Melaka Tsehai burns the oil off of an addition of nug (an oilseed) to the carbonized grains, leaves, and earths that serve as the base for black ink. Various implments of the scribe’s crafts are on the ground beside him. Also, lest any one accuse me of having done the opposite–I have actually *de*-saturated his spectacular neon orange hat. A truly one-of-a-kind hat.
Ashmelas WoldeGabriel writes a small sample book in the traditional way, using a bamboo pen and resting the parchment quire against his knee, while seated on a short stool.
An eremite watches the celebrations outside of the church compound of Maryam Tsion (St. Mary of Zion), the holiest church in Ethiopia, and supposed resting place of the Ark of the Covenant. The yearly festival of St. Mary is the premiere holiday in Axum.
A nun rests upon her staff while watching the celebrations in honor of St. Mary of Zion, Axum’s high holy day, and the celebration of the patron of Ethiopia’s most important church.
Zewchoas is one of the chief instructors at the St. Yared Theological Academy in Axum, and has a reputation as a däbtära, a magician (he is also properly a däbtära in its original sense of liturgical specialist). A dwarf, he was picked upon, and learned magic in order to gain respect, notably a method for causing people to fart in public, which is considered extraordinarily rude in Ethiopia.
Having achieved his aim, he later gave up the magician’s craft and focused more on his teaching work. He may often be found behind the school, leading students in the recitation and memorization of liturgical songs, and is a thoroughly respected member of his community, having overcome the prejudice traditionally associated with dwarfism.
He is photographed sitting on a throne on top of the stairs in front of the old Cathedral of St. Mary of Zion (Maryam Tsion).
A scribe poses with one of his books at the book market which accompanies the festival of Maryam Tsion in Axum. Scribes come from the neighbouring Tembien area to sell books they have produced in the time since the Hosanna market, the other major festival market of the year.
Abuna Paulos, Patriarch of the EOTC, sits enthroned before the liturgical dancing at the festivities of St. Mary of Zion, one of the most important feasts of the Ethiopian liturgical year.
The basket market, under a large tree in the centre of town.
The dye sellers measure out dyes for baskets, under a different large tree near the ‘old town.’
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Women bring their brightly-colored handwoven injera baskets to the market at the center of town for the market attached to the festival of Maryam Tsion (St. Mary of Zion) in Axum, Ethiopia. The basket serves as both table and covering for meals, and is a prominent feature of many living rooms.
I am going to close out my Axum photos for now with a photo of Abba Pentalewon monastery, seen from nearby Abba Liquanos monastery’s hill. The photo leaves a lot to be desired from my conception, and I will be trying it again when I return, but I thought it a fitting cap-stone to the Axum section.