King Amda Seyon (Amda tseyon) I, the 14th c. Ethiopian monarch: Part 6: In the campaign of 1322 CE, with the help of the Virgin Mary, the king advances on Talag, the capital of Adal, and they convert
CONTENT INFORMATION
Story Type: Miracle of Mary
Story Theme(s): Kings & Emperors; Weapons & War; Conversion & Christianity; Interfaith Relations
TECHNICAL INFORMATION
Earliest Attested Instance of the Story: 1995 - 1996
Earliest Manuscripts in which Story Appears: TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996
Total Manuscripts in which Story Appears: 1
Total Incipits in the ITool: 1
Incipit(s): ወኮነ ፡ እንዘ ፡ ሀለወ ፡ ገብረ ፡ መስቀል ፡ (ዓምደ ፡ ጽዮን) ፡ ውስተ ፡ ሀገረ ፡ ዶቢአ ፡ አንሥአ ፡ ዕይንቲሁ ፡ ወነጸረ ፡ ደብረ ፡ ነዋሃ ፡ እንተ ፡ ይጐድእ ፡ ርእሱ ፡ ሰማየ ፡ እንተ ፡ መንገለ ፡ ጽባሒሃ ፡ ለሀገር ፡ ዘይርኅቅ ፡ እመካን ፡ ወሐተተ ፡ ዘከመ ፡ መኑ ፡ ይእቲ ፡ ወነገርዎ ፡ ከመ ፡ ዛቲ ፡ ሀገር ፡ ትሰመይ ፡ ሀገረ ፡ ተለግ።, from TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, f. 1035
ID Numbers: PEMM Theme ID 600.06; PEMM ID 1186
Translations & editions of this story
Amharic: Täsfa Gäbrä Śəllase. 1996. From TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, p. 1035.
Manuscripts in which story appears:
1900s: TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, f. 1035
This story, with the short title "Campaign of Amda Seyon 6," is very recent: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1996.
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 Ethiopia, Africa (confirmed).
It is available in the following languages: Amharic, Geʿez, English.
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 King Amde Tsion arrived near Teleg, he deployed two spies to survey the region. After forty-four days in observation, they met a group of shepherds, who in turn reported to their governor that Christian spies had entered their land. The governor sent soldiers to find the spies, but they managed to get away and return to their king. The spies reported that the people of Teleg were like violent savages, exhuming bodies and desecrating corpses. The king was horrified, but he consoled his people that their faith would protect them. Amde Tsion prayed for Mary’s protection, then led his army across Teleg. As they approached, Teleg’s chiefs and nobles gathered in fear. They went out to meet Amde Tsion and submitted to him, begging for mercy. But the king destroyed the outer wall of their town and threated total destruction. The people of Teleg then promised to convert to Christianity, and only then did King Amde Tsion relent.
Translation
Translated by Mehari Worku from TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, p. 1035, in 2022.
An edited English translation of this story is not yet available. The following is a rough draft.
The miracle of Our Holy Lady Mary, Two Fold Virgin, the Mother of God. May her prayer and blessings be with us forever and ever. Amen.
When Gebre Mesqel (Amde Tsion) was in the region of Dobiaa, he lifted up his eyes and saw from afar a tall mountain, its peak stretching to the heavens, to the east of that region. He asked what its name was. The people told him that its name was Teleg.
Immediately, Gebre Mesqel (Amde Tsion) deployed two youths from battle to spy on the region. He said, “Go up on that mountain and surveil the region of Teleg and its surroundings.”
The two young soldiers went and reached Teleg. They climbed the mountain and saw the region, its east and west, north and south, and all its regions quietly for forty four days.
One day, when the two spies were walking in the plains of that region, they found shepherds. They asked them about the beauty of that region. The shepherds told the spies about the region and its people.
Then, the shepherds told the people about the spies. The people told the governor of that region saying, “Some Christian men secretly entered the region at night to see our region.
The governor sent soldiers to find the two spies. The soldiers ran after the spies but they couldn’t find them in the roads. For the spies had gone away from the main roads and hid.
They stayed in their hideout for three days until the governor’s soldiers who were pursuing them returned back. Then, the two spies climbed down from the mountain and came back to Gebre Mesqel (Amde Tsion). The two spies told him all they saw and heard about that region and said, “Your majesty, we can’t conquer that people. The people are much stronger than us.”
The spies described the region they saw, as King Amde Tsion of Ethiopia and all the [Christian] people, as terrifying. They said, “The land we went to see protects those who live there. All the people whom we saw there were men. They are tall. Exhuming bodies from the graveyard, they chop off [the corpse’s] ears with their tears. They also castrate males. Compared to them, we are nothing!”
When they heard this, the people and the soldiers became terrified. At that time, Amde Tsion said to the spies, “Don’t be apostates against the Lord! Do not be afraid of them! For their days are finished. We will destroy them as we did earlier [with the others]. The Lord’s power is with us. His holy virgin mother, Mary’s assistance will cover us like a shield!”
Then, Amde Tsion, went quietly into the tent chapel, prostrated himself before Our Lady Mary’s Tabot and prayed, “Dear Lord, far away from anger and abundant in mercy, strength for the weak, hope for the hopeless! As you have secured the earth on waters1, make firm the hearts of these people so that they may know and understand your wonders. Even more, show your power to make that region’s people to believe that you Lord do exist amidst this [Christian] people.”
“If you shatter these [Christian] people like an [insignificant] man, the muslims, who hear your name, will say, ‘The Lord couldn’t save them. He dispersed them into the wilderness. He killed them.’ Now Lord, may your hand be exalted among this your people and your inheritance.”
He continued, “My dear Lady Holy Virgin Mary, give these [Christian] people power and might. For Satan wants to sift them like wheat. Ask your merciful son not to permit Satan against these [Christian] people.
“My dear Lady, may my prayer be against Satan like arrows in a mighty one’s hands and like a spear in the hands of a powerful lancer, who thrusts, shatters the ribs and wounds. Let my prayer be against Satan like a sword that severs and an ax that splits. Seeing this [power of my prayer] may the enemy be sifted, and never oppose [us Christian people]!” After praying this and words like that, Amde Tsion went to his tent.
Then, Amde Tsion gathered the people in the camp and said, “I have sworn before the Living Lord not to return back to my region without making everything right for Holy Land Ethiopia and without reaching the Indian Ocean.
Now, rise up! Gird your loins! Let us go to the Teleg region in front of us. There, the Lord will show us his goodness.” Immediately, his soldiers rose, girded their armors and became ready to go to battle with their king, the orthodox Amde Tsion. Together they marched forward.
After seven days Amde Tsion and his army reached the Albagi region. The king and his army stayed the night there. Early in the morning, he crossed the Ekuwa river and camped in the Mermegoob region.
The next day, Amde Tsion marched forward and reached acros Teleg region. It was about a hundred and fifty Stadia. The [two] spies informed the king that the region in front of them was Teleg.
When the ninety nine chiefs and the rest of the Teleg nobles heard King Amde Tsion coming, and that the Lord had dried the river Ziba for Amde Tsion and his army to cross over, their hearts melted down and evaporated like smoke.They did not know what they should do to resist Amde Tsion’s army.
Then, the Teleg chiefs and nobles came to Amde Tsion untying their shoes and carrying them on their heads [as a sign of submission] saying, “Your majesty! When we heard you coming, our hearts became scared! None of us are able to stand before you. For the Lord your God is the God of heaven and earth.
Now, your majesty, all Teleg’s chiefs and nobles are submitted to you. All the people are your male and female servants. From the borders on this side all the way to the Indian ocean, it is all yours. Far be it from you to do any battle against us. Do not destroy our town. Please, do not make such a destructive judgment [against us].
Then, King Amde Tsion, demolished Teleg’s wall, entered and gathered the chiefs, nobles and all the people and criticized them saying, “You have done something no human would do against me. Judge yourselves! What people rebel against its king instead of giving tributes and gifts? You, however, while I am Ethiopia’s king, you rebelled against me and fought me.”
However, the Lord, my helper, rewarded you according to the wickedness of your hearts. He demolished your town’s fence and humbled you by my hand. Now, I am not going to let you go without erasing you and turning your town into wilderness.”
When the rebels heard this, all of them, great and small alike, cried out and said, “We will pay to your government the due tribute. We will give your majesty the due gifts. Please, do not destroy us. Let alone paying tribute and bringing gifts to your majesty, we would even convert and believe Christ as the Son of the Lord and that the Holy Virgin is his mother, if your majesty wishes it. It is not because we are forced to believe so. Rather, it is because we freely choose to do so. For our mind has been captured by what we have heard and saw; how the Lord did miracles and wonders by your hands. “ the king was surprised by their sweet speech. He said, “Let it be according to your word.”
At that time, the people rejoiced and believed in Jesus Christ the creator of heaven and earth. And also they believed that Our Lady Holy Mary Two Fold Virgin the Mother of God is pure in body and soul.
My dear brothers, know and understand how Amde Tsion was filled with the Holy Spirit. We don’t simply just call him “King”. Rather he was an Apostle and a Teacher for on that day he made many peoples believe in the name of Jesus Christ.
May her prayers and blessings be with us forever and ever. Amen.
TO CITE THIS TRANSLATION
Mehari Worku. . 2022. "ID 1186: King Amda Seyon (Amda tseyon) I, the 14th c. Ethiopian monarch: Part 6: In the campaign of 1322 CE, with the help of the Virgin Mary, the king advances on Talag, the capital of Adal, and they convert." From TGS (EOTC) 1988-1996, p. 1035. Täˀammərä Maryam (Miracle of Mary) Stories, edited by Wendy Laura Belcher, Jeremy Brown, Mehari Worku, and Dawit Muluneh. Princeton: Princeton Ethiopian, Eritrean, and Egyptian Miracles of Mary project. https://pemm.princeton.edu/stories/1186.
This story, with the short title "Campaign of Amda Seyon 6," is very recent: the earliest PEMM manuscript* in which this story appears is from around 1996.
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 Ethiopia, Africa (confirmed).
It is available in the following languages: Amharic, Geʿez, English.
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.