Jaagan

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

Origin

“Jaagan Ilma Leeqaa kan hiike“ [Genesis, title page] /
“from the descendants of Leeqaa“

  • The Leeqaa territories are located in the Naqamtee and Gidaamii areas in Wälläga
    [cf. article on Sewasew]

Contribution to Bible translation

Jaagan is mentioned on the title page of the following translations:

Notes

Jaagan likely is one of the two Oromo eunuchs who held public Bible lessons with aläqa Zännäb in Adwa in 1869. The employment of the missionaries Johannes Mayer and Christian Bender as colporteurs of the British and Foreign Bible Society ended in December 1871. Therefore, their Ethiopian friends and coworkers had to look for other opportunities in 1872.

Jaagan’s stay in St. Chrischona

Due to the Bible translation work, Krapf wished that Oromos also be trained at St. Chrischona. It appears that Jaagan and a companion took a trip from Adwa to Cairo.

  • The St. Chrischona mission station in Cairo was closed in 1872 (Baumann, Apostelstraße, p. 63). From Cairo they possibly traveled to Switzerland with the departing missionary Pankratius Stamm and/or L. Schlotthauer.

Jaagan and his companion, Gabriel, arrived at St. Chrischona for training in July 1872. Five months later, they traveled with Greiner and Jakob Mayer, a student in the final class at St. Chrischona Seminary, to Alexandria.

  • The Board meeting of the St. Chrischona Pilgrim Mission had approved their admission in February 1872. In early November, the Board decided that “Michael” [probably confused with Mika’el Aregawi] should accompany Greiner and Mayer to Ethiopia and serve them as a school assistant (or in a similar capacity), while Jaagan should remain in Europe and assist Krapf in translating the Bible into Oromo. However, the two Oromos refused to be separated. It was finally decided that both would accompany the European missionaries to Alexandria in December.
  • In early November, the board decided that “Michael” [probably confused with Aregawi] should accompany Greiner and Mayer to Ethiopia and serve them as a school assistant (or in a similar capacity), while Jaagan should remain in Europe and assist Krapf in translating the Bible into Oromo. However, the two Oromos refused to be separated. It was finally resolved that both would accompany the European missionaries to Alexandria in December.
  • As far as I know, Jaagan is no longer mentioned in the letters of the St. Chrischona missionaries after his arrival in Alexandria at the end of 1872. Did he continue his journey to Ethiopia? Or did he stay in Egypt? Is he mentioned in writings of foreigners there (e.g., by Catholic missionaries or employees of the Church Missionary Society)?
Jaagan’s role at the imperial court

Flad describes Jaagan as the Emperor’s Mundschenk (‘cupbearer’). The term is reminiscent of biblical figures such as Nehemiah. Jaagan’s task was probably to supervise the production and serving of drinks to the imperial family and their guests, especially tej (a type of honey wine then reserved for high-ranking persons or special occasions).

For the sake of special responsibility, people who were both able and fully loyal to the ruler, such as enslaved (and even castrated) persons, were preferred for such offices.

  • As Christians were not allowed to be enslaved by the Fetha Nagast, it was not uncommon for Oromos who had not yet lived (or had only recently lived) in an emperor’s domain to be appointed to such offices.
  • Jaagan knew aläqa Zännäb from his service in Amba Marya (Maqdala), where he was one of the key figures in a spiritual revival.

Further reading

Admasu Addi. “Bees and Beekeeping,” in Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 1, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, p. 515‒16. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz,

Baumann, Andreas. Die “Apostelstraße”: Eine außergewöhnliche Vision und ihre Verwirklichung. Gießen and Basel: Brunnen, 1999.

Bustorf, Dirk. “Domestic and court slavery,” in Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 4, edited by Siegbert Uhlig in cooperation with Alessandro Bausi, p. 678‒80. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010.

Dammers, Kim. “Ṭäǧǧ” [Amh. ጠጅ; Oromo: daadhi], in Encyclopedia Aethiopica, vol. 4, edited by Siegbert Uhlig in coop. with Alessandro Bausi, p. 817‒19. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2010.

Ege, Svein. Class, State, and Power in Africa: A Case Study of the Kingdom of Shäwa (Ethiopia) about 1840. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1996.

Flad, Friedrich. Michael Argawi: Ein mutiger Kenner und Zeuge unter den Falaschas in Abessinien. Edited by W. Sidler. Basel: Brunnen, 1952. [View online]

Marcus, Harold G. The Life and Times of Menelik II: Ethiopia, 1844‒1913. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975. [On the about 30 women preparing tej at Menelik’s palace, see p. 223‒24]

Pankhurst, Richard. A Social History of Ethiopia: The Northern and Central Highlands from Early Medieval Times to the Rise of Emperor Téwodros II. Reprint. Trenton, NJ: Red Sea Press, 1992. [On enslaved persons, see p. 241‒47, 258‒59, 328; Archive.org]

Tsega Endalew. “Leeqaa”, in Encyclopaedia Aethiopica, vol. 3, edited by Siegbert Uhlig, p. 541‒42. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2007.

Cross-references

» View Mayer in BFBS Report (1870).

» Guests at St. Chrischona

» Krapf on Oromos at St. Chrischona

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