The Highlands of EthiopiaHarris, William Cornwallis, Sir
History
The Highlands of Ethiopia
Harris, William Cornwallis, Sir
Ethiopia -- Description and travel
With regard to the critiques on the Amharic expressions found in my
work, it may be sufficient to say, that by his own confession "the
reviewer does not understand one syllable of the language," but hazards
his remarks on the strength of knowing somebody who does. This appears
to me a very poor qualification. It is as though I should set up as a
critic in Sanscrit because I have shaken hands with Professor Wilson.
However, let us examine the notions of this man who is so learned by
proxy. One of the greatest triumphs of his erudition is his explanation
of the Amharic word "Shoolada," which, strengthened by Salt, and others,
he determines to signify exclusively a "rump-steak." That it has this
signification there can be no doubt, but if the critic be disposed to
defer on this, as on other occasions, to Dr Krapf's Amharic
scholarship, he may yet, as he expresses it, "live and learn." In a
copy of manuscript notes in Dr Krapf's handwriting, still in my
possession, occurs the following passage, which I quote _verbatim et
literatim_:--"In one point the Abyssinian practices agree remarkably
with those of the Jews, we mean the practice mentioned in Genesis
chapter xxxii, where we find that the Israelites did not eat the nerve,
since Jacob had been lamed in consequence of his earnest supplication to
the Almighty, before he met his brother Esau. This nerve is called in
Amharic `Shoolada.' I cannot determine how far the abstinence from this
kind of meat is kept in the other parts of Abyssinia, but it is a fact
in Shoa, that many people, particularly those of royal blood (called
Negassian), do not eat it, as they believe that by eating it they would
lose their teeth, the Shoolada being prohibited and unlawful food.
Therefore, if anybody has lost his teeth, he is abused with the reproach
of having eaten prohibited meat, as that of vultures, dogs, mules,
donkeys, horses, and particularly of man, the meat of whom is said to
prove particularly destructive for the teeth."
From the above passage, if the reviewer be disposed to accept Dr Krapf
for his teacher, he may clearly learn one or two particulars not
hitherto comprehended within the wide circle of his knowledge. For
example, he will perceive that the idea of eating man's flesh is not yet
entirely exploded from that part of Africa. On the contrary, the
forbidden luxury would appear sometimes to be indulged in even by those
who are one step at least, advanced before the polite Danakil, whom, at
the sacrifice of my reputation for charity, I have denominated
"vagabonds and savages."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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