Yemrehana Krestos
| Yemrehana Krestos | |
|---|---|
| Reign | 11th century |
| Predecessor | Germa Seyum |
| Successor | Kedus Harbe |
| Dynasty | Zagwe dynasty |
Yemrehana Krestos (Yəmrəḥannä Krəstos, often referred to as "Yəmrəḥa" in the sources) was the third king of the Zagwe dynasty, ruling during the second half of the twelfth century.[1] His biography is recorded in the Gädlä Yəmrəḥannä Krəstos.[1]
Reign
He was the son of King Germa Seyum (Gǝrwa Śǝyyum), and the successor of his father's brother Tatadim (Ṭänṭäwǝdǝm).[1] His birth name may have been Abraham.[2] Although his uncle tried to kill him, to prevent his succession, his mother hid him. He became a priest and then succeeded his uncle when he died.[1] According to a manuscript Pedro Páez and Manuel de Almeida saw at Axum, he ruled for 40 years.[3]
Accomplishments
Yemrehana Krestos constructed a lavish stone church in the Aksumite style, ornamented with objects from Egypt.[4] Located 12 miles northeast from Lalibela, the Yemrehana Krestos Church was built in a large northeast-facing cave on the western side of Mount Abuna Yosef. Until the construction of a road in 2000, this church was reachable only after "a long day's arduous journey on foot or mule".[5]
Reputation
Some believe that he is the Ethiopian king who inspired the myth of Prester John. Taddesse Tamrat describes him as the king of Ethiopia closest to a priest, noting that he insisted on ruling Ethiopia according to Apostolic canons.[6] Stuart Munro-Hay speculates that "Abu Salih's description of the kings of Abyssinia as priests might have been based on information about this ruler that had reached Egypt.[7]
Francisco Alvarez stated that Yemrehana Krestos began the tradition of confining rival heirs to the Imperial throne at Amba Geshen, although this is disputed.[2]
The Italian scholar Carlo Conti Rossini incorrectly argued that Yemrehana Krestos was the successor of Na'akueto La'ab, and succeeded by Yetbarak.[8][1]
References
- ^ a b c d e Marrassini, Paolo. "Yəmrəḥannä Krəstos." In Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: Y-Z: Vol. 5, edited by Alessandro Bausi and Siegbert Uhlig, 53-54. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2014.
- ^ a b Francisco Alvarez, The Prester John of the Indies translated by C.F. Beckingham and G.W.B. Huntingford (Cambridge: Hakluyt Society, 1961), chapter 59.
- ^ G.W.B. Huntingford, "'The Wealth of Kings' and the End of the Zāguē Dynasty", Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 28 (1965), p. 8
- ^ Balicka-Witakowska, Ewa , and Michael Gervers. "Yəmrəḥannä Krəstos." In Encyclopaedia Aethiopica: Y-Z: Vol. 5, edited by Alessandro Bausi and Siegbert Uhlig, 55-57. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2014.
- ^ David W. Phillipson, Ancient Churches of Ethiopia (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009), pp. 75ff
- ^ Taddesse Tamrat, Church and State in Ethiopia (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1972), p. 61 n.3.
- ^ Munro-Hay, Ethiopia, the unknown land: a cultural and historical guide (London: I.B. Tauris, 2002), p. 225
- ^ Quoted in E.A. Wallis Budge, A History of Ethiopia: Nubia and Abyssinia, 1928 (Oosterhout, the Netherlands: Anthropological Publications, 1970), p. 277
- 11th-century monarchs in Africa
- Emperors of Ethiopia
- Zagwe dynasty
- Ethiopian royalty stubs