I just had an idea. How about publishing a book and have it accessible
on Dehai's web page, co-authored by all of us in dehai, of course, and
titled "A PEOPLE'S HISTORY OF AWATE." With the way this discussion
keeps expanidng, come baHti meskerem next year we will have compiled a
decent volume ready for publication. Any volunteer editors out there:-)
Just when I thought we were wrapping up things, Serekeberhan comes with
a more recent and interesting update on Awate's story. His information
on Awate's lineage from both the Nara and the Beni Amer checks with
mine. But Solomon's specific information that he hails from the habereda
tribe also makes sense. For our information, the Beni Amer is not a
single ethnic group or tribe, but rather a (loose) confederacy of tribes
of Tigre-speaking people (such as the Habereda) of Barka. The
interesting thing here, from the point of view of national history, is
that Awate could cliam descent from both people and was seen as a
defender and uniting personality. Moreover, he was well liked by people
of all ethnicites and religions of that area.
On another matter, my good friend Paulos shared with me in a private
e-mail the following information on the word Barya, and I hope he
doesn't mind if I share it also with Dehai:
>
> A dehaier whose mother tongue is tgre, sent me the following
>
> "This is just to point out that the word Barya does not exist in
> Tigre except as a name for the Nara. The equivalent of the tgrNa
> barya is gebr or Abd."
>
> I don't know what to say.
> But Ato Woldeab's early sensitivities and conciousness of this
> issue and the plight of the Eritrean people in general, indeed,
> is a remakable attribute of that wonderful man. One thing that I
> will always remember with awe is his lack of bitterness towards
> his "enemies." ...
>
> HawKa,
> Paulos
Well, this brings us back to square one. Perhaps the word "Barya" may
not be of Ge'ez origin also, and since Tigre is closer to Ge'ez than
Tigrinya, and the same meanig also holds true for "gebr" in Ge'ez. For
example, the name Gebre-Egzia'bher means "the servant of the Lord/God."
The other Tigre word for slave, Abd, is of course derived from Arabic.
Could it be then that "Barya" is actually an authentic Nara word by
which the people called themselves, and that long ago the Tigrinya
people came to use the word to mean "slave" for the people they raided
and captured in war? But then the word has also the same meaning in
Amharic, and the area of the Amharas is far removed from that of the
Nara. The etymology of words is interesting. The word is also used since
ancient times in Tigrinya in names of peole such "Barya-Gaber,"
"Brya'u" or as is commonly used "Bayru." So, I don't know where this
takes us. I am speculating here. But one thing that will be helpful is
if its etymology, as far as Ge'ez is concerened, can be ascertained or
ruled out. Can someone in Dehai with a knowledge of Ge'ez or access to
a Ge'ez dictionary check this for us?
Paulos, I agree with your description of Ato Wolde-Ab. He is the man I
most admire in Eritrea's nationalist history. I often think, if
Eritrea's modern hsitory had not taken the course that it has, Ato
Wolde-Ab would have become a great writer, a poet and a scholar -- not
that he hasn't left us a great contribution in Tigrinya literature. His
involvement in politics and the nationalist struggle, I think, was more
out of a sense of duty and destiny than an ambition or inclination
towards politics. To me, he is without doubt one of those rare great men
of history. Now, there is also another man whose history has yet to be
written.
selamn fQrn snitn nKulna.
HawKum,
Elias Amare Gebrezgheir
Lawrenceville, NJ