BY KFLEEYESUS ABEBE
Ethiopian art works might be blamed for being confined to some places, some ways or favoring urban places by producing ample content. Ethiopian literature on the otherhand should be praised for bringing different cultures and views and beautifully telling to their audience. Writers in Amharic language promoted different cultures and customs of Ethiopia by making different corners of the country their setting. The emergence of authors across the country might be the reason for writers to come up with new setting, styles and content that reflects the richness of Ethiopia in terms of tradition, language and other.
Afewerk Gebreeyesus who is reputed for writing Ethiopia’s first novel was born and raised in Gondar. His root must have impacted him to write “Tobiya,” which is a story of Christian monarch. Haddis Alemayehu was a best seller and still is a big figure in Ethiopian literature. His book “Fikre Eske Mekaber” exhibits in Ethiopia’s rural life particularly Debremarkos, Gojjam where he was born and raised. Prolific Abe Gubegna went to Ge’ez language and “qene” school in Gojjam and Gondar. That may have helped him to powerfully and artistically criticised the central administration in the time in his book “Aleweledm” [I Will Not Be Born] and others.
Writers from the then Shewa province like Kebede Michael, Hiruy Woldesellassie, Dagnachew Worku, Sahle Sellassie Berhane Mariam, laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin and others were dominant as they blend lingustic and other riches of their respective hometown tales and stories with modernity. As they were influential in government offices or education institutions, their works raised big issues like governance, soceital chnage and similar issues, and they had wide reach. Sahle Sellassie Berhane Mariam who was born in Sahle Ananka, Guraghe Zone gave the glimpse of life among the Gurage people in his book the Afersata. In his book, he raised the issue of harmful practices and their negative effect on the lives of people.
Laureate Tsegaye Gebremedhin and Solomon Deresa are significant writers in Ethiopia literature as they brought Oromigna language and oromo people’s culture into Amharic literature. Both poets have adapted words from Oromigna and helped important stories in Oromo culture reach Amharic readers. One of Solomon’s poem book is titled by Oromigna “Wolalot meaning poem. It is receieved positively for its unique style and briging of new culture and style to Amharic literature. Whereas, Bealu Girma used his hometown Supe, a small town in Illubabor Oromia region as setting of story in “Yehelina Dewel” (The Bell of Conscience). Other books: like Keadmas bashager/ Beyond horizon and Yekey Koko teri/ are set in Addis Ababa where he attended his primary and secondary school and lived the rest of his life.
Mengistu Lemma and Gebre kirstos Desta emerged from Harar, Eastern Ethiopia. Mengistu has even taken muslim education. Mengistu and Gebre kirstos’s gave unique contributions in Ethiopian literature though both focused on general themes and setting.
For the other writers like Sebhat Gebreegizhabher who was born in Adwa, Tigray, imaginative works depended on learning and world experiences. Sebhat is famous for writing deviant stories challenging accepted norms and values
particularly on sexuality. Sebhat explored life in Addis Ababa then wrote novels like “Letum Aynegalegn” and “Tekusat”. These were controversial books in the time given the conservative culture and the audience wasn’t still ready for such . In his book Egremenged/ On my way, he wrote about different cultures such as the ways and tales from Wollo people, the Guraghe tradition, Ethiopian myths and others. Fekremarkos Desta also followed this path. He went on exploring other cultures in his sequeal books : “Ke Buska Beskejerba”, “Evangadi” and others.
A study on Literary networks in the Horn of Africa wrote Fiqre Marqos “Fiqre Marqos Desta has chosen to write about the people whose voice was never heard in the Amharic literary tradition. His ethnographic novels in Amharic talk about the Hamar, Kio, Ebore and other ‘minor’ ethnic groups in the south-western parts of Ethiopia.”
Amharic literature was also a platform for various social, economic and political issues to be discussed. For instance, Berhanu Zerihun has used his novels Maebel (“The Flood”) (Vol. 1, 1974; Vol. 2, 1981; Vol. 3, 1982) to show the severity of 1985 drought. Encyclopaedia Aethiopica exalts and summarizes the themes of Berhanu’s triology as this:
“It was a political work. The novels depicted the problems of Ethiopian society, the inequities of the old regime, and the prospects of socialist development. All three volumes of Maebel were subsequently read on the radio.”
Amharic literature sustains its exploration and distribution with current influential writers like Adam Reta, Alemayehu Gelagaye, Bewketu Seyoum, Endalegeta Kebede and others bringing urban lives, thoughts, history and other subjects.
Other forms of fiction and non fiction are also written and continue to be written in Amharic, making it a lingua franca preserving Ethiopian wisdom, thoughts and heritage. Comparing with other forms of art, Amharic literature can be considered an exhibit, a platform and example of Ethiopian diversity. But a lot can still be done as Ethiopia is a mosaic of cultures. In order to expand this, activities like expansion of schools and development of reading culture would be pivotal.
The Ethiopian Herald 25 June 2023
