King Naʾakkwǝto Laʾab, the 13th c. Ethiopian monarch, and how the Virgin Mary informs him about his future at Dabra Zamaddo
CONTENT INFORMATION
Story Type: Miracle of Mary
Story Theme(s): Kings & Emperors; Visions, Dreams, & Apparitions
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Earliest Attested Instance of the Story: 1850 - 1949
Earliest Manuscripts in which Story Appears: EMML (HMML) 6835
Total Manuscripts in which Story Appears: 1
Total Incipits in the ITool: 1
Incipit(s): ተአምር፡ ዘከሠተት፡ ለንጉሥነ፡ ነአኵቶ፡ ለአብ፡ አመ፡ ኀበ፡ ውርዙቱ፡ ወተነበየት፡ ላዕሌሁ፡ ወአለበወቶ፡ ነገረ፡ ዘይከውን፡ ድኅረ፡ በላዕሌሁ። ወትቤሎ፡ ኦሕ ፃን፡ ፍቁረ፡ ወልድየ፡ ወሊተኒ፡ ፍቁርየ፡ ጽናዕ፡ ወተጋደል፡ በዝንቱ፡ ገድልከ፡ ወፈጽም፡ ዘወጠንከ፡ ወኢትግባእ፡ ለድኅር፡ እምዝንቱ፡ ፃማከ። ወአነኒ፡ አዐቅበከ፡ ወኢይትፈለጥ፡ እምኔከ፡ መዓልተ፡ ወሌሊተ። ወአለበወቶ፡ ለ፩ዱ፡ ነገረ፡ ትንቢት፡ ወትቤሎ፡ ዝንቱ፡ አቡከ፡ ላሊበላ፡ ይሁበከ፡ መንግሥቶ፡ እንዘ፡ ሀሎ፡ በሕ ይወቱ። ካዕበኒ፡ ይነሥአከ። አሜሃ፡ ኢትሕዝን፡ ተዐገሥ፡ ወኢይትቈጣዕ፡ ልብከ።, from EMML (HMML) 6835, f. 148r, s. 153b
ID Numbers: PEMM Theme ID 613; PEMM ID 1041
Translations & editions of this story
English: Getatchew Haile. 2013. From EMML (HMML) 6835, f. 148r.
Manuscripts in which story appears:
1900s: EMML (HMML) 6835, s. 153b
This story, with the short title "DZM: Future King Receives Prophecy," is recent: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1900.
It is unique: it appears in only 1 of the 709 PEMM manuscripts.
This story is not illustrated in PEMM manuscripts.
It is a post-life miracle: it does not take place during Our Lady Mary's lifetime, but after it.
This story was originally composed in Dabra Zamaddo, Ethiopia, Africa (confirmed).
It is available in the following languages: English, Geʿez.
If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the date, manuscripts, translation), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
* A "PEMM manuscript" is defined as any Geʿez Marian manuscript or book that PEMM has catalogued. For more information, see Using the Site.
Summary
When Na'akkweto La'ab was a child, Mary came to him and shared a prophecy about his future. According to this prophecy, his father, King Lalibala, would give him the kingship then take it back again. Mary encouraged Na'akkweto La'ab to avoid anger and remain patient, as his father would eventually return the kingship to him. She then told him that once he became king he would go hunting in the country of Dänsa, where he would witness a white partridge enter a grotto. She explained that he must follow the partridge, catch it, and slaughter it. He must then sprinkle its blood in the grotto, bury its body there, and build a church in her name on the site. Everything that Mary prophesied came to pass, and Na'akkweto La'ab followed her instructions closely. The son of Mary then sent a message to Na'akkweto La'ab declaring that his wife would be blessed with a child. Na'akkweto La'ab worried about losing his priesthood, and his wife worried about losing her virginity. But Mary reassured him that he would not lose his priesthood and that his wife would not lose her virginity.
Translation
Translated by Getatchew Haile from EMML (HMML) 6835, f. 148r, in 2013.
A miracle which (Our Lady) revealed to our King Naʾakkwǝto Laʾab (about what would happen) when he became an adult: She prophesized about him and explained to him things which would happen to him later. She said to him, “O child, the beloved one of my Son, and my beloved, too, stay firm and go on contending in this your contending, and bring to an end what you have started. Do not retreat from your toil. On my part, I shall keep you; I will not be separated from you day or night”. And she explained to him one thing related to prophecy: She said to him, “This, your father Lalibala, will give you his kingship while he is alive. Then he will take (it) back from you. At that time, do not feel sad; have patience. Let not your heart be angry either. He will again return your kingship to you. On your part, when you receive the kingship, go hunting wild animals. (When you do), a white partridge will take off from the country of Dansa and will enter into a grotto. Follow it, and go into the grotto. When you enter, you will find the partridge. At that time, catch it and slaughter it. And sprinkle its blood in the grotto. Let not your soldiers eat its flesh, but bury it in the grotto. After that, make a pavement there and build (on it) a church in my name, and bring in a tabot in my name”. She said this and disappeared from him. When the time (for the fulfillment of) the prophesy, which Our Holy Lady, Virgin in two ways, Mary, Bearer of God prophesized, was at hand, Lalibala gave him his kingship while he was alive. Then he took it away from him because of a cow of a poor man, which his soldiers took while Naʾakkwǝto Laʾab did not know. He was not angry when his father took away his kingship. He was neither sad nor angry because he was humble. The love of (this) world had never ascended his heart. And the words which she told him earlier were fulfilled, including everything she revealed to him when her Son sent a missive, saying, “Know your wife as Adam knew Eve, because there is a blessed child in your loin”. When he heard (the missive), he said, “How would I abolish my priesthood, while I am a partner of the Seraphim in incensing the throne of (the Lord of) the Sabaoth? I will not do this thing”. Our Holy Lady, Virgin in two ways, Mary, Bearer of God, said to him, “Why do you refuse to obey the order of my Son? If you do my Son’s order, neither your priesthood shall be abolished nor you virginity lost. And comfort your wife, because she would be sad about her virginity. Say to her, ‘Your virginity, too, will not be lost.’” She said this and disappeared from him. See her humility, my brothers! Although she is the Queen of Heaven and Earth, when someone is sad, she visits him and comforts him. May her prayer and blessing and the mercy of her beloved Son defend us before Alpha, and make us inherit an inheritance with Saul and Cephas, Forever and ever. Amen. Getachew Haile, 1st ed., 2013. Voices from Dabra Zamaddo: Acts of Abba Bartalomewos and Abba Yohannǝs 45 Miracles of Mary, pp. 253-254. Harrassowitz Verlag. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctvc2rjq6
TO CITE THIS TRANSLATION
Getatchew Haile. 2013. "ID 1041: null" Voices from Däbrä Zämäddo: Acts of Abba Bärtälomewos and Abba Yohannǝs, 45 Miracles of Mary, edited by Getatchew Haile, page 253-254. Updated by PEMM Copyeditor Taylor Eggan. From EMML (HMML) 6835, f. 148r. https://pemm.princeton.edu/stories/1041.
This story, with the short title "DZM: Future King Receives Prophecy," is recent: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1900.
It is unique: it appears in only 1 of the 709 PEMM manuscripts.
This story is not illustrated in PEMM manuscripts.
It is a post-life miracle: it does not take place during Our Lady Mary's lifetime, but after it.
This story was originally composed in Dabra Zamaddo, Ethiopia, Africa (confirmed).
It is available in the following languages: English, Geʿez.
If you think any of the information on this page is incorrect (e.g., the date, manuscripts, translation), please use our PEMM Feedback Form to let us know. We depend on users like you to improve the site.
* A "PEMM manuscript" is defined as any Geʿez Marian manuscript or book that PEMM has catalogued. For more information, see Using the Site.