Immediately upon our return from the eastern frontier, the king sent his
confidential page with a message of congratulation on my recent success
against the much-dreaded buffalo, and requested that we would visit him
early the ensuing morning. In accordance with the etiquette invariably
observed after a long absence, I laid "pleasing things" on the royal
footstool, together with the trophies of the chase, and His Majesty
listened with great interest to a detail of our adventures among his
Adel subjects. On my returning thanks for the injunctions issued to the
governor of Berhut and his subordinates, as well as for the royal
permission to visit a portion of the realm hitherto unviewed by
Europeans, the most friendly assurances were repeated, that "he could
not suffer his children to depart until they should have viewed the
entire of his dominions."
During this interview. His Majesty remained seated on a hassock before
the fire, and had laid aside every portion of his usual reserve.
_Akodamas_, or silver coronets, with chain pendants, of the model worn
by himself on occasions of triumph, and conferred as the last honour
upon those who distinguish themselves in war or in the chase, were now
presented to us, together with massive silver bracelets, accompanied by
many complimentary speeches upon the issue of the expedition:--"You have
slain elephants and buffaloes, and are powerful in arms against the wild
beasts of which my people are afraid," concluded the despot. "You have
overwhelmed me with rifles and other delightful inventions from the
countries beyond the great sea, and must receive at my hands those
things which my kingdom produces, in order that they may be worn on all
proper occasions. You are my brothers."
Striped cotton robes of Abyssinian manufacture followed; and three
horses with plated silver bridles were subsequently presented, which,
although like other royal gifts in Shoa, of ridiculously inferior
quality, were valuable as tokens of favour that are lavished upon those
alone who enjoy the most exalted place in His Majesty's estimation.
They did not fail to produce the desired effect upon popular opinion;
and sycophants who had before taxed us with an intention to seize the
throne--to extinguish the race of Solomon, and to bring a curse upon the
land by the atrocious process of burning the royal bread--now found it
convenient to alter their sentiments, and to confer upon the foreign
guests the ennobling, but not very enviable, appellation of "the king's
brothers."
The tedious fast of Hodadi, which for forty days had been observed in
commemoration of Lent by every individual of the population whose age
exceeded thirteen years, was now about to terminate. During the three
days which are termed _kenona_, the priests had neither eaten bread nor
drunk water, but had remained in the churches singing and praying
incessantly both day and night. In accordance with the practice of the
primitive Church, the monarch observed total abstinence throughout this
period, and on Good Friday sent me a message, "that his people would eat
nothing for forty hours, but that as he knew the Gypts did not keep
strong fasts, he had commanded the purveyor-general to send to the
residency the usual daily supplies of bread, beer, and hydromel."
On Easter even we were invited to the palace to witness their
celebration of the royal victories, held according to immemorial custom
during Passion Week. Sahela Selassie was clad in the plainest of
garments, and appeared much enfeebled and emaciated by rigorous
mortification, but was in high spirits at the prospect of speedy release
from the irksome penance. On this joyful occasion offerings are
invariably made to the throne; and every individual of the crowd
present, whether great or small, advancing in turn, contributed a mite
according to his means--the wealthier bringing cotton cloths, and the
more indigent, logs of wood, earthen jars, or stones of a description
fitted for building.
Bands of warriors next entered the carpeted courtyard, howling the
war-chorus; and after the lapse of a few seconds, the gigantic Tunkaiye,
who had earned new laurels, and been severely wounded during a recent
foray against the Gentiles, dashed into the arena on horseback. Richly
attired, bedizened with feathers, _saretis_, and silver decorations, and
escorted by a troop of fifty mounted retainers, he galloped up and down,
recounting his valorous exploits, and pointing to the scars earned in
the service of his royal master, shouted defiance to the enemies of the
state.
Eighty turbaned priests, in solemn procession, next entered the court,
clad in their sacerdotal vestments. Preceded by the great embroidered
umbrellas of the church dedicated to Saint George, they filed slowly
into the space vacated by the warriors, the holy ark being supported by
antique Egyptian figures, robed in long musty-looking habiliments of
chequered hues, crowned with heavy mitres, and bearing in their hands
rods of green rushes, bronze bells, crosses, and censers of burning
incense, with an image of the Madonna, and a crucifix; for whilst hating
the Papists with all their hearts, the Abyssinians nevertheless cherish
many of the superstitions and buffooneries of the church of Rome.
Having formed a semicircle before the throne, the priests, although much
exhausted by their long abstinence, continued, during half an hour, to
dance and chant the words of the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the
Romans, "Christ was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our
justification." A portion of the Dominical orison followed. Their
united harsh voices were accompanied by the music of tambourines and
kettle-drums, thumped with excessive violence, and by the jingle of the
_tsnasin_, the Abyssinian timbrel. This is the _sistrum_, an instrument
supposed to be included under the Hebrew term _tzitzelem_, and being
composed of a frame and moveable bars of sonorous metal, it produces
sounds which can best be compared to the rattle of the poker upon the
tongs.
Seven long years are passed in learning to play these instruments, which
are ascribed to Saint Yareed, an Abuna under the Emperor Guebra Maskal,
[i.e. "Servant of the Cross"] and the reputed inventor of church music
in all its various branches. The constant practice of many hours during
each day might not unreasonably be expected to lead to greater
perfection than is displayed. From four in the morning until nine, in
every church in the kingdom, a similar clatter and noise is maintained,
for the honour of the Christian religion, not only on the Sabbath, but
on all the numerous holydays and festivals throughout the twelve months.
Howling and screaming are the most appropriate terms by which to
express the hoarse muster of cracked and ill-modulated voices; and the
band of stout priests who, by their song, nightly preserve the royal
person from the influence of evil demons, must be acknowledged to have
selected a right cunning stratagem by which to deter the approach of
those spirits, at least, that are gifted with any musical taste.
The rehearsal of the praises and martial achievements of the reigning
sovereign occupied another half hour, during which the dancing was even
more energetic, and the music more boisterous than ever. Taking their
seats before the throne, the priests of Saint George, fairly worn out by
their exertions, at length made way for those of "our Lady," who, after
the enaction of similar absurdities, were followed in succession by
those of Medhanalem, Aferbeine, and Saint Michael, the latter
distinguished by the massive embossed silver umbrella. As the united
body rent the air with renewed encomiums on the royal prowess in arms,
dictated to them line by line by one of the Alakas, His Majesty enquired
of me whether similar ceremonies were performed before the sovereigns of
Egypt during the holy institution of Lent?--whether the Coptic
priesthood there were not less elegantly habited than the Abyssinian
dignitaries present?--and whether the Ethiopic fasts were observed in
Saint Thomas's town, as India is invariably styled by the Abyssinians,
or in any other part of the Christian world?
The edifying conversation was, however, suddenly interrupted by the
cessation of the priestly voices. Rising and standing on the throne,
the monarch now received in succession, at the hands of the dwarf father
confessor, the carved croziers of brass or silver, belonging to the
numerous functionaries of the five churches, many hundreds in number;
and with exemplary devoutness, he raised all in turn to his lips. With
each sacred symbol of the season, was handed a rod of green rushes, and
every person present followed the royal example, by wreathing a fillet
about his brows, to be worn during the residue of the day. Largesses,
with new silver crosses, were then presented to the several Alakas, who
were invested with striped cotton robes, and charged with alms for
distribution to the poor.
During this tedious process, whereof the king seemed no less heartily
weary than ourselves, Tekla Mariam, the state scrivener, had been
carefully extracting, from an endless succession of envelopes and dirty
cotton bags and wrappers, something which he appeared equally desirous
to conceal and to disclose. Drawing me mysteriously into a dark corner,
he partially revealed a rudely carved block of wood, presenting nothing
very remarkable in its appearance, but evidently much-prized by the
possessor. "You will have perceived," whispered the learned man, in a
scarcely audible voice--"you will doubtless have perceived that this is
a fac-simile of the table of the law delivered to Moses on the Mount.
It requires nothing but the Ten Commandments; and of these I have no
question that you will be able to furnish me with a copy in the unknown
tongue."
Oxen, assembled for consumption in the city on the termination of the
great fast, completely choked the road down from the palace. Of five
hundred head brought together with this munificent design, there was not
one that appeared to possess another hour of natural existence, all
being diseased, and so horribly emaciated as to recall vividly to mind
the aged pensioners of a Hindoo cattle asylum in the East. Many had
actually died since their arrival within the enclosure, and it appeared
wonderful whence so many sickening objects had been collected. Yet the
liberality of the monarch was vaunted and extolled by all who were to
share it; and it was unanimously declared that the fault rested solely
with the public officers who had been entrusted with the royal commands.
His Majesty, who, during Passion Week, had been very regular in his
vigils and attendance at divine service, passed the greater part of the
night in Saint Michael's church, and on the first crowing of the cock on
Easter morning, broke his long fast. The feasting now became general.
The five hundred oxen having been slaughtered, were devoured raw in the
various quarters of the city; and whether in eating or in drinking,
every inhabitant appeared exerting himself to the utmost to make up as
expeditiously as possible for the weary restraint that had been imposed
on his appetite. Numbers were soon to be seen ranging the streets in
brutal intoxication; whilst the court buffoon, at the head of a party of
drunken fiddlers, made his way to the dwelling of every person of note,
and recited his praises in a series of extemporaneous couplets.
According to immemorial custom, two state-prisoners were liberated from
Goncho, on the occasion of these festivities; the royal clemency not
however extending to any of the hapless and unoffending members of the
blood-royal, who have shared the dungeon from infancy. During one week
a public table is kept by the viceroy, to which the town's people of
every grade resorting, drunken brawls and broken heads are diurnal
occurrences. Oxen, bread, and beer, were liberally supplied, by the
royal command, to the long train of worthless menials at the Residency;
and in such high good humour were the priesthood, that, forgetting all
their former maledictions and denunciations, they were pleased to
ascribe a recent heavy fall of rain, which had proved highly beneficial
to the husbandman, solely to the agency of "the king's strong
strangers."
Volume 3, Chapter XXXIII.