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The Queen of the Habasha in Ethiopian history, tradition and chronology

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2009

Knud Tage Andersen
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Extract

It is well known from relatively recent Ethiopic tradition that Ethiopia was once ruled by a queen called Gudit, Yodit, Isat or Gaՙwa, with both positive and negative characteristics. On the one hand she was a beautiful woman of the Ethiopian royal family, much like the Queen of Sheba, and on the other she was a despicable prostitute who, at a time of political weakness, killed the Ethiopian king, captured the throne, and as a cruel ruler destroyed Aksum, the capital, persecuted the priests, and closed the churches.

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Articles
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Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies , Volume 63 , Issue 1 , January 2000 , pp. 31 - 63
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Copyright © School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London 2000

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References

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87 See Jones, A history of Ethiopia.

88 See Neugebauer, , Chronography, 85, 96.Google Scholar

89 In two lists year 1 of Martyrs or of Diocletian (D 1) is identified with the year w 5852 = I 352, which is otherwise year 0 of Grace (G 0) (see Neugebauer, , Chronography, 71, 98)Google Scholar. In this case D 1 is moved 76 years forward in time, whereas above G 1 was moved back 76 years. But in both cases an identification or confusion of D 1 and G 1 has taken place.

90 For this example and several other examples of years of Grace, counted from I 276 instead of I 352, see Chaine, M., La chronologie des temps chrétiens de l'Egypte et de l'Ethiopie, Paris, 1925 111 ff.Google Scholar

91 See Levi, , Yodit, 77f and 108Google Scholar: ‘These female figures (…Gudit, Tirda’ Gäbäz and Mäsobä Wärq) are essentially one and the same.’

92 Sergew, , Ancient and medieval, 202f.Google Scholar

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94 Ibn Haukal may have written his note about the queen some years before A.D. 977, the last year of his flourishing.