I have an AI output with an English translation of the Ge`ez – Classical Ethiopian – text of the 15th century “Life” of Abba Garima by Yohannan. It ‘feels’ more or less right. But I don’t know any Ethiopian, and I cannot even read the language, so it’s impossible to say.
Today I scanned the Italian introduction, summary, and notes by Carlo Conti Rossini, the editor of the “Life”. I’ve run that through Google Translate, and so I have enough to write some words about the text. The summary of the “Life” (a “gadl” in Ethiopic) seems to agree with the AI output, which is encouraging.
But of course Rossini was writing in the 1890s, which is a very long time ago. It came to me that there must have been work on this text since then. But where might I find this? A google search gives little. Knowing nothing about Ethiopian studies, I have spent some time today looking for bibliography. This is what I found, rightly or wrongly.
- Jon Abbink, “Ethiopian Society and History: A Bibliography of Ethiopian Studies, 1957-1990”, Leiden: African Studies Centre (1990). Online here.
- Jon Abbink, “Eritreo-Ethiopian studies in society and history:1960-1995”. Leiden: African Studies Centre (2022). Online here.
Thank heavens for the Leiden African Studies Centre! Abbink writes:
The period before 1957 is relatively well covered in general bibliographies like the ones by R. Jones (see below item 39), H.W. Lockot (German language publications; item 48), and now, Paulos Milkias, item.58.
I.e.
39. Jones, R.
1958 Ethiopia. In: Africa Bibliography Series, North East Africa, General/Ethnography/Sociology/Linguistics, pp. 19-39.
London: International African Institute.
48. Lockot, H. W.
1982 Bibliographia Aethiopica. Die äthiopienkundliche Literatur des deutschsprachigen Raums.
Wiesbaden: Steiner, 441 p.
58. Paulos Milkias
1989 Ethiopia: a Comprehensive Bibliography.
Boston: O.K. Hall, 710 p
These I have not consulted. Of course our interest is hagiographical literature.
Section 23 of Abbink is “Christian and Hagiographical Literature”, on p.281. From this I learned of the existence of this:
- G.W.B. Huntingford, “Saints of Mediaeval Ethiopia”, in: Abba Salama 10 (1979) p.257-341. “Abba Salama” turns out to be “Abba Salama: A Review of the Association of Ethio-Hellenic Studies”. It seems to be inaccessible, however. But there are many references to it in relevant sources, such as:
- Steven Kaplan, “Hagiographies and the History of Medieval Ethiopia”, in: History in Africa 8 (1981), pp. 107-123. (JSTOR) Summary, references here. This looks useful.
- G. Lusini, “A companion to Medieval Ethiopia and Eritrea”, in: S. Kelly, A Companion to Medieval Ethiopia and Eritrea, Brill (2020), pp.194-216. This seems tremendously useful, and a PDF copy has strayed online here.
From the last I learned of the existence of a French translation of the “Life” of Abba Garima!
- Gérard Colin, Saints Fondateurs du Christianisme Éthiopien: Frumentius, Garimā, Takla-Hāymānot, Ēwostātēwos, Paris: Les Belles Lettres (2017), pp.6-37. This is modestly priced – 22 euros – unusually.
This, of course, I must consult if possible. A library near me has a copy, so I have spent some time jumping through hoops in order to regain access to the premises. The book is off-site, apparently, so I may have to wait a couple of days to set eyes on it.
Consider contacting Prof. Wendy Belcher, Comparative Studies Dept, at Princeton University. She has done extensive work on Ethiopian literature.
Thank you very much for the thought!