Field and river

20th International Conference of Ethiopian Studies (ICES20)
Mekelle University, Ethiopia

"Regional and Global Ethiopia - Interconnections and Identities"
1-5 October, 2018

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GƎʾƎZ QƎNEYAT THAT LAUDS THE GRAND RECONNAISSANCE DAM [Abstract ID: 1211-20]

TADDELE Gedlie, Independent researcher

This presentation of Gǝʾǝz Qǝneyat (Poems and Puns) were collected during a field study using personal interviews. The Qǝneyat which were collected under the supervision of “ The Quest of Nile (Abay ) in the Ethiopian Popular Imagination and Ecclesiastical Scholarship and Art ” reflect and laud the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) and the midwifery role of the late Prime minister Meles to GERD. While paying homage to GERD, artists, journalists, poets and Qǝne scholars had sung, painted, wrote essays, prepared articles, authored books and penned poetry and composed Gǝʾǝz Qǝneyat lauding the ongoing work, the former Prime Minister, Engineer Simegnew Bekele and others. One of the Qǝne scholars, Adugna Abebe (Liqe heruyan),who was the administrator of West Gojjam diocese, composed 4 Gǝʾǝz Qǝneyat on June 2003 E.C. The Qǝneyat were collected during a field study. This writer conducted them in 2006 E.C. Asteraye Henok, a Qǝne teacher of Gunde Wein Maryam (East Gojjam) composed a Mewedes (praise) to express his condolence when Ato Meles passed away. Similarly the writer of this article had declaimed five Gǝʾǝz Qǝneyat (no 6,7,8,9,10 ) when he visited the GERD, from January 23 to 24 2007 E.C.The orally composed Qǝneyat and their written sources are analyzed.