By Richard Pankhurst





In the name of the Trinity in

three persons equal in glory and in majesty, the Father, the Son and

the Holy Ghost, I herewith undertake to describe all the deeds of our

king the Lord’s annointed Zara Yaqob, who was named Quastantinos.1

May the glorious son of Mary, Jesus Christ, do him justice and admit

him to his celestial kingdom, in order that he may enjoy it as much

as he has desired and sought it, may he extend doubly His grace to

his grandson Lebna Dengel, that he may surpass him in glory and in

virtue—like Elisha, the disciple of Elijah, who received in

double measure the spirit of his master, when he ascended to Heaven

borne by the charges of the Spirit—and that he may

pro-long his days till heaven and earth disappear.—Amen. In the

reign of our king Zara Yaqob, there was great terror and great fear

in all the people of Ethiopia, on account of the severity of his

justice and of his authoritarian rule and above all because of the

denunciations of those who, after having confessed that they had

worshipped Dasak and the devil, caused to perish many innocent people

by accusing them falsely of having worshipped thus together with

them. For when the King did hear of such matters, he used to condemn

the accused on the testimony of these informers to whom he limited

himself to say, after having invoked the name of God: " May

their blood fall on you." Acting thus, the King did not pay heed but to his zeal for God. He did not even spare his sons, called

Galawdewos, Amda Maryam, Zara Abreham, Batra Seyon, nor his sons called, Del Samera, Rom Ganayala and Adal Mangesha, nor many others among his off­springs whose names I do not know. The princes suffered death as their punishment, a few princesses survived after having lost all their rothers.









At that time a herald3

announced at the palace the following news: " Learn, O you

Christian people, what Satan has done. Since we have prohibited the worship of idols and the adoration of Dasak and Dino, he has

insinuated himself into our house and has led astray our children." He had them punished severely, they were scourged before a crowd of people who gathered so that they could see their wounds and their torment. They shed tears when beholding this sight or when told about it. Thereafter he made known an edict enjoining on everybody the obligation to take an oath and to carry on their foreheads the following inscription: " From the Father, from the Son and from the Holy Ghost." on their right hand the words: "I renounce

the devil, in the name of the Christ who is God." and on their

left hand: " I renounce Dasak the accursed, I am the servant of Mary, the mother of the Creator of the universe." He who did not heed this prescription had his house pil­laged and corporal punishment was also administered to the guilty party, to recall that

the king should be obeyed by everybody.









A certain Zara Seyon, nicknamed

Zara Saytan, who by his false accusations had caused the death of a

large number of monks, canons and men and women, was, when God

revealed his crimes, forced to become a monk and exiled to Hayq4.









The office of Aqebe Saat5

was then confered on Amha Seyon6, who was greatly esteemed by our King. When this dignitary left or entered his house, nobody could see him. Two or three children alone had access to his quarters, which were contiguous to the royal enclosure,7 and when he needed anything brought from the outside, he would call one of his faithful monks and send him to look for what he wanted, near by or far away. He acted thus for the glory of the royal house, for he had access to the King at all times. All the pages who like him were attached to the court did not have any contact with anybody from the outside, neither did they have any houses and resided at the palace. When these young men used to go out, they were accompanied by a MalkaNa;8 they did not know any women, did not cut their hair without the King’s permission and were always well dressed; if they dared to visit the local inhabitants in order to eat, drink or converse with them, they were put to death as well as those who had received them.









The offices of Belit Wiedad9

of the right and of the left were at that time vacant at the palace.

The King conferred them on two of his daughters, Madhen Zamada, who

occupied the right hand position and Berhan Zamada, the left hand

one. The latter one re­placed her husband Amda Masqal, henceforth

called Amda Saytan, who had been arrested and condemned, when the

King learnt of his numerous crimes, his false­hood and ambitious

projects, shameful projects, un­worthy of the human heart, which

can only enter some­body accursed by the devil. In the same

manner as God expelled from his throne and profoundly humiliated the

devil; in the same manner the king of Israel removed Amda Saytan.









He had also committed another

crime, he had, though married to a princess of the house of Israel10,

married in secret another woman and then had given her in marriage to

the Sasargue11 Amha Iyasus. Berhan Zamada, the wife of

Amda Saytan, having learnt of this, informed the King, her father,

who summoned Amda Saytan to his presence and questioned him. When he

became certain of his guilt, he called together the notables of his

court before whom he exposed all Amda Saytan’s mis­deeds and had

him condemned to death, which he de­served. These judges ordered

a pit to be dug in which he was placed and shot through with arrows

.(?.), as well as Amha Iyasus, the Sasargue and Nob, the

administrator of Dabra Damo12 and of the convent of

Bakuer, who had been their accomplice and who subsequently received

the name of Kabaro Saytan13. Amda Saytan was deported to a

place in the province of Amhara known only to the King. Amha Iyasus

and Nob, called Kabaro Saytan, were exiled to Guasharo14.

The predecessor of Amda Saytan in the office of Belit Wiedad, who was

called Isayeyas and who filled this office when our King was at

Qesat, in the province of Amhara shared the same fate. I was not a

witness to his arrest, but I was told that he was seized, that a

great iron collar was placed around his neck and that he was deported

on account of his crimes to a place which is unknown to me.









After the deprivation of Amda

Saytan, I never again encountered anyone entrusted with the functions

of Belit Wiedad except for the two daughters of the King who had been

raised to this dignity. The King placed at the head of each province

one of his sisters, entrusted with administering the district in his

name. In the Tigre he placed Del Shamera; in Angot, Bahr Mangesha; in

Gedem, Sofya; in Ifat, Amda Giorgis; in Shoa, Rom Ganayala; in Damot,

Madhen Zameda; in Begamder, Abala Maryam, and he assigned the

province of Gan to Atnaf Sagadu, the daughter of one of his sisters.

As for those who were assigned to other provinces, I do not know

their names. Later, the King himself took in hand the government of

the whole of Ethiopia and set up in the provinces Adakshats whom he

appointed in the following manner: In Shoa, there will be a Raq

Masare15 and in Fatagar an Azaj16 and I do

appoint Amda Mikael MalkaNa over all the land of Fatagar and I

entrust to him Faragla Ademnat (?). The holder of the same office,

who was appointed Awrari17 Badjer in the province of Dawaro, was

called Hegano in those of Geber and of Wadj, Eraq Masere in the

province of Damot, Raq Masare in the kingdoms of Gojam, Begemder,

Tigre, Qeda and Angot and Tsahfalam18 in the kingdom of

Amhara, he was styled Raq Masara in Gan, Gedem and Ifat. All the

peoples trembled before the undaunted might of the King.









However, when he sent a

messenger to the Garad19 of Hadya20 in order to

summon him to come to pay his tribute this governor, called Mahiko,

who was the son of the Garad Mehmad and brother of Ite Jan Zela,21

Queen Qan Baltihat22, furnished the following reply:

" No I shall not go to your door23, and I shall not

leave my province," then he sent back the King’s messenger and

refused to comply with the royal order.









One of the officials in Hadya,

called Gadayto Garad2! having learnt of the rebellion of

the Garad of Hadya, set out in all haste to reach the King in order

to inform him of the madness of the latter: "He has made,"

he told the King, "extensive preparations for war and has asked

for help from the people of Adal to ravage the kingdoms of Dawaro and

Bali."25 "Who are his allies?" the King

said to Gadayto Garad, "all the men of Hadya or only a part of

them and what is it according to you, that I must do?"—Gadayto

Garad replied to him: "His allies are Gudola Garad, Diho Garad,

Hadabo Garad, Ganazo Garad, Saga Garad, Qaben Garad, Gogal Garad,

Halab Garad26, here you have all those who are with Mahiko

and, in opinion, the best thing to do, my lord, is to summon the

Garad Bamo, his uncle, who is at Dagen,27 and to make him

in his place Garad of the Hadya, so that he may cross his plans and

destroy his power." Our King Zara Yaqob followed the advice of

Gadayto Garad and sent for in all haste, from the land of Dagen, the

Garad Bamo, who come at once. Our King was then at Dabra Berhan. The

Garad Bamo was appointed Garad of the Hadya and was given rich robes

and Gadayto likewise. They were sent with a strong force composed of

Basar Shotal 28 from the province of Damot. All the men of

Dawaro and of Bali were sent for; the King said to them: " Take

care that he does not escape you and go into the land of Adal."

Then the trumpet sounded; a great number of monks and priests

and the King commanded them to offer prayers in their

churches, offering up much incense and distributing garments among

the poor and needy. On this same day, after inhaling incense, I had a

vision in which there appeared to me our king Zara Yaqob, saying to

the holy personages: " Bring me this rebel, bound with a strong

cord, and throw him prostrate at my feet." – The following night

I saw in my sleep our Holy Virgin Mary30. The holy

personages prayed and asked the Lord my God that this vision should

come to pass.









As for Bamo, the new Garad of

the Hadya, he left for his province and arrived there with the troops

which the King had given him. All the chiefs who had re­volted

came before him and made their submission. At this news, Mahiko

turned with his troops, towards the land of Adal; the men of Damot

pursued him up to Sega and caught up with him just when he was

mak­ing his entry into the amba.32 He had scattered

along the road many precious objects; Marwe33 and

Gemedja34, in the hope that his enemies would halt in

their pursuit to gather them. But they did not stop at them, they

made a vigorous charge, entered his amba at the same time as he,

killed him, cut off his head, his hands and feet. These tidings

reached the King with great rapidity, who rejoiced because of them as well as all of his court, and this feat was celebrated, as during

Holy Week at Easter, with a song and dance. All the holy personages

rendered to God many a thanksgiving for what He granted to their

prayers and that of His annointed Zara Yaqob, and because He had

struck down his enemy so quickly.









Bamo, Garad of Hadya, then came

with the men of Damot, carrying the head of the rebel, as well as his

hands and feet. They presented themselves to the King and told him

what had happened. The King thanked the Garad of Hadya, Gadayto

Garad and the men of Damot; they were given as much food and drink

as they wanted; as for the rebel, his head, his hands, and

his feet were hung at the right hand and left hand gates of the

palace and the Sargun,35 where dogs and hyenas devoured

them with pleasure. Thus the vision sent by our Holy Virgin Mary,

before all these events, and concerning our king Zara Yaqob, came to

pass. Some time afterwards, the King sent all these warriors back

to their provinces after having bestowed on them gifts of rich

garments; Gadoyto Garad was given immunity, as well as his children, till the third generation, from the authority of the Garad of Hadya and the Basar Shotal who had killed Mobiko received a grant of land in his province. Glory be to God who has sustained our King Zara Yaqob who, by the hand of his servant, has secured a swift victory. May he sustain in the same way our King Lebna Dengel, his beloved son, and may he exterminate from the face of the earth his enemies and those who, in the interior of their hearts, hate and execrate his king­ship, all the while flattering him on the exterior. May death strike them everywhere where they live and stay by day and night.









Our king Zara Yaqob then

commanded the con­struction at Dabra Berhan of a Jagual36

with a roof (?) of which the height was to be ten elbows and the

colour white.



He enjoined on the builders

that they should pay attention that it should be well set up, without

any deviation, and to the Raq Masarotj37 of the right and

of the left, and also to the Jan Masare38, who were

employed in the construction of the Jagual, not to take up their

tunics39 until the work was completed. He ordered the

construction of a great building at the gate of the House of the

Lion,40 which was very tall and through which he went in

and out mounted on horseback; at the Shelemat41 gate there

was also a small house and another one at the Mabil42

gate; as for the Sarwajat gate, there was no building near it and

no­body entered by that gate, except for the Aqabe Saat, the

pages and waiters: anybody else who approached it was run through

with a spear. The King commanded also the construction of a solid

palace and its decora­tion with care.











When the building was complete,

it was surmounted with a golden cross. It was then that crosses began

to be placed in the royal house, a usage which did not exist

hithertofore. At the foot of the royal palace, three tents were

erected: that in the middle was called Doulat Bet;43 the

one on the right, the tent of Baala Gemeja, and the one on the left,

the tent of Aqet. To the right and left of these tents, there was a

tall palisade which extended to the Jagual to which it was joined.

Because of its weight, length and thickness, each one of the trees

used for the con­struction of this enclosure and of the Jagual

needed no less than two or three hundred men to carry it; they were

brought from the land of Zega. In between these tree trunks which

were joined with care one to another, there was no chink through

which the eye could see and the bark had been stripped off in order

to produce a surface as white as snow. As for the height of this

palisade, some said it was twenty elbows, some others that it was

fifteen; as for me, I have not measured it.









Another avenue was constructed

leading from the palace to the gate of the church of Dabra Berhan and

bordered on each side by a palisade made in such a way that the King

might be shielded from onlookers when going in or out. Nobody used

that avenue except the King, the Aqabe Saat and young pages. When our

King went to the church to receive com­munion, no canon could

enter; only the choristers, monks and priors of Dabra Libanos’45

Dabra Maryam,46 Bizan,47 Dabra Galila,48

Holol,49 Qayasa, Malago, Daraba Abaye, Saade Amba50

Waldeba, Dabra Maryam, Gerealta and Hensa Maryam as well as

other clerics whose names I do not know and who do not eat meat nor

drink wine; however on feast days, canons were invited from all

places, from Dabra Berhan, Dabra Nagnadguad,51

Yala-bash,52 Garama, Iyasus, Gemedja Bet Maryam and

Masqal; they spent the whole day at divine service, though, as I have

mentioned above, they were sent away when the time for communion

came. No one approached the Euergetes,54 except for the

Aqabe Saat, his two children called Gabra Alfa55 and Takla

Maryam,56 the head canon Gabra Iyasus57 and a

poor man called Yesehaq. On the days when the King communicated,

there was no celebration without these five. When he left, the

canons, who had spent the day in chanting, were sent for. They were

led within the precincts of the palace and were conducted to a place

situated above and towards the middle of the three tents (?).









This place was called Laelaye

Fit,58 and the tent situated below which was the place for

the Jan Bet Tabaqi, was called Tahtaye Fit.59 In the

Laelaye Fit, these canons were served with as much food as they

wanted, they were given hot or cold drinks in great abundance, and

they took home what was left of the bread and drink. The food and

drink came from Beta Fatagar,60 Beta Gene Baaltihat,61

Beta Geber of the right and left and the King himself looked after

the service at the tables. The first was called Seruye, the second

Itarfed and the third went under the name of "the King’s table".

This last one was reserved for the King and at it no meats were

served to anyone without his orders. As for Sodj Yahaja, called Sodj

Alaza, and all the Tsewa Betsarwajet,61 Bodel Domanu,

Baadel Shotal (and to all whom he had granted this grace, they were

given their food from his table. The other Tsewa Becar Shotal), Deb

Meleat, Jan Meleat, Baamba, Baadel Wejat, Damana Amba, Ba Bahr Wogot,

Baadel Mabroq, that is to say all those who dwelt around the royal

enclosure, ate in the place called Laelaye Fit. A screen of sycamores

(?) stretched from the tent to the palace, which extended to the left

for a distance of a hundred and thirty or a hundred and fifty elbows.

It was there that royal justice was done, that the guilty were

punished and that the pleas were heard of those who came with

complaints.









The Jan Bet Tabaqi did not

officiate at this place, but stayed in the Tahtaye Fit; in to the

Laelaye Fit went only the Seraq Tabaqi62 and Jan Daraba.63

It was there that the Azazotj and the Malkana chosen from among

faithful monks from the Tigre (?) gave their orders Sometimes they

went down to the Tahtaye Fit and there also they did much business,

but what was most important was done in the Laeleye Fit.

When

the Azazeyan64 entered the apartments where the King was

present and when they spoke to him, they went down on their knees and kissed the floor with fear and respect, as well as each time when they heard his voice. They did not wear white tunics, but Qalami, Kuafre and Shaqueta,65 and this dress was obligatory as much for the Azazeyan as for the Getotj,66 the Liqa Matara67 and his following, the Jan Masrotj, the

Iqaqetatja68 and his following and the Jan Hacana.69









The Jan Bet Tabaqeyan were not

attired in the same manner; by day and by night, without omitting one

single moment, they stood to the right and to the left in the Tahtaye

Fit where lamps burned during the night. In the Laelaye Fit, the

Seraq Tabaqi and the Jan Darabotj carried in their hands wax torches

during the day; but lamps were only lit in the Tahtaye Fit. When they

celebrated a feast, they held it in an apart­ment of the palace

and did not go down to the royal tent, but stayed where they were. As

for the canons, they put on again their white robes and, the

ceremonies, being over, they went home according to their usage. The

Jan Bet Tabaqi did not rest until after having cleared the table.









When the King used to go to

church in secret and without being seen by anyone, one of the pages

of the palace used to go out and give orders to all the Tshawa Baadel

Shotal, Baadel Domana, and to all the Orebasar Wadjet, Domona Amba,

Baadel Wodjet, Baadel Mabraq and Baadel Masqual;70 he

announced to them the King’s departure for the church; then these

marched forth, sounding their horns and beating their drums, up to

the door of the church which they did not enter. The Baadel Mabraq

and the monks of Bizan surrounded the palace on the inside of the

pali­sade (?); the monks carried swords and scabbards and the

Baadel Mabraq carried bows and javelins. During the holy sacrament,

all the Tshawa were given bread and beer, till they were completely

satisfied. Thereupon the King would leave the church and return to

his palace along the private way, without anybody seeing him or

knowing anything about it, according to usage, except for the Aquab

Saat and the pages of the court. There­upon these pages told the

Tshawa, by waving to them, that the King had left and returned to his

palace. Those then gave themselves up in emulation to frantic

dancing, uttering in the language of their countries cries which

could be heard far away, blowing their horns and beating drums, which

produced a mighty uproar and a great commotion. Then they were told

to return to their quarters.









Inside the palisade a Nazret

Bet71 had also been set up, containing thirty tershema72

to the right and as many to the left. There, revenues from the whole

of Ethiopia were gathered, precious objects and everything that was

useful; all that was not useful was placed in the Mangeshet Bet and

in the Barakat Bet.73 When the order was given, the loom

used to sew the shelamat74 and all that was needed by the

royal household was brought, as well as the gomedja and the marwe,

from the Nazret Bet to the Mangeshet Bet and to the Barakah Bet, in

order to sew and adorn them. The servants at the table came entirely

from the Beta Geber. Those who were admitted to it were those who

formed the train of all the queens, Gera Baaltehat, Qan Baaltehat,

Baaleta Shehena,75 Yagalagel Gazet, Waserbat Bet: the

Qaysa Hace76 and the Liqa Dabtara, the Serag Maasare,77

the Liqa Matsham, the Liqa Qaqetatj,78 Baaldjeho and Baal

Damo,79 Maryam Welta and the king undertook the

distribution. Everything was brought to the Nazret Bet to the right

and to the left, then they went forth to give to all the canons, to

all the Tshawa and all those signalled out by the King, bread

beer and mead, Wayedot, Shanome and Mogorya.80 Meats

prepared for festivities were stored in the Nazaret Bet; as for food

and drink left over from previous banquets, it was distributed to

everybody as I have stated it above.









Inside the right hand palisade,

above the way from the tent and at the foot of the palace, a building

was put up to house the great number of horses which were lodged

there to hide them from the gaze of strangers, and there were some

which were bridled and harnessed all day long at the approaches of

the palace.

Priests

sprinkled ceaselessly with holy water, from dusk to dawn, the King’s

palace inside of which they made their rounds. Among these priests

were some brought from Amhara and Angot in order to carry out these

functions. They recited the Gospels, the Psalms of David, formulas

denouncing Satan and chanted the psalm beginning with the words, "May God rule", without pause, from evening to morning, and, all the day long, they did not cease their sprink­ling with holy water; for the sorcerers, envious of the faith of the King and of the greatness of his justice, were plotting bad designs against him. The King him­self has said and written in his works how the evil ones cast spells on him at home and on the road when he was travelling, and how they disturbed a christening ceremony one Sunday,81

at Debra Berhan, after the conclusion of the ceremony. All this, and

how God delivered him from these spells, has been clearly told and

described by our King himself, Zara Yaqob, scion of Israel, full of

confidence in the name of the Trinity.









When the King learned of this

manoeuvre of the sorcerers against baptismal celebrations, he

immediately gave orders that a pit be dug in the ground in the

enclosure where the church stood, and ordered the builders to

construct in all haste a cistern and all the entourage of his court,

both men and women to draw water to fill it. His orders were carried

out and God accomplished thus what the King had desired and intended.

Since that day and for many years till his death, this cistern was

used for baptism, over which a building was erected which was secured

with a strong bolt. The holy water therein contained was of help for

the sick, till the time when this baptistry was destroyed by the fire

which consumed the church.









Our King decided that baptisms

should henceforth take place to the right and quite near the church,

giving us reason for this institution that had formerly found this

arrangement adopted for baptisms in the courtyard of the church of

Dabra Libanos, as well as in the temple erected by Gabra Masqual at

Hongung in the Tigre. Besides the King said, " I have read in the

Mashafa Kidan that baptisms should take place to the right of the

church; and henceforth, as a Christian people, see to it that in your

provinces and your districts, the law of God may come to pass and the

works of Satan and sorcery cease." He ordered the punishment of

those who would not observe his prescriptions and delivered their

houses to pillage.









When the King wanted to make a

Gueezo, there was a great commotion and a great agitation at the

moment

of his departure from the palace: all recoiled before him and kept

their distance in a timorous and respectful attitude. Those who

carried the baldechin and there were three big men, marched near him,

as well as the fan bearers. Those who carried the Shamma (banner?)

unfurled marched at a certain distance and surrounded the King

mounted on his horse, for on the day of the Gueezo, he went forth not

mounted on a mule, but on horseback. Away in front and in the rear,

there was a great number of Meserqana and Deb Anbasa who according to

prescription, sounded their horns and beat their drums during the

royal progress and when he returned to his quarters.









The King stationed in Dawaro

numerous Tshawa who had the names of Arquaye Basar Wadjet, Badel

Sagana, Baadal Amba, Badel Deb, Badel Nad, Baadl Mbrq, Draqo Basar

Wadjet, Jan Godab and several others whose names are unknown to me.

These officers were appointed as a result of an act of

insubordination towards the King on the part of the previous Tshawa

Jan Sagona. In order to avoid his anger which they had provoked and

the remonstrances which were addressed to them they went to Adal and

stayed there for some time on some slight pretext. After the return

of these Tshawa, the King decided to humiliate them: "In your

pride," he said to them, "you have risen against us and

against the Azmatj which we had set over you. When he punished you

and made you obey, you took offence and went off to Muslim lands. We

have, as much as God has commanded us, appointed new Tshawa. Keep to

the right way and the right law and abandon the bad way to which you

have pledged yourselves. If you refuse, we will judge you and we will

deal with you as we think fit."









The King put immediately

numerous Tshawa in the provinces of Bali and of Hadya, as well as in

those of Bagemender, Gojam, Fatagier, Ifat, Gedem, Qan, Angot, Aseda,

Tigre, Bahr Amba and Sarawa Besar Wedjet (?). In all of these

provinces he stationed numerous Tshawa and gave them special names

accord­ing to the province where they were stationed.

He

increased the power of Bahr Nagash and raised him much above all the

shums: he gave him authority over those of Sire and of Sarawe as well

as over the two Hasemen Kantiba and over the shum of Bur. He thus set

him up as a prince over them. Our King Zara Yagob reorganised in a

befitting manner the administra­tion of Ethiopia and was in all

reality for this country a torch whose light dispelled darkness from

it. May God grant him a portion of the kingdom of heaven, without

judgement and examination, and that he may encompass by his

benevolence as by a shield his son Lebna Dengel for the sake of his

pure mother.









When our King Zara Yagob went

into the district of Aksum to fulfil the law and the rite of

coronation according to the rites followed by his ancestors, and when

he arrived at the confines of that locality, all of the inhabitants,

as well as the priests, went to meet him and welcomed him with a

great rejoicing; the shums and all the Tshawa of the Tigre were on

horseback, carrying shield and lance, and the women, in great

numbers, gave themselves up, according to their ancient

custom, to an endless dance. When he entered within the gates

of the town, the King had on his right and on his left the governor

of Tigre and the administrator94 of Askum who carried and

waved according to custom, olive branches; it is for this reason that

the governor of Tigre is called Aqabe Sensenga.95 After

arriving within the walls of Aksum, the King had brought to him much

gold which he scattered as far as the city gate on the carpets which

were spread along his route. This amount of gold was more than a

hundred ounces; as for more, I do not know whether it was thirty or

forty ounces. The King did this for the glory of Sion and distributed

largesse as the Kings his predecessors. On the 21st of the month of

Ter, the day of the death of Our Holy Virgin Mary, the rite of

coronation was carried out, during which the King was seated on a

stone throne. This stone, together with its supports, is only used

for the corona­tion. There is another one on which the King is

seated when he receives the blessing and several others, to the right

and left, on which are seated the twelve chief judges. There is also

the throne of the metropolitan bishop.









During his stay at Aksum, our

King regulated all the institutions of the Church and prescribed to

be recited each day, at canonical hours, prayers which up to that

time had been neglected. He convened to this purpose a great number

of monks, he founded a convent, the head­ship of which he

confined to an abbot who had the title of Pontif of Askum and who

received an extensive grant of land called Naeder. He accomplished

this work from devotion for the Virgin











Mary and to perpetuate his own

memory and that of his children and of the children of his children.

He summoned some catechists, who were attached to the convent, and

presented to the church a great number of ornaments and a golden

ewer, revived all the old traditions, spread joy in these places and

returned thence, satisfied.









Arriving in the land of

Tsahoya, in Amhara, he went up a high and beautiful mountain, the

aspect of which he found pleasing; at the top of this mountain and

facing east, he found a wall which had been raised by King Dawit, his

father, with the intention of raising at that place a shrine which he

did not have the time to finish: in the same way the ancient King

David, who planned raising a temple to the Lord, could not com­plete

his task which was completed by his son Solomon; our King, Zara Yaqob

fulfilled the intention of his father by raising a shrine to God to

the west of this mountain. All, poor and rich, and the shums

them­selves, were ordered to carry stone and this edifice was

speedily erected. They embellished this locality, which underwent a

great transformation and where two chur­ches were built, one

called Makame Gol and the other Dabra Nagnadguad. The King attached

to them a certain number of priests and canons to whom he gave grants

of land. Moreover, he founded a con­vent and placed in it monks

from Dabra Libanos, who he endowed in a similar manner.









After having settled all

matters relating to this foundation and its priests, consecrated

definitely to the celebration of the feast of the Virgin which takes

place there constantly, and, having made a gift to the monas­tery

of vestments adorned with gold and silver, he left

these parts, went into the land of Dago where he had

previously resided and there began the construction on top of a high

mountain, of a shrine dedicated to Our Lady Mary, having been

captivated by the beauty of this elevated site which dominated all

the neighbouring hills. He had for this shrine, which he named Makona

Maryam, a particular predilection, endowed it generously and

established priests there to celebrate the adoration of God. He gave

this foundation, in memory and that she should raise his tomb there,

to the Queen Gera Baaltehat, who was called Fre Maryam and who was

the mother of Berhan Zamada, Medhen Zamada, Sabala Maryam and Del

Debaba. It was there, in fact, that he was buried afterwards

according to the desires of our King Zara Yaqob.









In the seventh year of his

reign,103 (1441?) he left the province of Amhara and went

to Eguba, situated in the district of Tagulat, celebrating there the

ceremony of baptism105 and made halt in that land which he

much liked. While he was there he received a message from the

patriarch Abba Yohannes informing him that the Muslims had destroyed

by fire the monastery of Metmaq in Egypt, being enraged at Our Lady

Mary having appeared in that locality, and because a great number of

Muslims, who witnessed this miracle, had become converted to the

faith of the Christians. When he received this message, our King Zara

Yaqob burst into tears and was profoundly stricken, as well as all

his court and the pilgrims who had made formerly the voyage to

Jerusalem. Nevertheless, to console him­self and to restore his

courage and that of his people, he said to them: "Do not weep O

Christian people, and do not feel afflicted because the monastery of

Metmaq in Egypt has been destroyed. We will build here a church to

Our Holy Virgin Mary and will call it Dabra Metmaq." Our King

commanded at once the con­struction of a church at that place and

granted it land in the district of Tagulat. He caused ornaments to be

executed in it, brought its construction to a finish and installed

priests there. Following up his declaration and the oath he had made,

he called it Debra Metmaq. While he was in that province, news came

that Arwe Badlay was marching against him. At once he left Dabra

Metmaq and the district of Dago, crossed in turn the districts of

Azor Gabaya, Afof, Yalabasha, Agam Gabaya and arrived in the

Dawaro110 with a small force known by the name of Hasab

Bawasan. The messengers which he had despatched to the holy monks of

Dabra Libanos and to other monasteries, to an­nounce these events

brought to him the following exhortation: "Be without fear, for

God has heard the prayers of the saints and you will be victorious;

you will triumph over your enemy by the might of God."









The Garad of Hadya also sent

word to the King to tell him to summon him if he had need of his

help; he gave at the same time Arwe Badlay assurances of his loyalty

and of his support, but this was only a false promise.









Our King Zara Yaqob sent word

to the Garad of Hadya not to come, to stay at Ayfors, to set up his

camp there and to stay there until he summoned him. The King then

despatched a Malkana to him and, following the orders he had

received, the Garad of Hadya stayed at Ayfars. This Garad, called

Mehimad, was the father of Queen Eleni, Qan Baaltehat; he was not

trusted because he was Moslem as well as Arwe Badlay, and it was for

this reason that he was kept away from the fighting area, for his

intentions were suspect.









When our King Zara Yaqob came

across Arwe Badlay and his innumerable army, he was dismayed by it;

he invoked God, girded his loins with the power of the Holy Ghost and

made ready to do battle with his small force. The Aqabe Saat, Amha

Seyon, made the following remark to him: "Ate you not too eager,

O my master, to do battle without waiting that your army come to your

aid; for you have here only weak forces; you yourself are not

prepared and you have not put on your battle armour, nor disposed the

battle array? How can you take such a decision?" Our King took

up the conversation and said to him: "Know you not these words

of the prophet David": "The King is not succoured by a

numerous army, nor the hero by his personal valiance; the horse rears

not and delivers not by his own strength. As for me, I have put my

confidence in the Lord. He will come to my aid in His mercy."112

And immediately he gave the order to raise the umbrellas, sound the

Meserqana, beat the Deb Anbasa, and to advance the standards on all

sides, and all were impressed by this imposing and majestic

spectacle. Seeing this, Arwe Badlay, perplexed and seized by fear,

said to his people: "Did you not tell me that it was not the

King who was marching against us, but his shum Hasaba Wasan while it

is the King himself who is at the head of his troops?" While

they were thus discussing this, our King Zara Yaqob broke through to

this unbeliever and overthrew a part of his army. A soldier threw a

dart into the face of Arwe Badlay; the latter broke it with his hand

and threw himself at the King in order to seize him, but his rashness

was the cause for which God made him fall by the King’s hand. The

latter plunged his lance in his neck and cut his throat. All those

who were around the King rejoiced because of this, but he praised on

high the name of the Trinity. Thereupon all the Muslims who formed

the army of Arwe Badlay took to flight, and the Christians pursued

them killing them with their swords and lances or tumbling them down

precipices. The number of those killed was formidable; not a soldier

survived out of the enemy army. God had punished them according to

their pride. Arwe Badlay’s brother, Karadiu, fled and reached the

river Hawash; as the King was worried by what might have eluded him,

the Jan Segana began to pursue him and caught up with him at a place

where he halted. They cut his head off which they brought to the

King, our lord; at this sight, he rejoiced and danced a lot: "Today

is verily a day of gladness," he cried; "truly the glory of

the birth of Christ has worked a miracle." For it was the day of

the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the 29th of the month of Tahsas.









The King then had the dead

counted, the prisoners, as well as those who fell down precipices and

the horses which had been captured: their number was consider­able.

A large number of priests then arrived, intoning joyful canticles; in

each town there was a celebration for men and women who gave

themselves up to dancing and rendered thanks to God. The King

summoned the Garad of the Hadya, who had remained at Ayfars, so that

he might witness this miracle, and he gave him rich garments when he

had obtained proof that his intentions had been good. Then the head,

hands and feet of the unbeliever Arwe Badlay were cut off; his body

was cut up and pieces of it were sent to all the provinces: his head

to Amba and the other members to Aksum, Manhadbe, Washl, Djedjeno,

Lawo and Wiz. Dabra Nagnadguad received his accoutrements, his lance,

his sword, his umbrella, his Haykal as well as all the jewels

belonging to his wife, his effects and his shirts of many colours

were divided up between Dabra Metmaq, Seyon and other holy places.

And all the inhabitants of Ethiopia cast stones on what was left of

his body.









Glory to God who has fulfilled

the wishes of Zara Yaqob, His anointed, and who, by means of a

tre­mendous miracle, has granted the arm of our King the power to

overthrow his enemy; that He may fill him yet with joy in seating him

in His celestial abode to­gether with all of his elect, Amen. May

he doubly extend his grace to King Lebna Dengel, his son; may he

always afford him his aid to exterminate his enemies and may he

prolong his days! Amen and amen.









Our King Zara Yaqob then

returned full of joy and gladness and reached the province of

Fatager, at a place called Telq, where he had been born and where he

lived and began raising a shrine to Mikael. His father, Dawit, had

also established many foundations called Yalabasha where he had

lived; there also he built a great shrine which he called Martula

Mikael and another called Asada Mikael. Both these shrines were

served by one archpriest. The King en­dowed each with land,

installed priests there, regulated equitably that which concerned

them and ordered that they should be rapidly brought to completion.

And God fulfilled his desire. May He extend also to him His celestial

kingdom! Amen.









He then went into the land of

Euzarda, where too he raised a chapel which he called Dabra Sehin and to which he attached some canons chosen among cantors and those who were preparing for the priesthood. He granted an hereditary estate to secure their future, as well as lands to commemorate the memory of the Virgin and his many feast days.. After having settled the foundation of this church and its priests, our King left this

locality and went into the land of Kaleta where he stayed only for a

few days; then he crossed the river Warari and arrived at Iba; he

resolved to remain in that locality which appealed much to him

because of its beauty. Shortly after his arrival, there was an

uprising of the children of Estifa, who declared that they did want

to prostrate themselves before Our Lady Mary not before the cross of

her son. The King had them summoned before himself, made them repeat

what they had said and, during a discussion in which his priests took part, he confounded them and covered them with shame; but they did not abandon for all this their errors.











The King then had them judged,

convoked all his court and the pilgrims who had returned from

Jerusalem, and it was decided that " they should undergo special tortures till they died. Their noses and tongues were cut off and they were stoned to death on the 2nd of the month of Yaktit.

Thirty-eight days after their stoning, the 10th of Magabit, the day

of the feast of the Cross, a light appeared in the sky and remained

visible in all the land for several days, which caused that our King

took fancy to this locality which he named Dabra Berhan. He built

their a magnificent church which he placed under the invocation of

Our Lord Jesus Christ and which, through the efforts of the Aqete

Jar124 and of all the governors of Shoa, was finished in

eight days, for he had ordered haste. To roof this church, all the

inhabitants of the area without distinction brought straw from Gedem

up to Fatagar. The light appeared for a second time when the mass was being said, and for a third time during the night, when the

choristers were intoning in the church the hymn "God reigns".

This light was clearly seen by the choristers and by the King who

declared they had seen it descending on the church. Zara Yaqob, who

had from Queen Gera Baaltehat the land of Iba, made the vow to give

it to this church for its priests and its services. He resolved to

fix in this place his residence, ordered all his officials to settle

there as well and to set up there his residence, and to all the

Tshawa who were at court to take part in the building of the Jagual

and the enclo­sure; he ordered all the shums of Shoa to bring

trunks of wild olive to contribute to this construction. They did not bring any other trees except olive trees from which they stripped off the bark, as I have described above, so that the Jagual might be white. Nobody was allowed to approach this enclosure.

During his stay at Dabra Berhan, our King arranged all the institutions of his kingdom: it was then that men were put to death and that others were condemned to exile for crimes against God or against His anointed; it was then too that those who had carried out the will of God and obeyed the King were rewarded and heaped with honours.









It was already a long time that

the King had lived in that locality when a great plague came which

killed such a great number of people that none were left to bury the

dead. The King then began the construction of Beta Qirqos to the

right of Dabra Berhan, so that God might take the plague away from

the place, mindful of the promise of the Eternal One: "The

plague will not come to a place where a shrine be raised to your

memory and there will be there neither drought nor dearth." The

faith and confidence of our King Zara Yaqob drove the disease from

the gates of his palace as he had hoped. He accordingly commanded his

sons and his queens to present Beta Qirqos, Gemedja and books; he

resolved that sermons should only be held in that church and that

those who might want to hear them would not be able to hear them

elsewhere.

He

regulated worship according to the Orthodox faith and made it known

that the old Sabbath day should be as religiously observed as Sunday, as accordingly the Apostles laid it down in their canons, where it is said: "We, Peter and Paul command that the slaves work for five days of the week and consecrate the two others to God." He also

commanded the celebration of the 29th of each month to glorify the

birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ and because he had that very day

vanquished Arwe Badlay; he demanded that the 32 feasts of Our Lady

should be, the same as Sunday, celebrated with the greatest

punctuality, just as the bishops and patriarchs have prescribed it,

under the pain of excommunication; he also instituted a monthly feast

in honour of Saint Michael, as well as feasts for all the priests and

arch-priests of heaven, for the four heavenly animals,131

the prophets and apostles, and recommended the sanctifica-tion of all

these feasts by alms, largesse and large distri­butions of bread

to the needy. He embodied these injunctions in his holy books, which

are entitled: " The Book of Incarnation," "The Book of

Light,"132 "The Book of the Birth,"133

"The Abjuration of Satan," "The Book of the

Substance,"134 "The Treasury of Mysteries"135

and "Reign of God."









While he was carrying out this

settlement, the King remained for 12 years without leaving Dabra

Berhan, and during the following two years, he limited himself to

going to Falago, Dabra Metmaq and to some other localities in the

neighbourhood, returning as soon as possible to Dabra Berhan, which

makes in all 14 years, after which our King Zara Yaqob died.

May

God, in His justice and His great mercy, divide with him the kingdom

of heaven; may He give him the celestial Jerusalem, which needs

neither the sun nor the moon to light it, and where he will joyously

find all the prophets, the apostles, the disciples, all the just and

all the martyrs; may He protect his son Lebna Dengel and watch over

his life and kingdom till the day that He comes down from heaven to

judge the living and the dead by His power; may He exterminate all

His enemies from the face of the earth, for the sake of the Virgin

Mary, His pure mother; may He, each day and at each hour, fill him

with joy and happiness, and that all the nation may say, invoking the

flesh and blood of Our Lord Jesus Christ: "Amen, Amen!"







I.

Chapter dealing with Justice and Faith.



During the reign of our King

Zara Yaqob, there was in the whole land of Ethiopia a great peace and

a great tranquility, for the King taught justice and faith, and he

can be compared to the prophets and apostles for the excellence of

his predictions and his doctrines. The Ethiopian people had, in fact,

neglected the precepts of their faith and the sanctification of the

Sabbath and feast days; I have witnessed myself, in my youth, that

the Sabbath was profaned and that everybody worked on that day.









It was only beginning from the

ninth hour,137 when the trumpet was sounded, that all

activity ceased and that people, starting their rest, used to say:

"It is now that the Sabbath begins." Other feast days were

no better observed; the King re-established them and pre­scribed

that the Sabbath should foe as holy as Sunday, without any

distinction, according to the prescriptions of the holy apostles.

Likewise, he ordered, that the 33138 feasts of Mary, the

monthly feasts of St. Michael and the Birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ,

as well as other feasts should be observed punctually. Moreover, he

gave instructions that in churches there should not only be a single

altar, but two or several, and that among these there should be one

of them consecrated to Mary. He taught and prescribed to be taught

the Credo, the Pater­noster, the Decalogue and the six words of

the Gospel, the belief in one only God in three persons, the

spiritual birth of the Son from the Father without mother and the

second birth of the Son issued from Mary without father. All these

beliefs and these practices, as well as others of a similar nature,

were taught by our King, who ordered them to be taught to all men and

women by calling them ail together on Sabbath days and feast days, in

every locality. He ordered the shums to pillage the houses and seize

the goods of priests who would not follow these prescriptions and

would not provide this teaching in their churches.







II.

Chapter on the Coronation and on the Organisation of Churches



After his accession to the

throne, our King Zara Yaqob went to Aksum, settled equitably the

affairs of that place, renewed the priests and went through there the

coronation ceremony, as did his ancestors, with the assistance of

legislators established for this purpose since a long time ago; then

he returned thence full of gladness and arrived in the land of Sahay.

He came across there an attractive site, where he had erected a

handsome residence.139 He had transported there from Seyon

the remains of his father Dawit in spite of the lively opposition of

the inhabitants of Mawaal, who refused to give up the coffin of this

king, because three Sasorgutj, called Ab Radai, Gabru and Metus had

told them: "Do not give up the sepulchre of our King Dawit, and

if they come to ask you for it, make no reply to the messengers of

the King and the pontiffs."









The King, angry with the

inhabitants of that locality, sent some Tshawa, picked among the

Baadal Jan, who seized, together with their wives and their children,

the people of that town who had refused to obey him and brought them

to the royal palace. These confessed that the three Sasorgutj had

advised them not to give up the remains of King Dawit. The King at

once summoned these three Sasorgutj whom he questioned in these

terms: "When I intimated to you my intention to transfer here

the remains of my father Dawit, you told me: ‘Yes, you do well.’ Why

have you then advised the inhabitants of the town to oppose what the

King desired?" for this reason he had these Sasorgutj severely

punished and condemned them to prison. They were struck off the roll

of the Dabtara and it was decided that their descen­dants could

not become either Sasargue nor Dabtara. As for the inhabitants of the

town, they were pardoned and returned to their district. The King

placed the remains of his father in a subterranean chamber which he

had made for this purpose at Dabra Nagnadguad. For the events which I

have just told, I refer to the evidence of the Serag Masare Yohannes

who lives among you and knows everything.









When the Queen Egzie Kebra, his

mother, began the construction of a church at Malza, our King begged

her and persuaded her by wise reasons not to continue

this task, so that they might not be separated from each other

after their death; for this reason, he demolished the church and had

it reconstructed at Dabra Nagnadguad, which pleased his mother. Our

King Zara Yaqob, who had already had the remains of his father

transferred to Dabra Nagnadguad and who later had his mother buried

there, wanted later to be reunited with them. It is for this reason

that he had a great attachment and a signal veneration for Dabra

Nagnadguad and gave to the priests of that church vast estates to

celebrate his memory, that of the King his father and of the Queen

his mother.









Having made these dispositions,

he raised in the province of Dago, where he had spent the first years

of his reign, another shrine to which he gave the name of Makana

Maryam;144 he fitted it out and made a present of it, with

full property rights, to Jan Hadya, the wife of his youth, who had

the title of Gera Baaltehat145. He left that place in due

course and came to the district of Tagulat, where he built a church

which he called Dabra Metmaq, and having learnt while he was in that

locality that Arwe Badlay was marching against him, he commanded

public prayers to be said everywhere, left in all haste with a few

troops, confident in the might of God and the aid of his mother, Our

Lady Mary, and arrived in the province of Dawaro, where Arwe Badlay

was.





He did battle with him on the

the day of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the 29th of the month

of Tahsas, and God, miraculously manifesting his power,

overthrew the unbeliever by the hand of our King, Zara Yaqob. The

latter rendered unto God many a thanksgiving for the aid that he had

so promptly afforded him.





He then ordered the seizure

of the garments of Arwe Badlay and those of his wife, had his

members cut off one by one, and ordered the count, of those, or the

enemy army, who perished by the sword or by falling down precipices.

Their number was so considerable that all those who had seen or heard

talk of the prodigies which God had accomplished by the hand of his

anointed, with such a small army, were full of wonder.





Our King presented the rich

garments of this unbeliever, his wife’s jewels and his umbrella, to

Dabra Nagnadguad and to other places. His head and his members were

sent to places where markets were held, so that the whole people

might see them and render thanks to God, and this event caused great

joy every­where. When our King, Zara Yaqob was returning with

contentment in his heart, priests from all parts came before him

chanting canticles, as well as the monks of Dabra Libanos, who had

previously sent him their wishes that he might be victorious with

their prior Abba Endreyas. Our King made this church

numerous presents: 150 ounces of gold, 30 genedja worked with gold, seven wagarat of pure silk, seven golden fans, several other precious objects and 2,000 oxen; he entered into a

covenant of friendship with the monks, sat down at table with them in the convent and gave them 100 measures of land in Alat to celebrate the 29th of each month, the glorious anniversary of the birth of Our Lord Jesus Christ, and in memory of the victory which he had gained that very day; this foundation exists still in our days. He gave to this monastery, which was the called Dabra Asebo, the name of Dabra Libanos endowed it with still more properties and manifested for this foundation a profound attachment and great veneration.









Let us now return to our tale.

After his return from the province of Dawaro, our King came to

Yalabash, where his father had formerly lived and where he him­self

had been born; he raised there a handsome shrine which he called

Martula Mikael. On the spot of his birth itself, called Telq, he

raised another church to which he gave the name of Asadu Mikael. He

installed one high priest for these two churches and endowed their

priests with lands. Then he had constructed a magnifi­cent shrine

at Enzoredja, which he called Dabra Sahin. From there he went into

the land of Kaleta, where he stayed for a short time, and then came

to the district of Iba, where he set up his quarters and grew

attached to it. It was then, at that place, that there was an

appari­tion of Our Lord Jesus Christ and of the light which was

treated above and which was visible to all, in all the land, on the

day of the feast of the glorious Cross, after he had put to death the children of Estifa (Stephanites) for having refused to worship Our Lady Mary and the cross, and it is in memory of this apparition that he called Dabra Berhan the shrine which he had raised and which he had made a superb edifice. The construction of this shrine did not last longer than 60 days, for he had ordered all the Aqet Jar to make haste. The inhabitants of Gedem and of Gana, those of Ifat and of Fatagar, as well as all the shums of Shoa, brought materials to cover it. He established his residence at Dabra

Berhan and during his stay in that locality, he toiled at

strengthening the institutions of the kingdom. He had a royal

residence constructed, surrounded by a strong wall, such as had never been built by any of his predecessors: it is there that a great many of the regulations were framed.



When the plague decimated the

land, he commanded all the inhabitants of each locality to come

together in order to bury the dead, carrying a stick and tree

branches and sprinkling holy water. He gave to this gathering of men

the name of "Congregation of the Gospel and called their sticks

the " Stick of Moses." The shums were given the order to

pillage the houses and to seize the goods of those who did not

conform to these prescriptions and did not bury the dead in their

localities.







III.

Chapter on the Organisation of the Administration of Ethiopia



Our King Zara Yaqob conferred

on the princesses, his daughters, the government of Ethiopia and,

during his reign, there had not been another Belit Wadad except for

Amda Sayton, who was demoted soon after his nomination and condemned

to exile for his crimes against the King. I have not been privy to

the secret delicts which he had committed, but he committed publicly

a very great one by marrying, though married

to a princess, another woman and by subsequently marrying her

off to the Sasargue Amda Iyasus. It was for these reasons that he

was called Amha Sayton and condemned to exile as well as the Sasargue

Amha Iyasus. The office of Belit Wadad was then conferred on his

wife, Berhan Zamada, who occupied the place on the left, and that of

the right was conferred on Madhen Zamada. The government of Tigre

was en­trusted to Del Somera, that of Augot to

Bahr Mangesha, that of Begander to Sabala Maryam, that of Amhara to

Amata Mashili, that of Gedem to Sofya, that of the Shoa to Rom

Ganayala, that of Gojam to Asnaf Samera, and Tewoderos was instituted

Yojon Sabar Ras. But the Gad Yestan of these princesses ravaged

their provinces, for, at that time, there were no royal delegates,

but they themselves were the delegates and Ethiopia was delivered up

to pillage. It is at the instigation of these Gad Yestan that Amba

Nahad, shum of Salamt, Sagey, shum of Samen and the shum Kantiba

revolted. After having abandoned the faith of Christians, they

embraced the Jewish religion, killed a great number of the

inhabitants of the province of Amhara, and when the King came to do

battle with them, they defeated his troops, drove them away and

burned down all churches in their districts. This is how the

Christians came to be ruined by these Gad Yestan who took away all

their goods, pillaged their houses and did not even leave them the

Mateb around their necks. Their ravages were not perpetrated solely

against people in their part of the country, but extended to all the

people of Ethiopia.







IV.

How the Princesses and several other persons were put to death

and punished



At that time appeared evil

men called Taowqa Berhan and Zara Seyon whose hearts Satan had

filled with evil thoughts. They denounced to the King these

princesses and other persons who they declared having prostrated

themselves with the princesses before Dasak and Dino; they also

brought up against them many other accusations known to the King

only; the crime of idolatry is the only one which has been revealed

to the public. The King punished severely these princes called

Tewoderos, Galowdewos, Amde Seyon, Zara Abreham and others whose

names I cannot recollect, as well as his daughters Asnaf Somera, Del

Samere and others. He then summoned a great assembly, and

showing those who composed it the pains and heavy punishment

inflicted on his children, he said to them: "See how I have

acted with my children; in my zeal for God, I have not spared them

for having sinned against Him. Now, say whether you consider

this calvary sufficient or if, for the glory of god, we should still

increase it". Then all the people present burst into tears and

replied: "What punishment could be added to this one, O King our

Lord, for they are on the point of death". Some of the royal

progeny died at the place of torture and others at their quarters.

Besides there was a great number of Ethiopians whose names I do not

know, who were put to death or condemned to other pains, for in these

accusations brought by Zara Seyon, Taowqa Berhan and Gabre Krestos,

these sons of Satan, were comprised judges, governors, monks,

poor and rich; but afterwards the accusers were arrested

themselves, punished severely for their evil deeds and condemned to

imprisonment. Zara Seyon died where he was imprisoned, uttering these

words: "See how Abba Endreyas of Dabra Libanos pierces me with a

lance of fire". For it was on his accusation that this prior was

seized and imprisoned and died in his prison. As for Gabra Krestos,

the King Baeda Maryam seized him later and killed him, and Taowqa

Berhan died in prison.







V.

How the King reorganised the administration of Ethiopia which he

had previously entrusted to his daughters.



The King named in each province

an Adagsh to whom he gave, according to the district, the title of

Raq Masre or of Hagano. Similarly he took in hand the administration

of the clergy and nothing remained outside his authority. He directed

to Dabra Libanos the revenues of Shoa which had been granted to a

Tsahafe Lam155 and those destined for the maintenance of

some Tsewa which had been granted to Baala Damo, Baala Diho, Jan

Shanqa and Badel Dagan. As for other revenues of Ethiopia, he

ear­marked for himself alone and directed their yield for the

maintenance of his table and for his personal needs.

Our

King made also the following prescriptions: When you invoke the name

of God, all you Christians, say at first: "I prostrate myself

before the magnificence of his Kingship", then invoke his name.

Likewise, when you will want to invoke the name of our Lady Mary,

say: "It is meet to prostrate oneself before her virginity,"

then invoke it. Finally, when you hear our word or when you appear

before us, say, always prostrating youselves: "We prostrate

ourselves before the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, who gave us

as King, Zara Yaqob". After a reign of thirty five years, during

which he made all these prescriptions, fixed and strengthened

institutions and had written new work, our King Zara Yaqob died in

peace at Dabra Berhan.









I have just told the story of

our king, Zara Yaqob, the peer of the elect disciples and the

exterminator of the Jews. May God receive him in his celestial court,

which has always been the goal of his desires, and may He prolong the

days of his son Lebna Dengel, without that his glory be diminished,

till the disappearance of heaven and earth. Amen.

May

Our Lord Jesus Christ, on him be praises and blessings, share with

our King Zara Yaqob the celestial Jerusalem, and his temple, without

examining his deeds and without judging him severely; may He grant

his son Lebna Dengel the power to destroy the unbelievers; may He

bless his reign and guard for ever his body and soul against all

blemish ! Amen.











3 The herald acted

as a public crier.



4 Hayq is on the

confines of Shoa and Geshe. According to Ludolf (Comment ad

Hist Ethiop., p. 264) exile was the punish­ment reserved

for the nobility



5 The Aqabe Saat

(guardian of the hour) was one of the principal court officials

in Ethiopia.



6 Gift of Sion.



7 The Djagual.



8 The Amharic

Malkana means governor or director.



9 Bent Waded:

only the gate; important royal officials ranking as

principal chamberlains.



10 The house of

Solomon through the Queen of Sheba.



11 One of the chief

judges of the kingdom.





12 A monastery in

Tigre.



13 Satan has

glorified him.



14 A place of

exile.



15 An official of

the royal household.



16 Majordomo or

attendant.



17 General of the

vanguard.



18 Title of a

provincial governor.



19 Gar-ad, one of

the numerous titles conferred on governors of provinces.



20 Hadya, a kingdom

in the south of Ethiopia.



21 Title conferred

on favourite wives of the King.



22 Lady of the Right.



23 The King used to

invite chiefs to " come to his door."



24 Gadayto, a

district of Hadya.



25 On the Hawash

river.



26 All districts of

Hadya.



27 A locality which

cannot be placed with exactitude.



28 Basar Shotal

(dagger for the enemy), probably the name of a crack regiment.



29 i.e , priests

and monks.



30 This vision is

later attributed to the King himself.



31 A regiment (?)



32 Amba, mountain.





33 Cambric.



34 Silk cloth



35 Probably the

main gate, today known as Dadj Salamta.



36 A palisaded

enclosure.



37 Raq Masarotj is

the plural of Rao; Masare, an official of the royal household



38 Jan Masare,

another official of the royal household, a master of ceremonies

who introduces foreigners to the throne.



39 i.e., their

robes of office.



40 One of the

divisions of the royal court.



41 Principal

gateway.



42 The Gate of

Food, i.e., the kitchen gate



43 Tent of

Meetings.



44 Tent of the

Treasury.



45 The Lebanon

Monastery in Shoa.



46 The Monastery of

Mary in Begemder.



47 Bizan in

Hamasen.



48 On an island in

Lake Tana.



49 The Halleluia

Convent in Tigre near Aksum.



50 A Shanqalla

village near the Mogereib river, an affluent of the Barka.



51 In Arnhara.



52 In the province

of Fatagar.



53 i.e., the

benefactor, a honorific title of the King.



54 Servant of the

Highest.



55 Plant of Mary.



56 Servant of

Jesus.



57 Upper front.



58 One of the high

judges, guardian of the royal household.



59 Lower front.



60 Fatagar House,

perhaps where the revenues from Fatagar Province were stored.



61 The word Tsewa

means soldier in Amharic. tout here it seems to mean guard

regiments attendant on the King or pro­vincial garrisons.

All the names that follow are the names of the different

Tsewes.



62 Guardian.



63

Eunuch-chamberlain.



64 Plural of

Azaz, "he who commands"; another plural

Azazotj; modern meaning, majordomo; contemporary

mean­ing, royal secretary.



65 Probably

ceremonial apron.



66 Nobles, sing,

Geta.



67 Supreme judge of

appeal for ecclesiastics.



68 Another supreme

justice.



69 Title of one of

the officials of the royal household.



70 Names of Tsewas

similar to those mentioned before.



71 Royal jewel

house and wardrobe.



72 "Royal

Tent,’ i.e., the Nazret Bet was as large as 30 tents.



73 The Barakat Bet

where presents brought for the King were deposited.



74 Ornate garments.



75 Gera Baaltehat,

Queen of the Left, Qan Baaltehat, Queen of the Right; Baaleta

Shehena may be another title of Qan Baaltshat.



76 Probably the

royal chaplain.



77 According to

Bruce, one of the chief judges also charged with driving away

hyenas and other wild beasts from the gate of the royal palace.



78 Among the 44

chief judges there were four Liqa Matone Qaqetoj.







79 Probably

governors of Dabra Djego and Damo.

80

Wagedat, Shaname and Magarga, meaning unknown.





