Gäbrä Maryam

Gäbrä Maryam was part of a group of people who cooperated with Aläqa Zännäb in translating Bible texts into Oromo.

Origin

“Kan hiikes Gabira-Maaram Ilmi Darraa […]
Biyya Wallootiitii, ganda Warra Illuutiitii caafame” (Exodus, title p.) /
“Translated by Gäbrä Maryam, a descendant from Därra […]
written in Warra Illuu in the Wällo Region”

  • Därra [View article on Sewasew]
  • Warra Illuu [ወረ ኢሉ], a royal camp and garrison founded by King Menelik of Shewa around 1868, is located in Därrä [View article on Sewasew]

Contribution to Bible translation

Gäbra Maryam is mentioned on the title page of the following translation:

Notes

According to the title pages, there was no Oromo Bible text on which Gäbrä Maryam and Jaagan worked together. It is therefore unlikely that Gäbrä Maryam was in St. Chrischona together with Jaagan in 1872 and helped Krapf, among others, with the translation.

  • In the guest book, the name of the Oromo, who was trained with Jaagan in St. Chrischona, is given as “Gabriel.” This is probably a shortened form of the name “Wäldä Gäbrə’el (ወልደ ገብርኤል)”.
  • The St. Chrischona Board Meeting at the beginning of 1872 planned to send Gabriel to Ethiopia with two European missionaries as their assistant, while Jaagan was to remain in Europe and work with Krapf in the field of Bible translation.
  • Flad visited Chrischona during that time and mentions two Oromo students. However, only Jaagan is mentioned by name and former profession, while the second is introduced as friend of Jaagan and not given a name.
  • It is therefore likely that the translator Gäbrä Maryam and the student Gabriel are two different people.

Presumably, aläqa Zännäb and Gäbrä Maryam did not meet in Amba Maryam (Maqdala), but only in Warra Ilu, when aläqa Zännäb had entered the service of King Menelik II. At that time, the former translator Waaree was already dead, and Jaagan was probably (still?) in Egypt. Zännäb was therefore probably on the lookout for new co-translator.

Aläqa Zännäb passed away in October 1876, and Gäbra Maryam seems not to have been mentioned in writing in the following years.

Further reading

Arnesen, Odd Eirik. “Därra”, in Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 2, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, p. 103. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2005.

Ficquet, Eloi. “Wärrä Illuu” [Qubee: Warra Illuu], in Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 4, edited by Siegbert Uhlig in cooperation with Alessandro Bausi, p. 1149‒50. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010.

Flad, Friedrich. Michael Argawi: Ein mutiger Kenner und Zeuge unter den Falaschas in Abessinien. Edited by W. Sidler. Basel: Brunnen, 1952. [For Jaagan and his friend, view p. 15 online]

Cross-references

» Guests at St. Chrischona

» Minutes of St. Chrischona Board meetings (1867‒73)