One aspect of Ge’ez ‘culture’ is the hymnology of different seasons. For example, the season of the Flower which I previously discussed contains 5-6 days worth of hymns. Each is performed on a Sunday during the 5-6 week season (depending on how the Church calendar falls that year it could be 5 or 6 weeks). These hymns are called Mahiliet and each day’s hymns can last around 7 hours. At my church in Richmond they start at about 2 am and go until 6:30 am. They primarily use the staff, the sistrum, and the drums during worship. Each of the hymns is repeated slowly multiple times, then in a faster tone, and end with the most accelerated speed and intensity. Each hymn is very deeply enlaced with allegories, metaphors, and rhyme to name a few of literary devices. It also heavily references other ancient books and histories from the Bible and extra biblical sources. One must be able to understand those external sources to capture the essence of the hymns in interpretation and translation and even just comprehension.
In order to hold these special services at a church a scholar of these hymns needs to be present. They hold the title of priest but also have an extra “degree” in these studies and their meanings. They are also able to produce new poetry called “qines” and the tunes for them based on the Church season or holiday because they are well learned in the mechanics of it. This is in addition to the written and recorded texts that are held in the book called “Zikre Qal”. These scholars are also teachers. There aren’t many of them in the United States but they are growing in number. It takes years to learn it so most students go back to Eritrea or Ethiopia to have a more concentrated learning experience abroad.
As a believer, I try to learn some of them and participate when it comes to service. Some people just enjoy the tunes or even do their own personal prayers during this time. Yet some people don’t attend the service at all and come later on in the day. Following this service is the mass so most parishioners attend this service and during Mahiliet there is usually only clergy and choir members present. With more teachers coming to the United States, I hope this means that more people will get a chance to learn, both members of the clergy and parishioners so that they would at least be able to participate if not to teach themselves.
My study of Ge’ez has definitely been a huge aid for me in this aspiration, but I do understand that not everyone has the kind of support that I have in this venture. Support and resources (time and energy). It is important to focus on teaching the youth these hymns as they are the ones who have more time and energy to give.
This is a picture of the clergy during Mahiliet.
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