Abyssinians beggars As begging is a science unto Abyssinians, it is no less interesting to give some description of it. First, the beggars by profession, who, without necessity or disease, prefer to live this way, are pretty numerous, and convince you each day that at least their lungs are sound. Here someone may observe that it is Abyssinians doctrine to give, according to your means, to all that come, without distinction. The diseased who can walk, either take up their station on some frequented spot, or throng in church porches. These all invoke you in the name saint of the day; and as nearly everyday unto Abyssinians are appropriated by some worthy celestial, you are invoked in the name of Sunday and Saturday, of St. Michael and St. George and of many others peculiarly venerated in Abyssinia. Second, a class of people called Dekama; name signifies ‘feeble.’ These, inherit their right to beg, as being descendants of lepers; many of them are indeed loathsome objects, and ride about the country on donkeys, given to them by charitable, but, many again, are stalwart young men or women. These people come about midnight to the door, and sing a curious and monotonous song till cockcrow. This song is intended to put you in mind of mortality, and its burden is, ‘oh the world!’. Some wealthy Abyssinians, of a serious turn, wish for this entertainment every night. If this was all, it would not be bad; but if you give them nothing, the abuse you receive is not so instructive as the song, and they get more through this fear than charity. Moreover, at any funeral or marriage feast, they force their way in numbers, and not unfrequently give blows, which no one can return for fear of the disgrace. They sometimes even openly plunder in the market, trusting to the same impunity, and generally their insolence is beyond belief. There is a general confusion; the Dekamas say, the man that had received the blow would die, and forced the chief to find security for blood—that is, he himself should put to death, or at least arraigned for murderer, if the result should be fatal. So, after the manner of Abyssinia, the chief and many others entreating pardon of these wretched lepers, and much to do, the blow having been very slight, they at last contented to receive about a double proportion of food and etc, and so the other affair ended after some houses of such pleasant discussion. Third come the public minstrels, called Azmarees; these play on a one-stringled fiddle, and sing airs of all kinds, gay or warlike, free or mournful. Great men are afraid to exclude them, and they mostly attach themselves to some chief or other, at the same time laying under the tribute all others they choose, these men gain a great deal. Their great art consists, not only in a knowledge of all vocal music extant in the country but especially in inventing some smart couplet on any new event of love, war etc. In mourning for a chief of reputation, allusions are made to his private history in each line. There is often much subtle wit in these conceits, and by practice they are very at inventing, and their hearers at understanding. The more far-fetched and difficult to understand is the idea, the louder, generally, is the applause. As in these verses, which spread over the country like wildfire, they commend their friends and bitterly abuse their enemies, few men of any rank care to offend them. They are considered as women, and the fiddle is as good as a protection as a women’s gown; in battle no one will touch them; it is also a term of reproach to be called Azmaree, a light, talkative, vainglorious fellow. You want no trumpeter to sound your praises; is as common phrase in Abyssinia as with us. Fourth, there are also female public singers, called Mungerash; these attach themselves generally to some chief. They extol, in a kind of rapid chant, the deeds of warriors, and excite the men to valor (bravery) even on the field of battle. In their lives they are dissolute courtesans, and, like the Azmarees, lay everyone under contribution. These are the regular beggars, but there are more disguised ways of robbing you. One custom is, that when a servant breaks a bottle, or loses a knife, and etc, he goes round to all his master’s acquaintance, and begs from each to replace it, so that he may make a decent profit. Fifth is the custom of Misrach, when a man gains a battle, or his wife bears a son, or kills other large beast, he sends a servant to each of his acquaintance, with Misirach, or good news, on which the servant obtains a mule or a horse, or at least a cloth. Again 6th is , the most annoying of all kinds of begging, to a stranger is that of Berakut, or presents. If a man has means, all his poor neighbors are perpetually persecuting him with presents—as a jar of beer, a pair of trousers, and the likes. For this, at some time or other, he must pay one birr or two. The only chance to escape is, to exclude everyone that you suspect of such intentions from your door, as, if once admitted, they have such excellent reasons for giving, and flatter and lie with so good a grace—swearing that the act from pure love, and never expect any return, and stand before you with such deep humility—that there is no alternative but to accept the proffered gift. Among equals it is the custom to beg for anything that they fancy; one sends to you for your horse, another for your gun, another for your mules, vowing eternal friendship, and any return you please to ask, expecting, generally, the thing you want. A chief of the highest rank will ask, without shame, for the merest trifle, and send messenger to demand it. This is not on only towards the strangers; these are customs in universal use; from the king to the beggar, among-st themselves, so that, as the priests beg in the same manner as the laity, it may said that Abyssinians are a nation of beggars in various disguises. The Abyssinians are essentially snobs. They will be much more polite and affable to anyone they consider rich and powerful than to those who make no display. They measure the respect due to anybody by the number of his retinue, and it’s the custom among them to go everywhere with as many servants as they can scrape together.
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 20:05:27 +0000
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