While Ethiopia has been claimed for many years as the origin of the Prester John legend, most modern experts believe the legend was simply adapted to fit that nation in the same fashion it had been projected upon Wang Khan and Central Asia during the 13th century. Modern scholars find nothing about the Prester or his country in the early material that would make Ethiopia a more suitable identification than any place else, and furthermore, specialists in Ethiopian history have effectively demonstrated the story was not widely known there until well after European contact. When the Czech Franciscan Remedius Prutky asked Emperor Iyasu II about this identification in 1751, Prutky states the man was “… astonished, and told me that the kings of Abyssinia had never been accustomed to call themselves by this name.” (Arrowsmith-Brown, p. 115.)

When ambassadors from Emperor Zara Yaqob attended the Council of Florence in 1441, they were confused when council prelates insisted on referring to their monarch as Prester John. They tried to explain that nowhere in Zara Yaqob’s list of regnal names did that title occur. However, their admonitions did little to stop Europeans from calling the King of Ethiopia Prester John. (Silverberg, p. 189.)

In a footnote to this passage, Richard Pankhurst opines that this is apparently the first recorded statement by an Ethiopian monarch about this tale, and they were likely unaware of the title until Prutky’s inquiry. (Arrowsmith-Brown, p. 115 n 24.)

One more thing…Ethiopia was never considered “India”, it was considered one of the “3 Indies” because of European geographical ignorance. Simply because, after searching the REAL India for Prestor John, and not finding him, they assumed he had to be in Ethiopia, which was a powerful and historically Christian Kingdom.

I did a program in the early nineties at the Philadelphia Folk Art Center, The First Annual Rastafari/Ethiopian Symposium and I believe you were kind enough to present on Ethiopic writing systems. I am hoping you are the same professor as I have been trying to get in touch with you ever since. This is ras Al Turner, the organizer of the event. Please reply and confirm at your convenience.

Give Thanks,
Ras AL turner: ambassa777@yahoo.com

With regard to the architectural genesis of the Lalibela churches, it is important to note that the tradition rock-hewn churches began in Tigray. The presence of hundreds of rock-hewn churches in Tigray. some older than the lalibela churches, certainly testify to my assertion that the architects were Ethiopians. Second, recent archaeological work by David Phillipson and his team in Lalibela resulted with an earlier date. Phillipson dated at least Bete Gebriel and Bete Merqorewos to the seventh century CE, much earlier than the time of the Templars.

Ethiopian historians, such as Sergew Hable-Selassie, Merid Wolde Aregay, Tadesse Tamrat, Getachew Haile have made extensive research and publication on medieval Ethiopia. Their works are extremely valubale with regard to the history the Zagwe Dynasty and the Shoand Dynasty.

As Kokeb suggested, there are also primary sources, such as Royal Chronicles, Fetha Negest, Kebra Negest, Synaxarium and other valubale manuscripts where some of them were published as early as the thirteenth century CE.

Abram is raising an important point. That is our modernity or what he called Ethiopian renaissance may have begun during these periods. Actually, as Professor Tekeste Negash suggested, the myth of Makeda (tradition of continuity) and the offering of a sanctuary to the followers of the Prophet Mohammed by Aksumites in the sventh century CE (tradition of tolerance) were significant markers or starters of our renaissance. This what our history teaches us.

The Spanish inquisition can be interpreted in many ways. Some scholars have argued that the inquisition was a necessary policy (from an administrative perspective) developed by Spain’s royal family as a solution to exert more control over their religiously diverse society. It was an ecclesiastical tribunal that exercised authority only over baptized Christians, and mostly to ensure the orthodoxy of recent converts such as Jews, Muslims, Moors (mix of Africans and Arabs) and others. But, yes, I agree with Dibaba that the objective of the inquisition itself was offensive. According to Wiki: quoniam punitio non refertur primo & per se in correctionem & bonum eius qui punitur, sed in bonum publicum ut alij terreantur, & a malis committendis avocentur. (Translation from the Latin: “… for punishment does not take place primarily and per se for the correction and good of the person punished, but for the public good in order that others may become terrified and weaned away from the evils they would commit.”) Yaaak.

But for me personally the most interesting is the possible relationship between one of the Medieval Ethiopian Emperors and the 1307 inquisition in France, where members of the secretive “Knights Templar” or the “Order of the Temple of Solomon” were arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and then burned at the stake. Wiki says, “The Knights Templar were a monastic military order, which would later become extraordinarily powerful and wealthy, were founded in Jerusalem in 1118 C.E., whose mission was to protect Christian pilgrims during the Crusades.”

Remember that Lalibela, the Ethiopian King who built the rock-hewn Lalibela churches, which is now recognized as a UNESCO world heritage sight, was in exile in Jersulaem at the time and lived there for almost a decade. Is it not possible (Professor Ayele can help here) that Lalibela might possibly have befriended members of the Kingit Templars? Is it not also possible, as some have suggested, that members of the secret order might have traveled with him to Ethiopia to help him reclaim his throne and perhaps assisted in the building of the churches as well? In fact, the Kinght Templars distinctive red cross are found as part of the Churches’ art work.

But later, there mush have been a falling out between the Ethiopian Emperor and the Europeans because they seem to have suddenly disappeared. Interestingly enough, Honckok mentions a secret Ethiopian delegation of about 30, who traveled to Europe in 1307 to meet with Pope Clement and deliver a secret message. Incidentally, few weeks after the Ethiopians met with the Pop, King Philip of France ( who already felt threatened by the power of the secret organization and in a hurry to claim their riches) in coordination with Pope Clement, secretly ordered the mass arrest of all the Knights Templar in France.

Just a thought…something to research further.

Selam lehulachu yihun

Mesfin, Boston

Thanks for clarification. I believe [and wanted to point out} the ‘..Spanish Inquisition..’ comment {made by Abram} is offensive and {irrelevant to this article}.

Keep up the good work and wish you more success!!

Thank you

Please stay on topic: Comments that are off subject or contain factual inaccuracies known to us will not be published.

Please be polite: Slanderous remarks and comments that are laced with profanity will be promptly rejected. We reserve the right to delete or edit all comments as we see fit.

Every publication has its own rules, and these are ours. Please follow them and your comments will be approved.

With kind regards,
The Moderator

My questions is who was the true author of the letters that were being sent to kings and Queens in Europe as being signed by Prestor John? Which Atse (Emperor) fits the time line or the profile that Honcock was referring to in his book? And what was the motive behind the letters? If such a letter indeed existed?

Anyways, I am Hopeful,
Ayantu, MN

Just wondering, how come different ideas are not entertained here?

Ke akbirot gar

Danny

I appreciate your probing questions. Let me use the case of Hatse Gelawedwos (1540 – 1559) in order to address some of the questions you raised in conjunction with my article, which should be seen as an inroduction and an outline history of the two periods. Hatse Gelawedwos was victorious against Imam Ahmed ibn Ibrahim (Gragn Ahmed), but he was killed at the battlefield figting against the brother of Imam Ahmed.

His death was attributed to a sin he committed while holding a divine power. According to the great Ethiopian scholar Aleqa Mersea Hazen Wolde Qirqos, Hatse Gelawedwos had a mistress whom he loved dearly. The mistress was married to a priest. She begged him not to go to the battle with Imam Ahmed’s brother, for he was sinful and she was worried that he might get killed. Against the wish of his mistress and defiant of his sin, he entered the battle and got killed.

The Hatses, as I pointed out, were divine rulers. Their power is divine, absolute and herditary. Unlike the Vatican Pope, they were also commanders of their armies. They governed with moving capitals until Hatse Fasiladas (1632-1667) put a stop to them. Imagine the impact of the moving government on the peasantry that was obliged to feed the whole armada. There you find the roots of the problem with the persistent food insecurity.

Who is Preston John? Thank you for answering and thank you for digging deep. Quick question: What I find most fascinating is the spiritual devotion of these Emperors. Were the Atses schooled by the church as requirement or was their power hereditary? I am trying to understand how they draw or justify the divine or ecclesiastical aspect of their authority and how it is separated from their civic duties? In other words, were they like the Vatican Pope?

Thank you.
P.S. Two thumbs up to Tommy T. for both his new album and for inspiring this research. Priceless!!!