The Defiance of the Tenth-Century Empress Yodït (Judith) of Ethiopia from an Unpublished Manuscript by Aleqa Teklé (Tekle-Ïyesus) of Gojjam

The Defiance of the Tenth-Century Empress Yodït1 (Judith) ofEthiopia from an Unpublished Manuscript by Aleqa2 Teklé (Tekle-ïyesus)3 of Gojjam Reidulf K. Molvaer Frognerkilen, Oslo, Norway Ethiopians have preserved vivid traditions about a fierce and destructive queen, known under various names (Yodït, Gudït, Isat, Isato), who brought down the ruling house of Aksum which came to be known as the "Solomonic dynasty," out of power from whenever-or soon after-she arose in the ninth or tenth century , until its "restoration" around 1270 (some favor the year 1268 or some other date). Her reign seems to have been gradually "moved" closer to the turn of the first millennium a.D., with apocalyptic associations for Christian Ethiopia. Several theories have been suggested to explain the phenomenon of Yodït, and not all are confident that she even existed. Still, many Ethiopians, especially the Amhara, explain various local cultural and ethnic characteristics by reference to her reign. Below, I present a translation of a previously unpublished text about Yodït from Aleqa Teklé's history of Ethiopia in which the author makes many original observations. My comments are contained in the notes. When Dignajan4 ruled, the Head of the clergy {Lïqe-kahinat) was Abba Yidla. He came from Tigray and settled at Dawint.5 He married an Amhara lady called Maqda (or Maqida)6 and got six sons—they were called "the (church) scholars (debteroch) of Zion (Siyon)."7 At that time, the Jews©Northeast African Studies (ISSN 0740-9133) Vol. 5, No. 1 (New Series) 1998, pp. 47-58 47 ReidulfK. Molvaer (Felasha)8 of the highlands of Simen9 fought (with) the Christians, and the Christians were defeated and were taken captive, and all converted to the Jewish faith.10 After the death of the king of the Jews,11 ïtaliya,12 his daughter Yodït (or Gudi't)13 became queen. At that time, there were many bandits (shifta ) in Ethiopia.14 When the son of Dignajan, Digayjan,15 ruled, the Head of the clergy was Asqe-Léwï. Because Yodït wanted to kill him, he fled and settled at Iti'ssa16 in Bulga.17 After the death of Digayjan, Anbessa-Widim became emperor under the name of Dawït the First.18 The emperors who ruled from Emperor Gebre-Mesqel19 to Dilnad (Dil Ne'ad)20 made their realm traditional (pagan, ¿/ebahriy )21 and left their Creator and lived by (believed in) spirits {zar) and sorcery ("sorcerers," tenqway).22 And God heaped their sins upon them and put an end to their kingdom and gave it to strangers (ba'id).23 The Zagwé24 family ("children") of Lasta25 took it.26 When the daughter of ïtaliya, Yodït, was staying in the highlands of Simen, the King of Ethiopia, Anbessa-Widim, mobilised his army and fought her, but he was defeated and died there.27 Thereupon, Yodït went down to Tigray and burnt Aksum, and she killed Dilnad, the son of the king.28 Then she finished off the royal family—no one remained (there).29 Since then, Aksum has never been rebuilt.30 In those days, the whole royal family, except the one who ruled, was guarded in detention [israt) at (the top of the mountain of) Debre-Damo,31 so that they ("the others") should not cause riots.32 The son of Dilnad called MahbereWidim escaped from there and fled and entered Shewa and came to Bulga, and Lïqe-kahinat Asqe-Léwï received him; and when all the nobles of Shewa understood that he was the son of the king, they recognized (or installed, "introduced ") him (proclaimed him king) with honor. And all the nobles of Shewa accepted (or received) him with joy.33 But when Yodït heard that the nobles had received him with joy and honor, she became angry and made a military campaign against Shewa. When she arrived between Farta34 and Gayint,35 she camped at a place called Ayb Beniqib. The number of soldiers was very great, and when she looked at them from a mountain (or hilltop), she ordered the soldiers to drop one stone each (benefsewekef ) at the same ("one...