Just a reminder, friends, that our next Sandfordian book club will be Saturday, October 22nd, 2022. We are currently reading the anthology Ethiopia: Through Writers' Eyes by Yves-Marie Stranger - September 2016.We will be covering three VERY short chapters:
- Abyssinians and Oranges (1500-1700)
- from The Life of the Holy Lalibela, Anonymous
- Mapping the Journey, Alessandro Zorzi
The group met by zoom (and meets monthly).
About the Book Club (from their web page):
The Sandfordian Book ClubThe Sandfordian Book Club is a monthly virtual gathering. In this online community, alumni can connect with each other and enjoy books, from fiction to nonfiction, classics to new releases, reflecting Ethiopia and Eritrea.How it Works
- The book club connects monthly online via Zoom.(link provided below)
- Each month we invite you to read a chapter of a book of the group's choosing, then join us for a discussion that provides context, offers the book club participant's reflections on the selection, and deepens understanding.
- The group covers only a few chapters each session so you will have sufficient time to read.
Most of the Portuguese soldiers remained in the country, and this was the opening of a little-known chapter in the history of the Horn of Africa. For the next one hundred and fifty years, the descendants of those soldiers, the Burtukan (or Oranges as they became known – it is thought that the Portuguese first brought the fruit to Ethiopia, and it was given their name, with a B since the P of Portugan was difficult to pronounce), and Jesuit priests – often Portuguese it is true, but also Spanish, Indian, Catalan, Genovese – vied for the fortunes and the faith of Ethiopia.
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I presented: The Life of Lalibela, Thirteenth Century (Lalibela is the name of the 13th century Ethiopian emperor after whom the region with monolithic churches and other buildings is named).
I have posted the completed story The Life of Lalibela, Thirteenth Century, which is told by recounted an anonymous person, and below that, my commentary of the story/account. (There is a drier portion at the bottom of this account, which simply elaborates on Lalibela, his name, and the monolithic, under ground churches that he built.)
I cannot decide if the raconteur is male or female, who I believe is Ethiopian (and not a "foreign" traveler/visitor), who seems to have an intimate knowledge of the Emperor Lalibela, and his court.
And now listen, dear friends, you who are seeking the benedictions of the grace of the righteous and who are burning with love for Lalibela, so that you will make your delights from the account of his good fight, which percolates as water into the entrails, as marrow into the bone. For it is a shower of praises not even absorbed by the high heat of summer. So open wide the ears of your hearts. I begin, as much as the imperfections of my tongue and the shortcomings of my knowledge allow me, to speak of some of his numerous prodigies. I cannot enumerate one by one the accomplishments of this blessed one, but only a small number amongst them, so that your hearts will rejoice in learning of them, for the sight of the righteous rejoices much more than a well laid table can satiate, than thirst is quenched by wine and mead; she possesses more smoothness than oil and fat, as the prophet says: His words are softer than butter. As to you, it is good that you should wear his faith as you would clothes, that you fold yourself in it as you would in a veil, and that you honour this man as you honour the angels, the prophets, the apostles, the righteous, martyrs, virgins and monks, for he is of one piece with them. May his prayer and his intercession, his succour and the hope of his benediction remain with the servant of God, our Queen, Walatta Iyasus, with Walatta Hiruta Selase, with all you here who are present, and who have come from far and wide to seek shelter in the shade of his wings; may he not leave your side till the end of centuries. Amen.
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My notes for commentary on: The Life of the Holy Lalibela, thirteenth century
(I made my notes in blue, of the bolded portions)
you who are seeking the benedictions of the grace of the righteous [Referring to God - the story starts immediately with religious/Christian references, with God as the center]
and who are burning with love for Lalibela [There is nothing meek about this love, it is burning - as in the high heat of the summer of the next section],
so that you will make your delights from the account of his good fight [The Good fight - fight for God, for morality, for Christ - a combative manner for acquiring goodness - as has been, and will be, the plight of these Ethiopians, who fought moral enemies, as well as geographical ones]
which percolates as water into the entrails, as marrow into the bone. [Referring to the “account,” which satiates and soothes the body, as does water and food - and thus is nourishing]
For it is a shower of praises [The “benediction”/the praises these “dear friends” are seeking]
not even absorbed [Lost] by the high heat of summer [Allusion to natural environment - the difficulties of the summer heat].
So open wide the ears of your hearts
—[Listening with the heart = an Orthodox phrase “We must learn to stand before God with “the mind in the heart”
— [Inside every human is the heart, the rudder of our ship. It is the center of our being. It is the place where we converse both with God and with ourselves]
— [Starting with our hearts to make them God-like] source: Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese - Rick Burns
— [From the Philokalia Prayer of the Heart] source:
- Philokalia - Greek – Love of the Good, the Beautiful - prose anthology of Greek Christian monastic texts that was part of a movement for spiritual renewal in Eastern monasticism and Orhtodox devotional life in general] source: Britannica.com
The Philokalia is an important collection of writings by Fathers of the Eastern Church dating from the fourth to the fourteenth century. - source: Writings from the Philokalia - G.E.H. Palmer (translator)
I begin, as much as the imperfections of my tongue and the shortcomings of my knowledge allow me, to speak of some of his numerous prodigies [Comparison - the greatness of Lalibela - the meekness/lowliness/imperfections of the speaker].
I cannot enumerate one by one the accomplishments of this blessed one, but only a small number amongst them,
so that your hearts will rejoice in learning of them, for the sight of the righteous rejoices much more than a well laid table can satiate, than thirst is quenched by wine and mead [God’s presence, putting God close, setting the table with God as the main surpasses even the best of wine, or tej]
she possesses more smoothness than oil and fat, as the prophet says: His words are softer than butter [From psalms 55:21 - from David’s psalms during a time of rebellion - about a trusted friend (words softer than butter) but who is vindictive and destructive]
As to you, it is good that you should wear his faith as you would clothes [once again, an exemplary, Godly, leader
that you fold yourself in it as you would in a veil - metaphor of faith as covering - clothes - a veil
and that you honour this man as you honour the angels, the prophets, the apostles, the righteous, martyrs, virgins and monks, for he is of one piece with them. And the honorable place this man has in God’s presence, that he ranks high
May his prayer and his intercession, his succour and the hope of his benediction remain with the servant of God, our Queen, Walatta Iyasus, with Walatta Hiruta Selase, with all you here who are present, and who have come from far and wide to seek shelter in the shade of his wings; may he not leave your side till the end of centuries. Amen.