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(The remains of Queen Sheba's palace at right.)
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Prof. Alzouma's class
Sannu! More students at AUN
Prof. Alzouma's class
African Civ - photo 2
Prof. Alzouma's class
African Civ at AUN-1
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THE SEPARATION OF THE DARASSA
AND THE JAM-JAMO
This Ethiopioan myth tells the struggle of two clans, the Jam-Jamo and the Darassa. This myth would have been used by the Jam-Jamo to build confidence in battle as well as to conjure up great feelings for their dead ruler Uraga. In this myth the two clans battle and trade places as the powerful and weak in this local power struggle of Ethiopia.
War is persistent because war aids a power struggle. As long as there is imbalance among communities there will continuously be a power struggle and therefore there will be war.
It is apparent that in this case the purpose of the myth is to instill their dead king Uraga’s name with great honor. However it also abundantly clear that this myth does not just illustrate a certain number of events but instead it illustrates a cycle, one which leads these two clans down a road of continuous fighting and blood shed.
In the end both clans will lose young men to the fighting. Driving the defeated Jam-Jamo further south will only lead to more blood shed. Growing up in England and Holland I saw that the streets of most towns and cities were fought over by rivaling football gangs and clans. There was no real reason for this but with groups such as the Jam-Jamo and football gangs in Europe group mentality can take over. This is what I see when reading this myth. The Darassa and the Jam-Jamo could have ensued peace at several points throughout, however neither side did. Looking at how these two rival clans reflect those rivaling football gangs in Europe illustrates how this myth transcends across societal boundaries and is apparent in all countries and times, both past and present.
While myths in this sense are not mirrored in modern times there are other mediums which tell the same sort of stories today. However perhaps the most effective source for lending values is these myths of the past. The past always repeats itself and in the case of these myths they are more useful than ever. One may deal with a so called “modern situation” however when addressing the past you will come to see that the situation at hand as occurred time and time again, and that these myths are more prevalent than ever before in teaching values and life lessons.
Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
I chose this myth in order to learn the story of the Queen of Sheba. Having been aware of the common insult, “Who do you think you are, the Queen of Sheba?” I was eager to find out what this phrase was referencing. For the students in Nigeria, as silly as that statement sounds, it actually can be an insult, meaning you are too demanding or think you rule the world. Do you use a similar saying? Also, I am Catholic and I remember mention of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba in the New Testament of the Bible.
The first thing I thought of while reading the myth was its similarity to the Greek myth of Oedipus, only in some ways of course! Oedipus too was the son of two great rulers. He also conquered the Sphinx in the city of Thebes, which granted him leadership of the city. Similarly, the Ethiopian tale starts, “A very long time ago, the land of Ethiopia lay under the oppressive rule of a serpent which exacted sacrifices and tribute from the people” (136). The man who defeats this serpent becomes King, and has a child, the future Queen of Sheba. It just reminds me of the epic and cultural function of heroes in ancient society and today. I think this is part of the appeal of myths, to put all of our trust and faith in heroes. We can realize that there is someone out there who is braver, richer and more adventurous than we are. These characters often are portrayed as perfect, without flaw. Therefore, a society can freely follow and worship these heroes, often forming around their legend and lore.
This is exactly what happens in the Ethiopian case, in which the Ethiopian myth of origin is that they are the descendents of Sheba and Solomon. This is written in the Kebra Negast, which is a compilation of Ethiopian legends. The people of Ethiopia trace their history to the son of the affair between Sheba and Solomon, Menelik I, who becomes the first King of Ethiopia. This point always reminds me of my own religious or cultural myths, because Jesus Christ can also be traced back to Solomon, whose father was King David. Also, I have seen a number of course concepts appear in this myth, such as the presence of Christianity and the wealth of African states.
Ethiopia was a Christian nation at the time that its Queen Sheba went to visit King Solomon. She wanted to learn more about her religion and god, and therefore made the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. In class we have discussed the spread of both Islam and Christianity as driving forces of change in early African civilizations. It is great to see this story illustrated in a myth of origin and also to see the impact of religion on these nations. The myth states, “Solomon instructed her in his faith and his belief in the one true God, and convinced her of the truth of his words, so that she took him as her teacher” (137). We have learned the reasons Christianity was so appealing to many of the African nations, including the solidarity among social classes, the dualistic philosophy of a ruler and a God, the simple view of the afterlife and the relationship between the church and the state.
The trade routes and routes of cultural assimilation can also be clearly viewed, as Sheba travels by sea loaded with ships full of “the wealth of her lands” (137). She takes these gifts to Solomon, and therefore we can actually see the historical significance of East coast African trade with the present day Middle East. When you look at a map it becomes clear how close modern day Ethiopia is to Yemen, and other parts of the Arab world. In class we have learned that the East Coast trade was very profitable as imports were discouraged and that a majority of cities were in fact trade cities. The rulers created great wealth from taxing trade in their countries, and Ethiopia was among these states.
As to my own influence of Christianity with this myth, it was also interesting to find out that Menelik I stole the Ark of the Covenant from King Solomon. This contains the 10 Commandments and other Christian documents. The Ethiopian people believe that Menelik stole the Ark from his father, and that to this day the only true Ark can be found in Ethiopia. The power of words and the oral narrative of Africa can also be seen with the oath that King Solomon makes to Sheba. He states a fact and the two engage in a promise or trust. I think this is also an important point as we have studied the impact of the spoken word to many African nations, including the roles of griots in translation of history.
“How Rule Passed from Women to Men”
Mythology has a strong presence in history as the means to explain and understand captivating phenomena and the world we live in. Even though, mythological stories differ across cultural boundaries, there are universal focal points that transcends among various civilizations. The creation myth plays an important role in explaining why human beings exist. In a similar light, mythology about government and the transference of power aims to explain the reasoning behind different political systems. The Ethiopian myth “How Rule Passed from Women to Men” is a provocative and insightful account about how a matriarchal society transformed into a male-dominated power base.
According to the myth, there were very few women in Darassa. Therefore, men had to do tasks such as cooking and cleaning. The women were the government officials, and a queen ruled over the kingdom. Matriarchal societies were not only present in Ethiopia, but also in Native American societies. The idea of strong and powerful women was also present in the Greek mythology. There was a Greek myth where Hercules had to steal a girdle that belonged to Hippoltye, the queen of the Amazons. The race of Amazon women was feared, consisting of skilled warriors, who would mate with the men they defeated. They only kept the female children that they gave birth to. Homer wrote about their unsurpassed skills in the Iliad.
In the Darassa myth, the women are fierce and strong. However, the men who were disheartened by their status in society plotted to kill the queen and eventually succeeded. There was violence depicted in the myth, but because it is a story about usurping a political figure, violence is expected. There are very few instances in history where bloodless revolutions have occurred. Violence, although gruesome, is a part of folklore regardless of the brutality. The original Grimms Fairy Tales have a darker side, unlike the popularized fairy tales. In fact, the original tales are riddled with tabooed topics from which the stories take shape. Murder, mutilation, cannibalism, and incest are just a few of the reoccurring themes within these “children” stories. From sex and violence to fact and fantasy, the “simple” plots seem to have subliminal messages. Fairy tales have some basis of truth because there are themes that focus on morality and they forebode the consequences of villainy. In the Darassa myth, the wife kills her husband because the queen told her that he had a mistress. This demonstrates that fidelity is valued in this culture. Moreover, the men decided to take justice and vengeance into their own hands by killing the queen. This shows that this culture values loyalty because the men were faithful to their leader until the end. Additionally, because the queen and the wife conspired and committed the act of murder, they too were killed. This can be tied to Hammurabi’s Code of an eye for an eye.
In ancient history, myths are often used to justify the status quo and to give the people something to believe in. Mythology is used to describe and explain human nature, the environment, religion, and to glorify political leaders and heroes. In modern society, rather than telling myths about the past, the media dictates information and news to the populace.
-Therese Quiao
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