[work in progress]
(1) Basis for the question
In the preface to the second edition of the hymnal from 1935, Rev. Nordfeldt mentions that some of the hymns that Onesimos Nesib had written after the first edition were omitted because he did not know their melodies.
It is therefore debatable whether the omitted songs were sung to traditional Oromo melodies instead of Swedish hymnbook melodies.
1.1 Preface of the hymnal (1935, reprint 1960), English translation
“[…] Onesimus passed away before the publication of this hymnal book. Afterwards, we revised and corrected it, omitting some songs without musical notes and replacing them with 19 (nineteen) new songs.”
1.2 Oromo text (Hymnal, reprint 1960, p. 2)
“Macaafni faarsaa kun otuu hin maxxanfamin gidduutti Ato Onesimoos Nasiib boqote.
Erga inni boqotee booddee keessa deebinee qajeelchinee faarsaa tokko tokko immoo noottaa kan hin qabne hambifnee iddoo isaa faarsaaa haaraa kudha sagal (19) itti galchine.”
(2) Answer
Some people criticized Onesimos Nesib for printing the lyrics of “secular” folk songs in his Oromo “Spelling-Book.” Due to the serious legal problems he faced as a result of accusations made by Orthodox clergy, Onesimos Nesib was careful not to give his opponents any unnecessary grounds for action during his time in Nekemte. During the period when Onesimos probably wrote most of his new songs, church life in Nekemte was primarily led by Swedish missionaries. Therefore, it is likely that the congregational songs omitted by Rev. Nordfeldt were not sung to the melodies of Oromo folk songs.
In addition to songs translated from Swedish, Rev. Lundahl had also included several new songs in his Amharic hymnal, the lyrics of which were based on Amharic Bible texts. It appears quite likely that the omitted Oromo hymns were songs that Onesimos had written based on a biblical text, rather than translating a well-known hymn, and that their melody was therefore unknown to Rev. Nordfeldt.
This does not rule out the possibility that Onesimos may have been open to using traditional Oromo melodies for Christian songs at the beginning of his time in Nejo and Nekempte (i.e., before his legal problems and the arrival of the Swedish missionaries). Suppose Onesimus’ manuscript, which Rev. Nordfeld had at his disposal when revising the hymnal, contained Christian songs sung to Oromo folk melodies. In that case, these songs may have been used during family devotions in Onesimus’ home.
However, given his powerful Orthodox opponents and the Swedish missionaries, it is doubtful that Onesimos Nesib advocated the singing of congregational hymns (Amharic: mäzmur) to secular melodies (zäfän) in public worship services in Nekemte after 1925.
(3) Evidence
3.1 Onesimos included Oromo folk songs in his 1894 primer
In 1894, Onesimos Nesib included traditional Oromo songs in his primer, titled Jalqaba Barsiisaa. Apparently, he felt good about the book’s content (cf. Onesimos’ letter to SEM, dated 1893.07.28).
3.2 The Orthodox metropolitan critized Onesimos for teaching children Oromo folk songs in Najo in 1906
In his letter to Kolmodin, dated 1906.12.15, Onesimos mentions that abunä Matewos X (Metropolitan from 1889 to 1926) tried to shame him when he approached him on a holiday:
” ‘You see,’ he said pointing at me, ‘that fellow is a Protestant, and following their doctrine, there is no need for fasting, funeral feasts and soul fairs count for nothing. Mary is just like any other person, and on top of that, this man teaches people how to dance.’ […]
I have included a few folk songs in my ABC-book, and the children in Najo have learned them. These folksongs were the justification for the bishop’s reference to dance. The Abyssinians are not teaching the children anything amusing at all, but only legends about the saints and parts from the Bible.” (Onesimos Nesib Anthology, p. 214; emphasis added)
3.3 Onesimos’ Oromo primers destroyed by his Eritrean coworkers
In his letter to Rev. Cederqvist, dated 1907.04.16, Onesimos reports that his fellow workers, Gebre-Yesus and Gebre-Sillasse, burnt many of the Oromo primers he had edited:
“When I was struggling in Addis Abeba on Tegenye’s order, Gebre-Yesus and Gebre-Sillasse burnt as many [Oromo ]readers (ABC-books) as they could get hold of. When I asked Gebre-Yesus how many books he had burnt, he answered: ‘What has been done, has been done. Our opponents thought that the readers contained unspiritual subjects.” (Anthology, p. 167; emphasis added)
- Onesimus emphasizes that this would not have been necessary, as the primer was permitted to be used in Wollega: “The prince examined them and approved them and on his orders a priest is now using them for teaching children. The prince said to our countrymen: ‘We shall continue to read our [Oromo] books until they forbid us’.”
- On Onesimos’ two fellow workers originally from Eritrea, see Lundström/Ezra Gebremedhin, Kenisha, p. 486:
Gebre-Yesus Tesfai: Assistant at the printing press in Imkullu, 1892-93, 1899. Served as an evangelist and teacher in Misgwag 1902‒04. He then left for [Boji] Kerkero, where he served as teacher and evangelist 1905‒22. […]
Gebre-Sillasse Tesfa-Gabir: From Himbirti. Son of an Orthodox priest. Sent out to Bojji Kerkero in Wollega, Ethiopia, as an evangelist, where he served 1905‒09. Was in Neqemte from 1910‒13. Returned to Eritrea for some years because of ill health. […]
3.4 In 1920, Onesimos was interested in translating Swedish hymns into Oromo
In his letter to Lindgren, dated 1920.09.16, Onesimos mentioned his wish for a coworker so that he could engage in translation work:
“I have for years carried on a task which could well be entrusted to somebody else. If I had a co-worker, I could use him as a teacher, and I could myself labour with translation. Among other things I should translate to [Oromo] the English Book of Common Prayer, which Isenberg translated into Amharic. I should also try to revise
our little hymnbook and translate a few hymns from ‘Sions Toner’.” (Anthology, p. 186; emphasis added)
3.5 Swedish missionaries in Nekemte since 1923
The Swedish missionaries included medical personnel (e.g., Dr. Erik Söderström), a teacher with a harmonium (Stina Sköld), and theologians (the Revs. Eriksson and Nordfeldt). This ensured the use of Swedish melodies during church services, as they were also used in the Oromo and Amharic hymnals available at the time (apparently also in the collection of Oromo songs duplicated by Rev. Nordfeld in 1927).
3.6 Onesimos did not want to give his opponents any unnecessary grounds for suing him.
…
Cross-references
» Onesimos Nesib, Hymnal sources
» Sköld, Stina. “When the Revised Oromo Hymnbook Came to Lakamte [1935],” in […] Onesimos Nesib Anthology, pp. 247‒49. [Read online]
» Literature on Onesimos Nesib