, illegally and criminally rebaptized 'Ethioipia'), the migration of the remnants of the Meroitic people in the direction of the Blue Nile, and their possible relation of ancestry with the modern Cushitic language speaking Oromo nation. It must be stated clearly at the outset that the issue of Meroitic ancestry of the Oromo nation has not yet been considered, much less published in an academic journal or scholarly books. The paper was first presented in an academic conference organized by the Oromo Studies Association. Footnotes have been added in view of the aforementioned publication (see Pdf).
Highlights of Ethiopian History and Culture
Henok Tadesse
Ethiopia"s history and culture was hidden for centuries from the outside world due to different factors and has not been known as it deserved to be. One of the factors is the fact that Ethiopia has been largely isolated following the decline of the Axum (Aksum) civilization around 700 A.D. Unlike most ancient civilizations, the history of Axum is unknown in the mainstream and some historians are surprised when they somehow learn about it and wonder why they had not learned about it in the universities. Ethiopia has a rich history of at least three thousand years. Its prehistory, the Aksum civilization and the last one thousand and three hundred years of its history are fascinating. Thanks to the internet, Ethiopian history and culture is increasingly being known today, overcoming past prejudices and biases. This is good not only for Ethiopia, but also for many who are interested in history, culture and religion. It is good for Ethiopian history particularly because, as can be seen from Youtube videos and articles on the internet, it will help in the systematic exploration and documentation of Ethiopian history by genuine historians and talented amateurs around the world. Certainly, there are a lot more people who have never heard about Ethiopian history before. This note is meant to help anyone interested to discover and explore Ethiopian history and culture for themselves. Ethiopian history and culture was largely hidden for centuries from the outside world due to different factors and has not been known as it deserved to be. One of the factors is the fact that Ethiopia has been isolated from the outside world following the decline of the Axum (Aksum) civilization around 700 A.D. Axum was one of the great civilizations of the ancient world, along with and on a par with Persia, Rome and China. Yet, unlike most ancient civilizations, the history of Axum is unknown in the mainstream and some historians are surprised when they somehow learn about it and wonder why they had not learned about it in the universities. Ethiopia has a rich history of at least three thousand years. Its prehistory, the Aksum civilization and the last one thousand and three hundred years of its history are so fascinating that many people see it in disbelief as bordering on "myths". Yet these "myths" are so supported overwhelmingly by archaeological and other evidences that some have described it as " a seamless fusion of facts and myths". Thanks to the internet, Ethiopian history and culture is increasingly being known today, overcoming past biases and prejudices. This is good not only for Ethiopia, but also for many who are interested in history, culture and religion. It is good for Ethiopian history particularly because, as can be seen from Youtube videos and articles on the internet, it will help in the systematic exploration and documentation of Ethiopian history by genuine historians and talented amateurs around the world. Certainly, there are a lot more people who have never heard about Ethiopian history before. This short note is meant to help
Narrating local identity among the southwestern Oromo of Ethiopia: case of the Jimma and Gera
African Study Monographs, 2012
This paper explores narrative constructions and expressions of local identity among the southwestern Oromo of Ethiopia. It aims to clarify how, on what bases, and to what end each local group understands itself in relation to 'others' within and beyond the wider re- gional Oromo grouping. From an internal perspective, there are a number of local boundaries differentiating one's own group from those of others. In oral societies like the Oromo, the bases for and contents of collective self-identifications and self-perceived differences from others are mainly constructed, interpreted, and articulated in various forms of folklore, espe- cially in narrative performances. It is in and through conversational narrative performances that members of each local group (re-)create, perpetuate, or even challenge a prototypical and/ or stereotypical portrait of their own selves and of others.
Three Thousand Years of Ethiopian History (or, Demolishing Myths about Ethiopian History)
An Ethiopian friend once joked that no matter what question you ask an Ethiopian, the answer always begins, “Well, three thousand years ago . . . “ When I repeat this witticism to other Ethiopians, however, I rarely get a smile. History is a serious matter in the highlands of East Africa. Most Habesha (the name of a particular group of peoples of the Ethiopian and Eritrean highlands) have a highly elaborated discourse about their centrality to global history. As it turns out, they are right. My argument in this chapter is a double one: the historical record indicates not only that the Habesha have been central to all of human history but also that they have been engaged for millennia in convincing powerful outsiders to recognize and respect them. Dwelling at the intersection of immense religious and technological differences and surrounded by powerful empires—Egyptian, Roman, and Byzantine, to name just a few—the Habesha responded to this liminality by making costly investments in broadcasting their own achievements and singularity. However, since so much of the early research on Ethiopia was dismissive or outright racist, I have written this chapter to set straight some matters for the lay reader. I look at the origin of human beings and the Punt, D'MT, Aksumite, and Solomonic empires.