BY KFLEEYESUS ABEBE
From different ways to know about a given country, reading its literary work is very handy. Literature takes readers to places they never been before as the same time, it represents the culture or language of people.
Ethiopia’s rich history, traditions, beliefs, ways of life and the beauty of its landscape are embroiled in the literature. A visitor can explore Ethiopian literature and find relevant information about the country. He/she will surely be amused by Ethiopian culture, history.
It is true that Amharic is the most influential literary language in Ethiopian literature. Literary giants from Afewerk Gebreyesus to young writers of today have used Amharic as a medium to jot down different stories, traditions, narrations, biographies, travelogues and other forms of writings. Amharic with its own script have served writers to tell their beautiful local stories to local readers. ‘Fiker Eske mekaber’ by Haddis Alemayehu, ‘Adefris’ by Dagnachew Worku, ‘Teret ena mesale’ by Kebede Mikael, and ‘Oromay’ by Bealu Girma are among the most read Amharic novels. The novelists and poets have raised awareness on various sociopolitical and economic issues among Ethiopians.
However, Ethiopian writers aren’t confined to Amharic and Ethiopian readers only. The writers have written Ethiopian stories in foreign languages mainly in French and English. They have tried many times to reach out the world to exhibit their literary competence and help foreigners better understand Ethiopia.
A visitor who would like to read a historical fiction may find The Thirteen Sun and ‘Defiance’ very interesting books. The books have interesting historical foundation, narrating skills and good command of English language.
The Thirteen Sun is among prominent English novels written by Ethiopian Writer Dagnachew Worku. It shows generational gap between the then young and senior citizens of Ethiopia. It is an allegorical depiction of a conflicted Ethiopian society before the overthrown of Emperor Haileselassie’s regime. Someone reading this book will at least gets the glimpse of Ethiopia’s history and its youth’s quest for modernization.
Oxford published ‘Defiance’ is written by prolific writer Abe Gubegna and takes readers back to the time of Ethiopia’s resistance against Italy. The story is set in 1937 and presents the horrors of war. The struggle between freedom fighters, and quislings and Italian fascists is interestingly narrated. Again someone who reads this novel will add up on his information about Ethiopia. The book presents vivid details of the war: Ethiopians’ fight for freedom and their strategies to wipe out the Fascist Italian invader. The same writer has also written the first Ethiopian play in English.
The struggle against maladministration and harmful traditional practices have also been a central idea in the novels of the time. A very good example in this regard is The Afersata which is authored by Sahleselassie Birehanemariam. The novel highlights Ethiopia’s traditional court system. In the absence of formal courts, the case is dealt with a village council named Afersata. The story discusses feudalism and development.
A reader at Goodreads commented: “As part of my world Books Project, I visited Ethiopia through the eyes of Sahleselassie. If I had to use one word to describe it, that would be Welcoming. He welcomes us, the world, into an Ethiopian village, flinging the doors open on their way of life and their viewpoint, allowing us to enter their homes and taste their food, to participate in a home raising and even in the search for truth, because that is what an Afersata is.”
Faith, Unique tradition, and hospitality are also among the subjects of Ethiopian novels. Land of the Yellow Bull by Fikremarkos Desta is a nice book in respect to representing Ethiopia’s diversity. The book talks about indigenous life of the Hamer people and it’s environ. In the story we find a foreigner captivated by purity of the Hamer people and make her life there.
Ethiopia’s political interests have also been reflected in the works of its literary giants. Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin’s poem is one among many. In his poem the Nile Laureate Tsegaye asserts Ethiopia’s natural rights saying: “you are the source, you the Africa, you are Ethiopia, you are the Nile.”
Ethiopians have continued to use English as a medium to reach global audience. Evil days by Mulugeta Gudeta, Children of the Revolution by Dinaw Mengistu and Beneath The Lion Gaze by Meaza Mengiste are more recent Ethiopian novels in English. In addition to the aforementioned writers; many Ethiopian writers including Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin and Solomon Deresa have also written poems in English.
Ethiopians don’t have conflicted ideas on the use of English as a medium. As they are proud to use Amharic as an influential literary language in their works, they want to add English too. This is solely to serve the purpose of promoting Ethiopia and Ethiopian literature at global stage.
Author Sahlesellassie once said “I strongly feel that the outside world must know about our culture, history and the society in general.”
Through English, Ethiopian writers are promoting its untapped resources, beautiful scenery, and ancient history, audacity of people, Ethiopian wisdom and its pursuit of modernization. Hence, a foreigner who reads Ethiopian literature will advance in knowing Ethiopia. A visitor may find little but essential facts like Ethiopia’s location, natural resource, cuisine, diversity of religion and ethnicity and victory against colonizers.
The Ethiopian Herald July 31/2021
