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Friday, March 16, 2018
Mekonnen Epic: Back Stories and Legends
The World of Mekonnen Epic:
Back Stories and Legends
The Legend of Angabo the Sabaean
Queen of Sheba's Father (1500-1000 BC)
As it was recorded, a great Zendow—a Snake-Dragon—ruled the land of Abyssinia in tyranny between Aksum and Temben, and demanded a regular sacrifice of a young virgin in exchange for a season of peace and security. Angabo, who was probably a Prince in his homeland, sailed across the Red Sea from Sabaea and after settling in Aksum for a while, he heard the outcry of the people who were terrorized by the wicked Waynaba and wished to be free from bondage and fear. Angabo harkened to the out¬cry and attempted to rid the land of the evil dragon.
At a time when another maiden was due to be sacrificed, Angabo mixes a special poison, feeds it to a goat, then feeds the goat to Waynaba, who in turn eats it and dies as the poison worked its way into his bowels.
The people rejoiced when news spread abroad that the Sabaean killed Waynaba the Snake Dragon and they rewarded him by making him King of Habeshat and give him the young maiden whom he rescued to become his wife. It is said that either his daughter or one of his descen¬dants from this marriage, was Makeda, who became the legendary Queen of Sheba that traveled three thousand miles to meet King Solomon of the Kindgom of Israel.
Sources list the names and reign of five of Queen Makeda’s ancestors as follows:
Kawnasya (1 year) > Siebado (50 years) > Giebur (100 years) > Angabo 200 years) > Makeda (? years) > Menelik (? years).
Note: > = begat.
References:
Kebra Negast; trans. E.A. Wallis Budge; Introduction page xliii.
Aksum: An African Civilization of Late Antiquity, by Stuart Munro-Hay
Biblical Archaeology Society Online Archive Search: http://members.bib-arch.org/
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The Queen of Sheba, King Solomon, and their son Menelik
The ancestors of the Kings of Aksum (c. 960-930 BC)
The events surrounding the well-known legend of the Nigist Saba/Sheba, Negus Solomon and their son Menelik is probably one of the greatest mysteries in the world. As it involves the perceived disappearance and final resting place of the Holy Ark of the Covenant has stirred up even greater mystery and intrigue for all realms in the universe.
Eventually, Azaryas, the son of Zadok, the High Priest, conspired a successful heist to switch the real Ark with the duplicate and take it to Abyssinia with the caravan. Menelik was unaware of the conspiracy and switch, and by the time he and his mother Makeda found out, it was too late and already on their land. They came to the conclusion that if Egziabeher (The Almighty God) allowed the removal of the Ark to happen, then it must be his will to have the Glory of Tsiyon (Zion) to move from Eyerusalem to Aksum.
Some skeptics say this story is a myth and never happened; others say the Ark was taken to Abyssinia at a later period in a different way. Either way, there are lots of evidence to indicate that the Ark (or a copy) did make its way up the Nile River from Elephantine Island to Lake Tana and finally to Aksum. Only Egziabeher knows the truth.
References:
1 Kings 10: 1-13; 2 Chronicle 9:1-12; Kebra Negast; trans. E.A. Wallis Budge.
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Qeddus Yared Diaqon
Musical genius of the Aksumite Empire (c. 525 to 565 AD)
As it has been recorded, when Yared was a young boy he had difficulty memorizing the Dawit Muzmur- the Psalms of David- under the tutelage of Za-Mikael Aragari, one of the Tzadkan. One evening while young Yared sat under a tree sulking about his failures, he noticed a caterpillar struggling to climb the tree, falling back a few times, but it still tried each time again. Eventually, the catepillar did reach the top of the tree, and Yared saw this as a sign from Egziabeher Amlak (Egzio) to never give up. Young Yared became encouraged to return to his tutors, and miraculously he was able to memorize the Psalms in a short space of time. The boy then grew to be a well-accomplished musician of several instruments and a singer with a beautiful voice that captivated all that heard it.
There is a story concerning Qeddus Yared about an occasion when Negus Gebre Meskel summoned Yared and his musicians to the royal court to minister in music. The Negus was so captivated by Yared’s voice as he sang that he did not realize that he had pierced Yared’s foot with the end of his royal spear. At the same time, Qeddus Yared was so enraptured while singing the songs that he did not even feel the Negus’ spear pierced his foot and continued singing until the end when they both realized what had happened, the Negus hastily pulls out the spear and only then Yared’s foot started bleeding. Of course, eventually Yared’s foot was healed, and all was well.
In his collection of hymns, Mezgeba Degwa, Qeddus Yared stated that he learned the music from Egzio himself, influenced by His Qeddus Manfes, the Holy Spirit.
References:
DACB; www.dacd.org/stories/ethiopia/yared_.html
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Henok the Prophet
Antedelugian Prophet that walked with Egziabeher (c. 5000 BC)
As written in the oracles that bare his name, Henok was the first prophet to write of the coming of the Elect One of Egziabeher, the holy Meshiach, which is Iyesus Krestos, the one who shall come to Earth in the last days with his Yasemay Mel’akt –His Heavenly Host of Angels and Saints– to execute judgement on the wicked and purge the Earth with fire.
As confirmed in the short oracle of Yihuda (Jude 14-15), Henok wrote, “Behold the Lord comes with ten thousand of his saints, to execute judgement upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.” - (Enoch 1:9).
The oracles of Henok tells of many accounts of awesome visions and heav¬enly journeys the prophet experienced while in the presence of Egzio, including trips to Semayat where he saw magnificent mountains of precious stones, the Tree of Life, pillars of fire, the seven Liq Mel’akt (Arch Angels) of antiquity and even the dark abyss and fires of punishment.
It was during the days of his father Yared that about 200 Mel’akt –later called The Watchers– led by Shemihazah broke the commands of Egzio by leaving Semayat to have malevolent offspring with women of Earth and teach mankind evil deeds. It was Henok that first testified against the Watchers and prophesied that their offspring must be destroyed, the Watchers must be imprisoned in the abyss until judgement day and that Egzio will destroy the world with a deluge of water, saving only his grandson Noah and his family with the animals in the great Ark.
According to the Book of Yashar, Henok was made a King among the people of Earth and reigned in wisdom and righteousness, teaching the holy and Upright Way to those that will listen. Because he walked so close in the presence of Egziabeher his face and body glowed with brightness and the people were reverent and convicted of their trespasses in his presence. When it was time for him to be taken up “Henoch ascended into Semayat in a whirlwind, with horses and chariots of fire.” in the presence of many witnesses. - (Jasher 3:1-38)
References
Genesis 5:21-23; The Book of Enoch by Nickelsburg;
Jasher (1840); Jubilees; Jude 14-15
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| The Ark on the Covenant By Jerome Matiyas, copyright 2013 |
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Glossary (Book One)
Glossary | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | MekonnenEpic.com
Glossary
Mekonnen
Epic: The Warrior from Aksum
Note:
Most of the non-English words used in book one are of Ge'ez/Ethiopic
origin unless otherwise mentioned. Most of the non-English words in
the Prologue are of Hebrew or ancient Semitic origin. Ge'ez was the
South Semitic language spoken in the Aksumite kingdom by the monarch
and local inhabitants who became, and still are, known as Habesha
people. Ge'ez is the root/mother language from which Amhara,
Tigrinya, Tigre, Gurage and Harari evolved from. Sometimes I may use
the terms Ge'ez and Ehiopic interchangeably, including instances when
I'm not sure if a word is of Ge'ez origin or of one of it's child
languages like Tigrinya or Amharic. There were also many people whose
native language was not Ge'ez but Kushite languages like Agew, Afar,
Beja, Bilen, Somali and Nubian to name a few. Hebrew, Arabic, Greek
and Sabaean/Sheban were also spoken, written and/or understood by
some and influenced the culture in varying degrees.
Abba
– (Semetic/Ge'ez/Ethiopic)
Father. A biological father, father figure, a priest or monk.
Abuna
– (Ge'ez/Ethiopic) Title of the Arch bishop of the Ethiopian
Orthodox Church. In ancient and medival time the Arch bishop was
always ordained and sent from the Orthodox head quarters in
Alexandria, Egypt.
Abyssinia
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Northern Ethiopia and Eritrea. From “Habeshinya”
meaning “Land of Hashesha”, an ancient word for the land of
northern Ethiopia and Eritrea when it was one kingdom ruled by the
kings of Aksum and the Kingdom of D'mot before that.
Addis
Kidan – Ah-dees
Kee-dahn (Ge'ez/Ethiopic)
– New Testament, of
the Holy Bible.
Adom/Adam
(Hebrew) – The first man mentioned in the Bible, who was made in
the image and likeness of the Almighty Creator yet formed from the
dust of the Earth. The root meaning for Adam or Edom means “red”,
suggesting the first man could have been red is appearance.
Afeworqi
Ah-fay-wor-kee (Ge'ez,
Ethiopic), – I boy's
name of Ethiopia and Eritrea, literally meaning “mouth of gold”.
Also spelled Afeworq, Afewerk
(Ah-fay-wor-k).
Agaw/Agew
– Ah-gow
(Kushitic) – One of the
most ancient people in the land of Abyssinia, descendant from Kush,
son of Ham, son of Noah. Many had intermingled with ancient Hebrews
that migrated into the land, forming the Beta Israel people and
adopting the Jewish religion and culture. They spoke Agew, Hebrew and
Ge'ez. It is also believed they were the first to either adopt or
speak the Semitic Ge'ez language, the word ge'ez
being a variation of the word Agew.
Some modern anthropologists and researchers believe many of the
different people groups in Ethiopia and Eritrea are off shoots of the
Agew people.
Aksum
– Ak-soom
(Kushitic-Semitic/Ge'ez)
–“Water of the Chief”. From “Ak” a Kushitic word for
“Water”, and “Sum/Shum” a Semitic word for “Chief”
(Ethiopia Bradt, PhillipBriggs, 2002). An ancient, holy city in
northern Ethiopia that was once the center of the great Kingdom and
Empire of Aksum that flourished from about 400 BC to 10th century AD.
The Kingdom of Aksum was once one of the first nations in Africa and
the world the accept Christianity as a state religion around 330 AD
during King Ezana's reign. Before this some of the kings followed
pagan religions and some were of the Jewish religion. Many that
converted to Christianity were Ethiopian Jews, but the ones who did
not convert became bitter rivals since then, now almost 1700 years
later. At its peak Aksum ruled over most of northern Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Djibouti, Nubia/Sudan, Southern Arabia and Western Yemen. It
is believed that the legendary Ark of the Covenant that Moses and the
people of Israel made in the Sinai wilderness is located in a chapel
in Aksum. It is disputed if it is really there and how long it has
been there, whether it was since the time of King Solomon and Queen
of Sheba (950 BC) or later after the Babylonian invasion and the
priests kept it in Egypt before moving it again up the Nile to
Abyssinia. Today Aksum is a small town of many churches, monasteries,
stele and historical museums and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Almaz
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) Diamond.
Amlak
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) god
(small “g”). The expression
“Egziabeher Amlak” means Almighty God of Gods.
(Author's note: I stand corrected).
Anbessa
- Ahn-bih-sah (Ge'ez/Ethiopic)
– Lion. Also used to refer
to a brave and courageous person, particularly a male.
Angabo
(Sabaean/Sheban)– A prince from
Sabaea/Sheba and ancestor of Mekeda the Queen of Sheba, probably her
father or grandfather.
Ato
(Ethiopic/Amharic) – Mister or Master.
Atse
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Emperor. The Emperor of Aksum, also titled “King
of Kings”. The Emperors of Abyssinia (Ethiopia and Eritrea) reigned
from the throne in the city of Askum and assumed sovereign rule over
the Nubian Kingdoms, Sheba, Himyar, South Arabia, and at times, the
Kingdom of Beta Israel.
Bahetawi
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – “One
who lives in the wilderness”.
A
hermit monk in Abyssinia/Ethiopia, not affiliated with one particular
church but lives a life dedicated the fasting, praying, performing
miracles, reading the holy scriptures, preaching and prophesying.
They are revered, sometimes feared, and considered holy men by common
people and clergy. They usually grow long locks of hair and refrain
from certain foods and live by all the rules of the Nazarite vow. The
vow is described in detail in the Book of Numbers 6:1-21. Notable
Biblical figures who lived by the Nazarite vow were Samson and
Samuel. In Eusebius book of early church history it describes James
the brother of Jesus Christ grew his hair very long after accepting
his brother in the flesh as the Messiah/Christ. The Rastafarian
movement also adopted their “Dread locks” hair style and other
ordinances from this Nazarite vow.
Benai/Bene
Elohim (Hebrew) The Sons of
God. Bene = Sons; Elohim = God. Another expression for the Angels.
See Mel'ak.
Beta
Krestiyan –
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Church. Literally “House of Christians”.
Beta
Israel –
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) –
House of Israel, the Ethiopian/Habesha Jews. The official name for
Ethiopian Jews whose history and origins can be traced back to the
Israelites from Egypt during the time of Moses, The Babylonian
invasion and captivity of Israel and King Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba. During the time of the Kingdom of Aksum conversion to
Christianity in 330 AD The Beta Israel established their Kingdom to
the south of the Tekeze River and in the Semien Mountains building
fortresses and palaces along side villages, extending further south
to around Lake T'ana and west to Gondar province. According to their
histories the first king of Beta Israel was King Phineas, a
descendant of the Jewish High Priest Tzadok from the temple if
Jerusalem during the time of King Solomon of Israel.
Cherub/Kherub
(Hebrew/Semitic/Chaldean): A class of heavenly creature that
usually has the physical characteristic of a combination of two or
more earthly animals usually having multiple pairs of wings (usually
1 to 3 pairs as described through out the Bible). Plural is Cherubim.
They guard, protect and/or worship God continuously. First
mentioned in Genesis 3:24 as one of the creatures who guard the Tree
of Life after Adam and Eve sinned. See description of
Cherubim/Kerubel in Ezekiel 1:5-11, Ezekiel 10:1, and Revelation 4:7.
Chayot
HaKodesh (Hebrew): The Living Creatures. The Four heavenly
creatures that are described in the scriptures as worshiping God, the
Almighty Creator, around his throne. They are described as having 4
different faces: a Man, a Lion, an Ox, and an Eagle.
Cubit
(Latin): A
Biblical cubit in approximately 18 inches or 1.5 feet. A 6 feet tall
man will be about 4 cubits.
Daiqon/Deaqon
(Ge'ez),
Deacon.
Egziabeher/Agziabeher
–
Eg-zee-ah-bih-hayr
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) God Almighty.
El/Elohim
(Semitic/Hebrew), One of the most ancient Hebrew names for the
God and creator of the whole universe including heaven and earth. El
is singular, Elohim is plural but still refers to one united
entity.
Enku
– En-k'oo
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) Pearl or Jewel.
Erelim
(Hebrew): A class of heavenly angels meaning The Valiant or
Courageous Ones. Also spelled Arel, Ar'el and Er'el.
Eritrea
(Greek/Italian): Red Land. From the Greek word Erythraíā
then translated into Italian as Eritrea. The Kingdom of Aksum
included the land of modern day Eritrea with the main sea port at
Adulis/Zula. Eritrea shares a lot of ancient and medieval history,
culture, food, language (Ge'ez) and alphabet/writing systems in
common with Ethiopia. After centuries of tension and wars with
Ethiopia, Eritrea has established its own country and government. The
sea between the Somalian coast and Sabaea/Himyar (modern day Yemen)
was known to the Greek and Roman sea traders as the Erythraean Sea
and they used a popular ancient map known as The Periplus of the
Erythraean Sea.
Ethiopia
(Greek):
Burned Face. A general term used by the ancient Greeks to refer to
any land south of Egypt beyond the 3rd cataract, including Nubia
(modern day Sudan), Abyssinia (modern day Ethiopia) and Eritrea. In
the origin Hebrew Tanakh/Old Testament the word “Kush” was used.
Later it was translated into Greek then English to Ethiopia, usually
referring to land of Kushites in Nubia/Sudan first. Other sources,
like the Book of Aksum,
claim the word actually originated from a descendent of Ham and Kush
names Itiopp'is
who settled in ancient Ethiopia and founded the city of Aksum.
Falasha
(Ge'ez) - 'Outsider' or 'Outcast'.
A Sort of derogatory reference for Ethiopian Jews. See Beta
Israel for details.
Gebre
Meskel – (Ge'ez/Ethiopic)
Servant of the Cross. The royal/throne name of one of the most well
known Emperors of Aksum in the 6th century AD. Also known as
Ella Ameda II, reigned
circa 536 to542 AD. There was mostly peace during his reign in
contrast to the reign of his father Kaleb
(Ella Atzebeha, reigned
circa 519 to 536 AD)
before him. After making a sacred oath in Jerusalem concerning the
Ark of the Covenant, and settling a conflict for the throne between
his two sons Israel
and Gebre Meskel,
(see Kebra Nagast 117) King Kaleb abdicated the throne to become a
monk and live in a monasteries for the rest of his life.
Geta
– Gay-tah
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) .
Lord. Title given to an official, leader, elderly man or to any one
in authority.
G'rum
– G-room
(Ethiopic/Tigrinya) Excellent, Wonderful.
Habesha/Abesha
– Hah-bih-sha (Ethiopic/South Arabic) Mixed people. The
people of Ethiopia and Eritrea became known as “Habesha People”
since ancient times, into the Aksumite period until today they still
refer to themselves by this unique term. Most scholars say it is a
South Arabic word that means “Mixed people” or “Crowd of
people”, suggesting the many ethnic groups that lived and
intermingle with each other, including Semitic and Hamitic peoples.
Research has proved (including DNA tests) that people from the
Mediterranean and Near East have also intermingled into the blood
line of many Habesha people.
Hallalel
– Hahl-lal-el
(Hebrew) – Praise of
God. Supposedly the name
of the Nakhash before he rebelled and became Satan.
This name suggest his role as a chief covering Cherub of praise and
worship music in heaven before his pride and rebellion to overthrow
the Almighty Creator. Satan has traditional been known by Christians
by the Greek word Lucifer
which mean “Light Bearer”.
Hawwah/
Hawa (Hebrew): Eve. The first woman mentioned on the Bible,
formed from Adam's rib. The very first prophecy in the Bible is
centered around the “Seed of the Woman” that will defeat the
“Seed of the Serpent”, a prophecies of the coming savior and
virgin birth of the Messiah.
Ham/Kham
(Semitic/Hebrew) – Meaning warm or hot. One of the
three sons of Noah, said to be the principal ancestor of most people
of Africa. There is a Tomb of Ham located near Aksum since ancient
times.
Hashmallim
(Hebrew):
Electrum. A class of heavenly angels. The name suggest they look like
the Electrum which is an alloy of gold and silver, that range in
color from pale yellow to white. It was sometimes called White Gold
or Green Gold in the ancient world.
Henock/Henok
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Enoch, the
great-grand father of Noah, who walked with God for 300 years and was
translated/taken to heaven without dieing. The books of Enoch are
attributed to him and his experiences in the multiple levels of
heaven, hell, abyss, and judgments against the fallen angels/Watchers
and their evil offspring the giants/titans or “Nephalim”. The
Books of Enoch were thought to be lost for hundreds of years until
they were found in Ethiopia in the Ethiopia Orthodox Church Bible as
one of the 81 canonical books, and among the Dead Sea Scrolls in the
Qumran caves in Israel. The writings of Enoch are also included of
the scriptures/canon of the Eritrean Orthodox Church and the Beta
Israel.
Hoy
(Ethiopic/Amharic) – An exclamation similar to “Oh!”
Hrai
(Tigrinya/Ge'ez) – Okay.
Iyesus
Kristos (Ethiopic/Greek) – Jesus Christ. Deriving from the
Greek spelling of the name and title of the Jewish Messiah worshiped
by Christians.
Kahen
(Semitic/Ethiopic) –
Priest of the Beta Israel/ Ethiopian Jews.
Kerubel
– (Ge'ez) From the Hebrew/Semitic word “Cherub”, a creature
from the realms of heaven.
See Cherubim/Kherub.
See Cherubim/Kherub.
Kess
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – A Priest of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church.
Plural Kesset.
Kush/Cush
(Semitic/Hebrew) – One of the
sons of Ham/Kham, son of Noah. One of the earliest and largest groups
of people to inhabit Nubia (Sudan), Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia.
According to the Bible, the Book of Jubilees and Book of Jashar, The
descendants of Kush, including King Nimrod, also first settled in the
Mesopotamian area and ruled over large portions of the known world.
Meshaf
Qedus (Ge'ez/Ethiopic) -
The Holy Bible, literally translates “Words Holy”.
The canon of the Ethiopian and Eritrean Orthodox Church from the
Aksumite period until today include the 27 books of the New
Testament, the Jewish Tanakh (Christian Old Testament), the
Apocryphal Books (Esdras 1 and 2, Maccabees, Tobit, Baruch, etc.) and
the Book of Enoch, Jubilees, etc, adding up to a total of 81 books.
Makeda
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
traditional name for the Queen of Sheba.
Meder
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
Earth
Mekonnen/Makonnen
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) –
Elite, Lifted Up. An aristocratic title of the royal court for a
Governor, Noble or General. A common boy's name in Ethiopia and
Eritrea.
Menelik
(Ge'ez)
– Son of the Wise Man - from
Ethiopian Legend, Menelik was the son of King Solomon and the Queen
of Sheba and the ancestor of the kings of Aksum and Ethiopian
Solomonic Dynasty. See section in Back Stories and Legends for
details.
Mal’ak/Malak/Melak
(Hebrew/Semitic):
Messenger or an Angel from heaven or hell, whether good or bad.
Plural: Mal’akim
. See Mel'ak below.
Mel'ak/Mel'akt
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Angel(s). A powerful being from the realms of
Heaven. Sometimes they interact with humans and look like regular
men, other times they appear with armor as warriors. They are not
always describes as having wings but many times to do appear with one
or more pairs of wings. Sometimes they are described as wearing white
apparel. They vary in appearance and sizes. According to biblical
text and legends around the whole, some angels have left their ranks
in the realms of heaven to intermingle with humans and produce
offspring known as giants, Nephallim, Rephaim, etc. In other cultures
they correspond with titans, gods, elves, trolls, and more.
Mengist
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) –
Government. An organized establishment of rulership in Heaven or
Earth or the Spiritual Realm whether good or evil.
Meshiach
(Hebrew) –
Messiah. In Jewish
and Christian legend and beliefs, the Messiah will be sent to earth
by God to save/rescue his followers from the evil forces of the world
and the spiritual realm at an appointed time. Christians believe
Iyesus Kristos/Jesus Christ is the Messiah prophecies in Jewish
scriptures.
Mastema/Mastemo
(Hebrew):
Hatred, Adversary. A fallen angel mentions several times as the main
adversary of the apocryphal writing of The Book of Jubilees (Also
know as the Apocalypse of Moses). Also mentioned in
the Zadokite Fragments and the Dead
Sea Scrolls,
he is the angel of disaster.
The true origins of Mastema is a mystery. In this story I spell his
name with an “o”
at the end.
Nachash/Nakhash
(Hebrew):
Snake, Serpent, Shiny/Fiery Serpent. This is the word used to refer
the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the
Book of Genesis, chapter 3:1.
Negus
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – King.
Also refers to a secondary king or a general of an army or brigade.
Negusa
Negus (Ge'ez/Ethiopic) –
King of Kings, official title given to the King/Emperor of Aksum and
Abyssinia.
Nephilim
(Hebrew) –
Fallen Ones. The product/offspring of an angel/Watcher with a human
woman. As first mentioned in Genesis 6:1-4, and all through the Bible
particularly in Numbers 13: 33, Deuteronomy, Books of 1 and 2 Kings,
1 and 2 Chronicles. Also mention in Jude, and 1 and 2 Peter, the Book
of Enoch and Book of Jubilees. Also mentions together with Rephaim,
Anakim, Emim, Zim Zumim, etc. Giants, titans, trolls, cyclops, and
ogres of ancient myths and legends from all over the world are in
this category. Goliath and his brothers of Gath were also a Nephilim.
Og the King. The child of Israel were afraid to enter the promise
land because of the nephilim/giants that lived in the land of Canaan.
Onaphel/Onafel
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
Wheels of Gods with eyes all over. From the Hebrew word Onaphim.
Onaphim/Onafim
(Hebrew):
Same definition as above.
Orit
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
five book of Moses, the Pentateuch, which are Genesis, Exodus,
Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
Qedus
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – Holy
Ruach
(Hebrew): The Spirit/Wind of God
Sabaea(n)/Saba
/ Sheba (Semitic) – The
ancient region of Southern Arabia, modern day country of Yemen. From
a root word meaning “An Oath”. Once part of the extended Empire
of Aksum that was centered in northern Abyssinia (Ethiopia and
Eritrea).
Sar
(Hebrew/Semitic) A Prince or Chief.
Example: Sar Malak
Miykael means Arch Angel
or Chief Angel Michael.
Seif
– (Ge'ez/Arabic) Sword.
Serufel
(Ethiopic/Ge'ez) – Seraph. A heavenly being, based on the Hebrew
root meaning of the word and descriptions in the Bible, “Seraph”
is an angel with six wings and look like a flaming torch, or the
whole body is on fire without being destroyed.
Serafim/Seraphim
(Hebrew)
Same definition as above.
Semay/Semayat
– (Ge'ez/Ethiopic) Heaven, Similar to the Hebrew word Shamay.
The sky or the celestial home of The Almighty One, God the creator
the universe and the angels.
Shamayim
(Hebrew):
Heaven. Same definition as above.
Shem
– (Semitic/Hebrew) Honor or Name. One of the sons of Noah. The
father of all Semitic peoples and languages, who mostly inhabit the
Middle East and parts of north and east Africa.
Siol
– The grave of the dead. Similar to the Hebrew word “Seoul”. A
waiting place for the should of the dead. Translated as “Hell” in
most English/Western Bibles. Not to be confused with the lake of fire
which is “Gehenna”
Sodi
(Ancient Semitic): The Way; The
root for the word Zodiac.
Stadia
(Latin): 1 stadia = 600 feet.
Stele/Stelae
(Latin) – An Obelisk. In
locale Ethiopic Semetic languages it is Hawelt.
One of Aksum's distinctive historical land marks, hundreds of stelae
of varying sizes and heights are erected in Aksum. Most stand tall in
the “stele fields” to the north east of Aksum city. The tallest
one stood at 33 meters and was one of the largest stele's in the
world until it collapsed and broke into 5 pieces a long time ago.
Currently the tallest one stand at 24 meters. The oldest and smaller
ones are said to have been erected about 4,000 years ago.
Archeologist believe the earliest one were erected by Sabaeans
(Shebans) from southern Arabian in pre-christian time for their
worship religion.
Tabot
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
tablets carried by the priests above there heads in processions. The
tabots represent the tablets that the Ten Commandments were written
on and placed in the Ark of The Covenant by Moses. Also refers to the
actual Ark of the Covenant which is never shown to the public.
Timkat/Timket
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – An
annual three day holy festival held in early January to celebrate the
baptist of Jesus Christ by John the Baptist. It includes colorful
processions of Orthodox priests carrying Tabots followed by
Arch-Bishops, musicians, monks, incense bearers, dancers and crowds
of lay people.
Tsadkan
(Ge'ez/Ethiopic) – The
Righteous Ones, Referring to the nine “Syrian” monks who came to
Aksum in the 5th century AD and inspired the building of many
churches and monasteries. They also encouraged the Bible to be
translated from Greek to the Aksumite's native and official language
of Ge'ez. The origins and nationalities of the Nine Righteous Ones
were from regions around the Mediterranean, including Syria, Turkey
(Anatolia), Rome, Israel.
Tsebok
(Ethiopic/Tigrinya) – Great, Beautiful.
Tsiyon/Tsion
(Semitic/Hebrew/Ge'ez) – Zion. The supernatural mountain of God or
the location of Jerusalem in Israel.
U-we
(Tigrinya/Ge'ez) Oo-way,
– Yes
Wainaba/Waynaba
(Ethiopic) –
Based on ancient Ethiopian legend, the serpent-snake Waynaba
terrorized the people of Aksum and nearby towns, including the demand
for an annual sacrifice of a young virgin. A prince name Angabo from
Sheba/Sabaea (Modern day Yemen) killed the serpent and was made king.
Angabo is said to be an ancestor of the Queen of Sheba who visited
King Solomon of Israel as recorded in the Bible and legends.
Historically, some people did
practice a religion of worshiping snakes and snake gods in certain
parts of Ethiopia and surrounding areas.
Wayzerit
(Ge'ez) – Miss, an unmarried woman or young woman. A royal title
for “Lady”.
Wayzero
(Ge'ez) – Mrs. or Madam, a married or older woman. A royal title
for “Dame”.
Yashar
Sodi (Hebrew/Semitic): Upright Way. The phrase is used a
lot on the Book of Jashar/Yashar, meaning the Book of the Upright.
The ancient biblical characters: Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joseph,
etc., were described as living the upright and righteous way
before God and mankind. This will become a sort of catch phrase
for the Warriors of Light in the Mekonnen Epic story.
Yaphet/Japhet
(Hebrew) –
Beautiful, Expansion. One of the sons of Noah. According to the
Bible, Book of Jubilee, Book of Jashar, after the great flood the
descendants of Yaphet settled in all Europe, parts of the Iran and
Turkey (Anatolia). From Russia and Scandinavia in the north, British
isles and Iberian peninsular to the west, Greek isles to Cyprus to
the south to Armenia and northern Persia in the East.
Yohannes
(Hebrew/Ge'ez) –
John, as in John the Baptist or John the Apostle of Jesus and the
writer of The Apocalypse or Book of Revelation.
Zendow
(Ge'ez) – A large snake, python or dragon.
References:
African
Names (1993)
by Julia Stewart
Aksum:
An African Civilization of Late Antiquity (1991),
by Stuart Munro-Hay
A
Rasta’s Pilgrimage, 1998,
by Neville Garrick
Amharic
Bibles (KJV)
Concise
Amharic Dictionary, 2004,
Wolf Leslau
Cosmic
Codes, 2004
by Chuck Missler
Ethiopia,
The Bradt Travel Guide, (2002) by Philip Briggs
Ethiopic
Grammar, 2nd
ed (1855), by August Dillman and Carl Bezold
Ethiopia
& Eritrea, 2nd
ed, 2003, (Lonely Planet)
Josephus,
The Antiquities of the Jews, by
Josephus Flavius, trans. by William Whiston
1
Enoch, 2004,
by G.W.E. Nickelsburg, James C. VanderKam
The
Lost Book of Enoch, Trans.
by Joseph B. Lumpkin
The
Book of Jasher, 1840 edition, by
unknown ancient authors
The
Histories by
Herodotus (490-420(?) BC), 2003, Penguin Books
The
Lost Civilization of Petra, 1999,
Floris Books, by Udi Levy
Petra
and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans, 2001,
by Jane Taylor
Kebra
Nagast (1922), English
translation by
E.A. Wallis Budge
The
Book of Jubilees (The Apocalypse of Moses), 2006,
Trans. by Joseph B. Lumpkin
The
Sign of The Seal, 1992, by Graham Hancock
The
Book of Angels, 2006, by
Ruth Thompson, Williams and Taylor
The
New Strong’s Exhaustive
Concordance, by
James Strong
Warfare
in the Classical World, 1995,
by John Warry
The
Witness of the Stars (1893)
by E.W. Bullinger
The
Interlinear NIV Hebrew-English Old Testament, 1987,
by J.R. Kohnlenberger III
Chapter 2: Qataliyan (Assassins)
Hello readers! I present to you the first few chapters of my up coming first book in the Mekonnen Epic series, "The Warrior of Light (previously titled 'The Warrior From Aksum')". It is still a work in progress but because of high demand to read the story from anxious fans I decided to treat the world with what is complete so far. Be aware that there may be a few spelling and grammatical errors but I hope this does not distract you from enjoying the story. Thank you and Enjoy! All story and artwork copyright to Jerome Matiyas, 2006 to 2018 and beyond.
Glossary | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Back Stories & Legends | MekonnenEpic.com
Glossary | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Back Stories & Legends | MekonnenEpic.com
Chapter 2
QATALIYAN
(Assassins)
The
streets are enlivened as crowds of people hustle and bustle in the
metropolis of Aksum, in the midst of the vibrant Timket
festival. Commander in Chiefs try to instate some order and control
by dispatching their regiments on foot and on horse back to clear the
way for the Emperor’s procession to march through the streets on
the way to The Queen of Sheba’s Bath Basin called Mai
Shum.
Meanwhile
a little boy, about five years old, is running and playing in the
streets with his friends, when suddenly he accidentally bumps into
the leg of a stranger and falls to the dusty ground. The little one
springs back up happily with a bright smile on his face and
immediately he is polite as his mommy taught him and bows and says,
“Aytehazeley,
Yikrai-ta Geta!”1
which is translated to: “I’m Sorry, Excuse me my Lord!” The boy
looks up at the stranger’s face only to see darkness framed by a
white hood. The mysterious hooded stranger turns to looks down at the
little one and lets out a menacing hiss as his eyes glowed crimson in
the darkness under the hood. Immediately the child is terrified at
the sight and runs off with a shriek to find his mother. He finds her
not far away talking with three of her young friends and jumps into
her arms shouting “A'may,
A'may!” which is
“Mommy, Mommy!” is Ge’ez. Then he whispers in her ears, “A'may,
that man, he hissed at me, and his eyes are red.”
The
mother asks, “Which man?”
The
boy points in the direction from where he encountered the strange
man, but he was gone. She figures her son was just imagining things
as little boys sometimes do, thinks nothing of the matter and turns
to her friends and says, “My boy Nati thought he saw a monster or
something. He will be alright, probably just tired or hungry.” Then
they casually went on their way, but the little boy was still
cowering in his mother’s arms, looking over her shoulder at the
stranger man with the evil glare, now lurking next to a fruit vendor
cart.
They
had no idea that there were many sinister men with white hoods pulled
over their heads dispersed among the people in the streets and
alleyways. But they were organized and grouping into positions that
only they knew as planned amongst themselves. And nobody really
noticed them looking like every one else, they could even pass for
holy monks who dress and cover their heads in similar fashion. Except
for the unique patterns in the hems of their hoods and overalls, and
that strange symbol, a red lightning shape inside of a black circle.
This emblem was embroidered in the front of and below the collar and
tattooed on the back of the hands and on their feet.
None of the warrior guards notices any thing strange as yet, not even Mekonnen and Afeworqi. Soon the sound of music is heard coming from a distance, and minstrels and psalmists in white can be seem coming from a distance with various instruments playing as they lead the procession for the Timket festival. As music and frankincense fills the air, here they come on their way as priests in beautifully coloured garments and robes with tassels on the fringes, surrounding the one carrying the tabot on his head. Vibrant parasols held up above him and other priests and bishops and also the “Tzadakan” the Righteous Ones of sacred legend, all combined to make this scene look like blossoming flowers in a field. What a beautiful and enchanting sight, especially for the visitors who have never seen it before. Even if it’s been seen a dozen times it is still a grand spectacle to behold.
 |
| The Hooded Assassin, Agents from the Realms of Darkness. |
None of the warrior guards notices any thing strange as yet, not even Mekonnen and Afeworqi. Soon the sound of music is heard coming from a distance, and minstrels and psalmists in white can be seem coming from a distance with various instruments playing as they lead the procession for the Timket festival. As music and frankincense fills the air, here they come on their way as priests in beautifully coloured garments and robes with tassels on the fringes, surrounding the one carrying the tabot on his head. Vibrant parasols held up above him and other priests and bishops and also the “Tzadakan” the Righteous Ones of sacred legend, all combined to make this scene look like blossoming flowers in a field. What a beautiful and enchanting sight, especially for the visitors who have never seen it before. Even if it’s been seen a dozen times it is still a grand spectacle to behold.
Now
horses trot with their proud looking commanders and head guards in
warrior garb with lion manes on head and dazzling costumes of vibrant
colors, swords, shields and lances in hand riding them. The crowd
gazes on in awe and reverence of their authority and accomplishments.
Now masters in animal training bring out exotic creature on leashes.
First some lions sporting large black manes lead the way, then
baboons and ostriches.
Every
thing seems to be going well, Mekonnen reckons. They may even play a
game of jousting later tonight. Sit around a camp fire, have a merry
feast of fruits and vegetables, with injera and beg
(lamb meat) with hot spices on the side and some excellent wine to
wash it down. All these thoughts of fun and relaxation fill the young
warrior’s mind, until one of the hooded ones walk pass Mekonnen,
and whose presence gave him a slight ill feeling. Coldness and
darkness, and a sense of malice are the energies emanating from the
hooded one that gave Mekonnen an uneasy feeling. It sent chills up
and down his spine.
“Something
is not right with that stranger.” He thought, “Walking around
like that, sneaking and light footed. Why is he looking around like
that, Scoping out the area?”
“Psst,
Afeworqi?” Mekonnen whispers to his cousin, with eyes still fixed
on his suspect,
“Look,
something is not right with that fellow, wait here.”
“I
see him.” Afeworqi affirms.
Mekonnen
draws closer into the crowd with eyes focused on his prey who is
quickly being engulfed by the sea of people. Just then, Mekonnen
spots another hooded one nearby who looks conspicuous. And it looks
like he picked up a signal from the first hood he was following.
Mekonnen is more keen and observant now, his heart beats faster, yet
he remains calm and focused. Then, up on the left on a roof top,
another mysterious hood acting suspiciously. Another hooded person
walks by and Mekonnen looks at him intently, but this one is
different, does not look and act suspiciously and he can see his
face. Normal sun light reveals this ones face and the patterns on the
hem are less distinctive like the suspects. Might just be a monk, so
he lets him by. Now Mekonnen can really notice the utter darkness
under the hoods that are suspect, and can now even see the difference
in the patterns on the clothing from the other common people and that
strange symbol they have on the front of their clothes, a crooked
line within a red circle. Afeworqi spots another hooded suspect upon
a high wall, stooping down and peering over in the distance beyond
the procession of the tabot and the animals.
Just
then the distinct sound of a particular animal gives Mekonnen and
Afeworki an idea of what the hood on the high wall was looking at in
the distance. The trumpet-like cry of a great elephant rings out in
the distance, a sound that is a familiar hint for the Aksumites as to
who is approaching. It is the Emperor Gebre Mesqel and his Queen, Her
Majesty Nigist Semret and the royal family riding in a chariot, being
drawn by four huge African elephants. The crowd around Mekonnen and
Afeworqi now begin to get restless and excited at the sound of the
elephants as their large heads and ivory tusks can be seen in the
distances down the street.
“Oh
look, the Emperor and Empress are coming, the Negus and Nigist are
coming!” was the buzz in the crowd as some try to position them
selves in a spot in order to get a good view of Ella Gebre Meskel and
his royal family. Guards try their best to control the crowds and
make way on the street. Mekonnen motions to two guards to be on the
alert for suspicious activity.
The
King’s procession is now coming near as the dark brown skin of the
elephants can be seen, so close eventually, that the rough textures
and creases in them are noticeable. Two in the front and two behind
those, harnessed with thick ropes and leather straps connected to the
platform on wheels. The elephants are adorned with decorative
garments on their heads and backs, speckled with gold and pearl beads
and golden tassels. On the backs of each of the behemoth creatures
are riders seated in fancy saddles guiding them in the right
direction. Even the elephants’ tusks were capped with round golden
stubs of fine décor. Behind the creatures is the golden chariot,
which was more like a platform on wheels, that they draw carefully
and steadily as their trainers and riders would allow them. And
within the chariot is His Majesty Negus Gebre Mesqel also known as
Ella Amida, son of the great and famous Ella Abreha, the former Negus
Kaleb who gave up his crown to live a monastic life. He stands and
waves in his glorious regalia just as colorful as the priestly
garments but more bejeweled and ornamented. From the crown of his
head to the sole of his feet, Ella Gebre Mesqel is an ornamented
sight to behold: his golden crown quite high in several layers with
golden streamers hanging down, fluttering as they reflect the natural
sunlight. His collar, armlets and multitude and bracelets and rings
all of fine, pure gold. Even his kilt is of pure gold on linen cloth.
His chest wrapped in straps embroidered with pearls. Guards are on
the platform with the Negus, but he is still pretty much dangerously
open and an easy target. Normally the Negus would also be holding a
gilded shield and a lance but this time he chose to just hold up his
lance in a vertical position with spear pointing upwards.
Mekonnen
tries not to look conspicuous, doing his best not to let the suspects
know that he and Afeworqi are on their tails. He can’t help but
notice how unprotected the Emperor is, two guards at lower levels at
his side and few others on the platform, but that is not enough
guards. And the ones present are not alert enough to what may be
about to take place.
Suddenly,
it all happened, Mekonnen’s cover is lost. The hooded ones noticed
Mekonnen on their trail and signaled to each other. The first suspect
is out of sight and Mekonnen becomes nervous. The Negus is still an
open target; his guards are not paying attention. Mekonnen leaps up
on a fruit vendor’s table to spot them again, causing many lemons,
leaks and melons to fall to the cobbled ground. He scans the crowd
ecstatically, left, right, up and down. He spots one! Now he knows
what they are trying to do. Afeworqi sees Mekonnen on the table and
moves in closer, but does not notice a hooded one approaching him
from behind, eyes glowing red in the darkness.
Now
Mekonnen can see clearly what is going to happen. At a distance, a
hooded one appears behind a palace guard on a ledge and stabs him in
the back, taking his spear as the guard collapses to the ground.
Adrenaline rushes in and a bolt of energy hits Mekonnen, as he leaps
from off the table with spear in one hand and a round shield in the
other, he darts out towards the king, shouting,
“Alert! Shield the King!!”
 |
| Mekonnen runs to save the Emperor from an assassin's spear. |
The
King’s guards are now alert but confused, not really sure from
which direction the impending attack is coming, but they position
themselves to encircle the Emperor and the Empress, shields and
spears up. The crowd is now startled and concerned, some duck down
their head or lay low, others gasp with mouths open, looking in
multiple directions. A few women and young girls grab on to each
other or onto their little ones. Seeing Mekonnen running frantically
towards the King’s chariot, the hooded one who stabbed the guard on
the ledge now holds the spear and positions himself to throw it,
angling it’s sharp pointed spear head towards the king Gebre
Mesqel. The king’s guards cannot see the would-be assassin because
the sun is directly behind him. But Mekonnen sees him clearly enough
from his angle. Now the hooded assassin leans back, aims, heaves and
then thrusts forward and releases, sending the spear sailing through
the air, headed straight for the intended target, the Negus.
The
hood behind Afeworqi begins to pull out a sword from under his cloak
but before he could pull the blade all the way out of it’s sheath,
Afeworqi hears the sound of a blade dragging against surface and
senses his foul presents. He swings around and hits the hood on the
side of his head with the spear shaft and thrusts the blade and shaft
through his chest, as quick as a second. Afeworqi yanks the spear out
of his attacker and watches him fall to the dusty ground, dead, then
keeps on moving, looking for more suspicious ones.
Meanwhile,
Mekonnen runs frantically towards the Negus’ aid from the right,
determined to save His Majesty from the flying spear that is aimed
for Negus Gebre Meskel’s torso. Which ever gets to the Negus first
will determine His Majesty’s fate. Life or Death. Mekonnen, just a
few cubits away, now leaps with shield in right hand, becoming almost
horizontal in mid-air in front of the Negus, just in time for the
deadly spear to strike Mekonnen’s shield instead of Royal flesh.
“Craaacksh!!”
the sharp head of the spear penetrates Mekonnen’s shield, missing
his arm by an inch. But Mekonnen’s flight carries the spear away
from His Majesty and Her Majesty the Nigist Martha, sending Mekonnen
and spear tumbling to the ground on the left side of the royal
platform, rolling over about three times.
By
the time Mekonnen leaps up to his feet a little bruised and dusty,
the king and queen were surrounded by guards, deacons and priests.
The elephants are getting stirred up by the commotion but still under
control by the trainers and riders.
A
cry went out to be alert and seize suspected assassins in the midst.
By then Afeworqi is at Mekonnen’s side to see if he was okay and
says,
“Come
on, we most catch the rest of them! I already took one down.”
“Yes
lets go. “ Mekonnen replies then turns toward the king’s platform
and asks the guards, “How is the Emperor, and the Empress? Are they
safe? Are they well?!”
“Yes,
His Majesty and the Nigist are unharmed.” And as the guard spoke,
arrows started whizzing by on and around the platform, hitting two of
the elephants on the left. Arrows were being fired from the general
direction of where the spear was launched. The two elephants cried
out like loud trumpets in panic and moved away from the rain of
arrows that just barely penetrate the surface of the thick skin but
cause enough pain to be irritable. The other two elephants were not
really trying to move, causing them to bump into each other and
jolting the platform, which caused a few guards and priests to fall
off. The crowd panics, screaming and running in many directions. One
of the elephants in the front on the right stumbles and crashes into
a building, destroying the façade with the impact. No one seemed to
be hurt in that accident. Mekonnen and the rest of the guards
realized they needed to cut the elephants loose into the streets of
Aksum otherwise they would drag the platform with the King and Queen
still on top of it, placing them in danger of being injured or even
killed.
“Quick!
Cut the elephants’ ropes! Hurry!” one to the guards commands, as
two other guards quickly deal 2 to 3 hacks at the thick ropes until
they broke free.
The
elephants cry out loud, “Whhaaaahhh!” and lift their trunks in
the air. One of them rared up on its hind legs causing people nearby
to panic and shout to get out of the way as the elephants storm down
the street. Now the city seems to be in utter chaos.
Mekonnen
looks up in the direction the assassin’s spear and arrows were
coming from and exclaims,
“That
cursed beast. Afie, let’s get them before they escape to the
wilderness!”
And
off they ran, hoping to capture the one who threw the spear that
almost impaled the Emperor.
Meanwhile
the other hooded ones scatter into different directions trying to
hide among the panicking citizens of Aksum. It is possible they may
have a plan to meet and regroup in different locations. Some of the
royal guards went after them, confronting some of the suspects in
sword fights, yet subduing and capturing these agile and elusive
hooded assassins dead or alive proves to be very difficult.
More
arrows are released and fly into the air, coming down and striking
several guards with civilians getting in the cross fire. It was as
if they came to start a war and take over the venerated city of
Aksum. But the royal guards and warriors will not allow such actions
to persist.
Immediately
the royal army brought out their own artillery of archers and marks
men, with traditional bows and crossbows ready for action. Commanders
Mulugeta, Telemarkos and Alazar the war hero, shout orders to their
royal guards,
“Warriors
of Aksum!! Assume your positions to form the Ark of Tsion Barricade!
Now! Now! Nowwww!!”
So
they quickly organized their warriors and mercenaries to form special
barricades in the main streets and alleyways that lead up to the holy
chapel Qedus Mariam
Tsion that houses the
Holy Ark of the Covenant. These barricades involve creating several
layers of defenses one behind another in order to make it very
difficult, or even impossible, to penetrate and get at the Ark of the
Covenant that is claimed to be kept in this chapel with in the city
of Aksum. There is already one monk in the holy chapel who had been
chosen since the age of 7 years to protect and keep the Ark of the
Covenant for his whole life, accompanied by armed guards surrounding
the chapel outer gate day and night. The barricade begins at the top
of the street with a row of 10 swords men standing side by side in
the front, completely blocking the path, enforced behind by 2 rows of
spear-men poised side by side. Followed by four warriors on horse
back wielding swords and lances. And 4 of the finest archers on
horseback. Lastly, 2 elephants mounted by warriors armed with swords,
daggers, lances and bows and arrows. With practiced precision theses
tightly knit barricades were put together just as they had been done
it several times in times of peace and war since the days of Negus
Ezana more than 200 years ago.2
The
archers answered the adversaries’ rain of arrows with their own,
striking down eight of the hooded ones. The others decided to flee
rather than continue with their attack. Foot soldiers went after them
but they were gone almost instantly, as if they had disappeared into
the shadows.
They
then looked at the bodies of the hooded ones they struck down, but
instead of the usual carcasses, they behold a strange, ghastly sight.
Meanwhile,
Mekonnen and Afeworqi mount up on brown Arabia horses of the royal
guard to pursue the other hooded attackers who headed south for the
wilderness towards the Semien Mountains. They ride through the
crowded cobbled streets of Aksum; this section with white and beige
colored buildings of occupations and trades, workers of arts and
crafts, and smiths of iron and precious stones, and vapors of sweet
perfumes, enchanting incenses and hot streams all mingled together in
the warm atmosphere. Everyone tried to get out of the way of these
warriors on steeds in hot pursuit of those who threatened the safety
of the Kingdom, who dared attempt to strike down Aksum’s Negust
Negusa, The King of Kings.
“What
a pity.” Mekonnen thinks to himself. Right near the tail end of the
glorious three day Timkat festival. At this time the citizens and
visitors of Aksum would be preparing to gather for great banquet
feasts, followed by praises, singing, dancing, music, jousting and
other forms of merry making. The festival will continue after this
brief episode of chaos subsides, but at this moment, civilians and
strangers retreated indoors and in the shade until it is safe to come
out again. The show must go on.
As
Mekonnen and Afeworqi rode on the southern ends of Aksumite territory
in hot pursuit of the Hooded assassins, they are joined by five more
royal guards on horse back. They converged from different directions,
from various streets onto the same path with Mekonnen and Afeworqi.
Valiant warriors they are, all quite acquainted with the two kinsmen.
Their names are Endal, Gedion, Biniyam, Kale’ab, Endubis, Samuel, and
Nezana. Endal rides up beside Mekonnen and salutes,
“Selamta,
my brother! Let us catch these wretched dogs and show them we don’t
welcome assassins here, okay!”
Mekonnen
replies with zeal, “U-we, Yes, my warrior, for Aksum, for
Negus Gebre Meskel!”
And
in unison the seven warriors belt out ululations with glistening
swords and spears raised up in the air,
“Luuloolooolooolooloo!!”
As
the hooded strangers take flight they show themselves to be as wise
and cunning as serpents. A few stop running and blend in with the
crowd, others steal horses and head for the Semien mountains in the
south and to the mountains in the north. The warriors assume these
villains may have a special place in the forest and hills where they
meet and regroup themselves to plan another attack.
As
the warriors ride onward, a hooded assassin leaps out of the second
story window of one of the buildings along the way, right above
Biniyam, alias Bini, as he rode by. Like a creature from the wild, he
lets out a ghastly snarl with sword drawn above his head, intending
to strike down Bini. But the warrior is quick, as he thrusts the
point of his spear into the hooded thing as it comes down on him. The
impaled body slams onto Bini, trows him off balance and he loses
control of his horse for a moment, but he pushes off the limp body
and regains control.
Gedion,
alias Gedi, is armed with a large bow and arrows and while riding his
horse is able to draw, aim, release and strike down one of the
villains who ran ahead on foot. Another one leaps out from another
window onto the back of Kale’ab’s horse, grabbing on to him from
behind with one hand and drawing a dagger with the other, ready to
slit the warrior’s throat. But Kale’ab, alias Kebi, is able to
quickly grab onto the arm with the dagger, and uses his elbow to hit
his attacker hard in the ribs.
One,
two, three, four times Kebi thrusts his elbow backwards into the
torso of his assailant but he still wrestles with him. Then the
warrior reaches for his curved sword and thrusts the blade into the
stomach of his attacker as he then clenches, looses his grip on Kebi,
as the body grew lifeless and slides off into the street, getting
trampled by the horses behind ridden by the other warrior companions,
Nezan, Bini and Gedi. Mekonnen and Afeworqi are still galloping in
the lead.
Eventually
the seven catch up with four more hooded assassins who were ahead of
them on stolen horses. Mekonnen, Afeworqi and Endal are in front and
charge on at accelerated speed, urging on their steeds to go faster,
“Hyaaah, Hyaaah!” Passersby and camel riders tried to get out of
the way of the trotting/galloping madness of royal court guards on
horse back in hot pursuit of hooded being of unknown origins.
Then
one of the villains spins around quickly to ride backwards and face
his pursuant and whips out a bow and fires two arrows in quick
successions. One arrow misses hitting no one, the other arrow
whizzes by Mekonnen’s left ear as he shifts slightly to the right,
but it hits Endubis – alias Endi – , who was just behind him, in
his left shoulder. “Ahyy!” crys Endi, wincing in pain. Endal
fires back two arrows piercing one villain in the back. Another hood
flips around on his horse to ride backwards like the first one and
fires off two arrows hitting Afeworqi with one in the chest and the
other his horse in the upper right shoulder by its neck. Aferworqi
crys out and his horse wines in pain but still keeps riding forward.
Mekonnen notices his cousin’s injury and calls out to him, “Afie,
are you okay, hold on my brother, hold on there!”
“I’m
fine…” Afeworq assures Mekonnen but unconvincingly because on the
obvious look of pain in his face.
More
arrows are fired by the hooded ones and this time Nezan is hit in the
thigh, and Endi and his horse were hit again but this time his horse
is badly injured in the front leg, sending both horse and rider
tumbling down onto the street of tiled flat stones which is at a
slight decline at this point. Endi is hurt badly and unconscious on
the ground, bleeding from his head and body, his horse neighing and
wreathing on the hard ground. Neza was going to continue onward but
stops and goes back to help his fallen companion.
Mekonnen
rises up on his horse from a sitting position to a standing posture,
with his spear in right hand, aims and launches it forward, impaling
the second hooded archer in the face, straight into the darkness
under the hood. As the hooded rider falls off his horse with the
spear in his face, his leg is caught in the horse’s stirrup causing
the body to hang over and drag on the left side of the horse, pulling
the steed in that direction as it loses balance and tumbles over,
tripping three of the four other horses ridden by hooded villains.
This incident starts a chain reaction, creating a massive tumbling
heap of men and horses, with Mekonnen, Afie and Endal getting tangled
up in the heap and falling over as well. But as they fall, Afeworq
gets another arrow in the torso, piercing some vital organs. Bini and
Gedi manage to escape this massive tumble in the streets of lower
south Aksum, but they both turn back to assist their friends,
unwittingly leaving one villain to escape down the tiled streets to
the south towards the Semien Mountains.
Both
men and horses try to raise themselves up from the collision,
whipping out swords and daggers from sheaths. Mekonnen, though
bruised and in pain, is the first to rise, followed by Endal and
Afeworqi, though he his wounded and bleeding with two arrows in his
torso, is determined and ready to fight with sharp, curve swords in
hand. One of the villains managed to get back up on his stolen horse
and ride off speedily down another side street. His two remaining
hooded companions are ready to attack the Aksumite warriors with
glistening swords in hands.
Mekonnen
clashes swords with one of them while the other battles with Afeworqi
who barely seems to be able to defend himself, he is losing blood and
is failing in strength.
“Afeworq!
Hey Endal, help him!” exclaims Mekonnen as he battles his opponent
in sword play. Endal lounges at Afeworqi’s opponent and swipes with
his sword but misses and gets a hard kick from this tall villain who
is about 6 cubits high. With the impact, Endal lifts off the ground
slightly and tumbles back down.
Mekonnen
prevails over his opponent first by jump kicking him with both feet
to the chest, then slashing off his right arm at the elbow that held
the sword, then off with his hooded head with a swift move of
skillful swordsmanship. Afeworqi was not so fortunate; his hooded
opponent stabs him in the stomach. But with one last move and ounce
of strength left in him, Afeworqi was able to stab upward with his
sword through the villain’s chin with the blade coming out the top
of his hooded head.
“Afeworqi,
No!” screams Mekonnen and runs to his cousin, now collapsed to the
ground next to his felled horse. Mekonnen pushes off his cousin’s
killer and finishes him off by chopping off his head. Then grabs
Afeworqi in his arms, Endal looks on in sadness a few yards away.
“Afeworqi,
come on stay with me, you will be alright!”
“I’m
sorry Mekonnen, I…don’t think I’m going to make it this time.
It is my time to go. Pray that Agzio will find me worthy to enter
into Semayat.”
“Oh,
Afie my brother! I should have been there to save you! Forgive me.”
“No,
it is not your fault. All… in Agzio’s plan. All in…his…his
will.”
Tears
begin to well up in Mekonnen’s eyes. He pleads,
“No,
I’m sorry…I…!”
“Good
bye, Meko my…brother. See you in Semayat.”
Then
Afeworqi breathes his last breath and gave up the ghost. Gone from
this life to the Realms of Semayat, the abode of the great Geta
Egziabeher, and His faithful Melakt and Qeddusan –
Angels and Holy Ones.
Mekonnen
leans over in sadness and cries. Endal bows his head down mournfully.
The sky begins to become overcast with low gray clouds like they were
full of rain. Just then Endal notices something strange and ghastly
with the dead bodies of the hooded ones. They became shriveled and
chard looking. Not only that, but where their limbs were severed,
black snakes were slithering out of them.
Gedi
approaches them on foot and exclaims loudly, “Meko look out,
Snakes!”
“What
sort of vile sorcery is this?!” Mekonnen retorts as they both begin
to hastily hack off the heads of the slithering creatures. While
swiping at the vipers the rain began to fall.
“There,
I think we got them all, Mekonnen. The snakes I mean, I think we got
them all.” said Endal as he looked down the ally way and street
where the other two hooded villains escaped. He looked up at the dark
gray clouds, as the sky cried rain drops upon his face.”
Mekonnen,
on his knees, still holding Afeworqi, looks up into the same sky, the
rain first mingling with then washing away his tears, he whispers,
“Why
Geta hoy, Oh Lord. Why did this evil come upon us.”
There
was no reply but the rains coming down heavier, some nebulous clouds
to the south illumines with flashes of lightning. Curious bystanders
converge around the four warriors, but they keep their distance. Two
middle aged women drew closer to assist the warriors with the body of
Afeworqi but Mekonnen insists on picking up his cousin’s limp body
in his arms and carrying him back up the cobbled street by himself.
Back
in Aksum city a woman is searching and calling out for her child who
got separated from her amongst all the madness earlier that evening.
“Natanael!
Natiii! Where are you Nati? It is time to go home now! Nati?!
It
is the same young woman whose son bumped into one of the hooded
assassins. The same boy, Natanael is his name, his mother calls him
Nati, who saw the darkness under the hood and glowing red, evil eyes,
then ran to his mommy for safety. Now this same boy appears to be
missing, nowhere to be seem. Unable to respond back to his mother.
Perhaps hiding somewhere in a corner to escape the chaos, perhaps
hiding under a market food stall. Perhaps he is with family or
friends. Perhaps he is lost or stolen, or even worst.
Yet
in the midst, amongst the crowd of citizens of Aksum and strangers
and merchants from far and wide, there lurks a mysterious individual,
a hooded creature, who seems like a normal man on the outside, but on
the inside bares a dark soul, as black as night and deep as the
Bottomless Pit. Venom seething through its veins, slithering and
peeking like a viper with eyes glowing red in the shadows, seeking
another opportunity to strike. The thing maneuvers its way through
the crowds and detours southwards towards the Semien wilderness and
mountains, hoisting a medium sized bag over its left shoulder like a
sack of potatoes. There is something in the sack that is moving and
squirming. Muffled sounds and faint cries coming from the sack is
difficult to decipher what might be in there, whether animal,
creature, person or thing. Nobody notices, Nobody knows. It is little
Nati bounded in ropes inside that sack.
1I
want to use Ge’ez here but I don’t know it yet so I used
Tigrinya. Tigrinya and Tigre are supposed to be closer to Ge’ez
than Amharic.
2
I made up this military formation on my head that seems plausible
after studying a few books of battle formations like Warfare in the
Classical World by John Warry (1995) and hints for medieval and
fantasy movies that depict ancient warfare.
Glossary | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Back Stories & Legends | MekonnenEpic.com
Glossary | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Back Stories & Legends | MekonnenEpic.com
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