Blogger's Note: The following was reprinted in last year's (2005 E.C.) edition of Ethiopian Calendar with primary source materials with the author's permission. The author of the diary notes, Richard Lyman served as Peace Corps Volunteer in Gondar, Ethiopia from 1962-64. The notes appear originally as part of The Peace Corps Diary and were published at the following website: http://www.internationalpolicydigest.org/2012/02/29/peace-corps-diary-ethiopia-1962-1964
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| Photo credit: Jialiang Gao. 2002 |
Diary notes of Richard Lyman, who served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Gonder, Ethiopia from
1962-64.
January 19, 1963
At 7:30 I went to the Bath of Fasiledes to watch Timket. The compound was
crowded with priests, officials, soldiers and people. The priests paraded out
of the castle where the religious relics were stored. They stood along one edge
of the pool and chanted, sang, rang bells, beat drums and swayed in time to the
rhythm of their hand held sistrums (a small metal object on the end of a handle
which contains metal disks which slide back and forth as the hand is moved).
The Bishop then took his cross over to the Governor who kissed it and several
candles were lighted at the water’s edge and the Bishop bent down to bless the
water. Then all the officials came over to where the Bishop was standing and
the Bishop proceeded to literally throw a cup of water on them. At that point
the crowd went wild and dove for the water. Some jumped in while most were
content to splash and throw water on others.”
Some soldiers stripped off their uniforms and jumped in. One fellow nearly
drowned and had to be pulled to the edge of the pool. As a second ceremony the
priests lined up at a tent outside the compound for more chanting and rhythmic
dancing. Some men solicited funds from the audience for a new church. After
about half an hour a religious procession formed with the cross bearers, arc
carriers, crown wearers, Bishop, priests and government officials. They paraded
about a mile up the mountain to the central square where there was more singing
and dancing.”
The next day I noted that someone had drowned in the pool and five boys
were killed during the week when an Italian shell exploded while they were
knocking it against some rocks.
January 20, 1963:
I was honored to be invited to a feast at the home of the Provincial
Bishop. Peggy and John Davis, John, Dallas and I were included along with Aba
Gebre Meskel , Ato Kettema and several others. Hosting were the Provincial
Bishop (Metropolitan Peter) and the Gondar Bishop. Bishop Peter is a charming
person who speaks English quite well.
The table was lined with bottles of teg, talla, beer, wine and charged
water. As a first course we had a lasagna. That was followed with a salad of
lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes and eggs. As the first wat (stew) we were served
lamb stomach and liver. Then came a chicken wat followed by beef wat. Allecha
was the last wat. It is very mild being made of vegetables, spices and mashed
ingera.”
“One of the seasonal treats at Timket is shimbera (chickpeas). People walk
around carrying stems laiden with peas which they munch on. One of the popular
songs of the country people is about a country boy eating shimbera.
January 20, 1964
Just as last year many church delegations paraded past our house on the way
to the Bath. There they sang and danced and made ready for the ceremony. Most
of them ignored the priests and sat and stood around the pool watching the
swimmers.the edge of the pool was Zewale Zegeye who, out of a sense of duty,
was prepared to rescue anyone who entered the water and did not know how to
swim. On several occasions someone would go under and spectators would react
with laughter until the person was rescued.”
“Usually found on the piazza was a beggar who could not walk and yet was
always friendly. He navigated on his back by holding two wooden blocks in his
hands and moving on all fours like a spider. It must have taken him hours to
reach the Bath from the piazza which was a mile away up the mountain. There he
was on the edge of the pool. He took off all his clothes, tied them around his
neck and tumbled into the pool. Once in the water he was the equal of any man.
I cannot do justice in describing the joyful expression on his face as he was
blessed on this one day of the year, Timket. He swam across the pool and two
policemen lifted him out of the water. He put his clothes back on and crawled
off.