On the Horn of Africa, completely landlocked, lies the country of Ethiopia, the second most populous country in all of Africa. Ethiopia has nine regional states, one of which is Oromia. It has recently become possible to get Oromia news.
The regional capital of Oromia has an interesting history. Up until 2000, it was located in Addis Ababa, which was known also as Finfinne. As the new millennium dawned, the capital was moved to Adama. According to government sources, Addis Ababa was inconvenient from the point of view of developing the region's culture, history, and language. This turned out to be a controversial move, with critics declaring that the government wanted to play down the importance of Addis Ababa in the region. In 2005, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization returned the capital back to Finfinne.
It is no small feat that we are now able to read about Oromia. Until very recently, the ruling body was rather bashful about the goings on in the country. Our new-found ability to read about the region is a triumph of democracy and freedom.
In the Finfinne Tribune, it is possible to read about the mythical origin of the Abyssinian Solomonic dynasty. The Judeo-Christian Bible tells the story of a visit to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. What the Bible does not mention is a child born to the Queen months after the historic meeting. This baby allegedly grew up to become King Minilik I.
Illicit relationships are nothing unusual in the Bible. King Solomon himself was the result of a romance between his father, King David, and Bathsheba, who was also married to Uriah, a Hittite soldier in David's army who was conveniently killed in battle. In any event, Minilik's birth is not mentioned in the Bible.
It was not unusual in ancient times for rulers to claim some form of divine, mystical ancestry. They believed this would set them above their subjects and gave them the ability to reign with unlimited power.
The notion that kings were demigods persisted right up until the overthrow of Emperor Haile Sillaasee in 1974. Sillaasee, too, was a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, he served as regent of Ethiopia between 1916 and 1930 before taking over as Emperor until 1974.
Ever since Ethiopia's revolution in 1974, the royal family have had a rather hard time of it. First, they were thrown into prison. Eventually, they were released but forced out of the country. Now, many have returned to live a peaceful, if no longer royal, existence. We get so caught up in events in our own western world that we neglect to take a look at the fascinating stories that emerge from the flyover countries. Now that this information is available, we should take note of it and learn from it.
The regional capital of Oromia has an interesting history. Up until 2000, it was located in Addis Ababa, which was known also as Finfinne. As the new millennium dawned, the capital was moved to Adama. According to government sources, Addis Ababa was inconvenient from the point of view of developing the region's culture, history, and language. This turned out to be a controversial move, with critics declaring that the government wanted to play down the importance of Addis Ababa in the region. In 2005, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization returned the capital back to Finfinne.
It is no small feat that we are now able to read about Oromia. Until very recently, the ruling body was rather bashful about the goings on in the country. Our new-found ability to read about the region is a triumph of democracy and freedom.
In the Finfinne Tribune, it is possible to read about the mythical origin of the Abyssinian Solomonic dynasty. The Judeo-Christian Bible tells the story of a visit to King Solomon by the Queen of Sheba. What the Bible does not mention is a child born to the Queen months after the historic meeting. This baby allegedly grew up to become King Minilik I.
Illicit relationships are nothing unusual in the Bible. King Solomon himself was the result of a romance between his father, King David, and Bathsheba, who was also married to Uriah, a Hittite soldier in David's army who was conveniently killed in battle. In any event, Minilik's birth is not mentioned in the Bible.
It was not unusual in ancient times for rulers to claim some form of divine, mystical ancestry. They believed this would set them above their subjects and gave them the ability to reign with unlimited power.
The notion that kings were demigods persisted right up until the overthrow of Emperor Haile Sillaasee in 1974. Sillaasee, too, was a member of the Solomonic dynasty. Born Tafari Makonnen Woldemikael, he served as regent of Ethiopia between 1916 and 1930 before taking over as Emperor until 1974.
Ever since Ethiopia's revolution in 1974, the royal family have had a rather hard time of it. First, they were thrown into prison. Eventually, they were released but forced out of the country. Now, many have returned to live a peaceful, if no longer royal, existence. We get so caught up in events in our own western world that we neglect to take a look at the fascinating stories that emerge from the flyover countries. Now that this information is available, we should take note of it and learn from it.
No comments:
Post a Comment