Info For You Lot Tigray-Tigrinya (Tigray/Biher-Tigrinya/Kebessa) People: Culturally Dominant In Addition To Politically Powerful People Of Ethiopia In Addition To Eritrea

The Tigray-Tigrinya (ትግራይ - ትግርኛ) or Biher-Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically powerful agriculturalist too Semitic-speaking ethnic grouping of the larger Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication inhabiting the southern too key parts of Eritrea too the northern highlands of Ethiopia's Tigray Region. The Eritrean Tigrinya constitutes the largest ethnic grouping inwards the Eritrea nation.

                      Tigrinya people at their traditional wedding ceremony at Asmara, Eritrea

The Tigray-Tigrinya shares mutual ancestral regal heritage amongst the Amhara people of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too the ii together built the powerful ancient Kingdom of Aksum inwards Ethiopia. Though, the topographic point of the ancient Aksumite Kingdom resided inwards Tigray territory, but the Tigray have got non been every bit thoroughly studied every bit their culturally similar neighbors, the Amhara.

Tigray people of Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, prior to 1995, Tigray-Tigrinya lived inwards the one-time provinces of Tigray, Begemder (Gonder), too Wollo, amongst the regions inside these provinces that they inhabited (e.g. Wolqayt, Tsegede, Tselemti, Raya, Humera) afterwards incorporated into the modern Tigray Region. The Tigray people, eponymous amongst the call of their territory, brand upwards precisely about 96.6% of the inhabitants of the Tigray Region, too comprise 6.1% of Ethiopia's total population, numbering a niggling over 5.7 million.
Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically p Info For You TIGRAY-TIGRINYA (TIGRAY/BIHER-TIGRINYA/KEBESSA) PEOPLE: CULTURALLY DOMINANT AND POLITICALLY POWERFUL PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA
Tigray missy inwards a little hamlet close Mekele, Northern Ethiopia. This immature missy was really proud of her little makeup kit too started to pigment her eyes inwards the door light. Courtesy http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/

In inwards Eritrea where they are the largest ethnic group, the Tigrays are but known past times the call of their language, every bit the Tigrinya. Officially too collectively they are also referred to every bit the Biher-Tigrinya, roughly pregnant "Tigrinya nation". Since they primarily lived inwards a part of Eritrea known every bit the Kebessa, which was inside the one-time awrajas of Hamasien, Seraye, too Akele Guzay, too are at nowadays incorporated into Eritrea's present-day regions, they are also called Kebessa people. Most of them alive inwards rural areas inwards the highland administrative regions of Maekel (Central), Debub (Southern), the eastern fringes of Anseba too Gash Barka regions every bit good every bit the western fringes of Semenawi Keyih Bahri (Northern Red Sea). They are little holding farmers largely inhabiting little communal villages. The Tigrinya constitute about 50% of the Eritrean  population, at almost 3.4 i one one thousand thousand people.

Tigray-Tigrinya ladies

It must endure emphasized, however, that a important number of Muslim Tigrinya speakers pass upwards to topographic point themselves every bit Tigrinya too consequently constitute a separate ethnic grouping known every bit the Jeberti. These Jeberti people describe their origins inwards early on Muslim migrants from the Arabian Peninsula to Tigray; they brand upwards almost 5% of the Eritrean population.
Asmara, every bit good every bit Mendefera, Dekemhare, Segeneiti, Adi Keyh, Adi Quala too Senafe. There is also a important population of Biher-Tigrinya inwards other cities, including Keren too Massawa.
Tigrinya homo from Asmara

Geography too Climate
The terrain is high plateau, cutting through past times deep ravines. Nearly all the solid ground is either nether tillage or inwards pasturage, although reserved areas that environment churches propose that the climax increment of much of Tigray is cedar forest.

Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia



The ancestors of the Tigrinya people
Written By Admin of madote.com on Aug 1, 2013

The Tigrinya people, who are also known every bit the Kebessa people, are the largest ethnic grouping inwards Eritrea. They utter Tigrinya, a Semetic linguistic communication derived from Ge'ez, too largely inhabit the plateau of the country. Because of their linguistic communication too script (Fidel), many colonial-era scholars assumed Tigrinya people were of a mixed Yemeni (Sabaean) too Eritrean origin. Despite lacking evidence for this claim, this narrative soundless persists today, albeit waning.

The ancestors of the Tigrinya people, too other groups inside the Horn of Africa, adopted South Arabian derived languages, non because they were mixed amongst Sabaeans or colonized past times them, but because they were "within the orbit of Sabaean economical too religious spheres of influence, too local African elites probable used symbolic materials to signal "Sabaean" identity for reasons of social differentiation, but the seeds of urbanism too local manufacture were planted locally long before.
Professor Peter R. Schmidt also adds:
"Pre-Aksumite" incorporation of such elements may have got taken topographic point over many generations rather than beingness the products of a express number of South Arabian colonization or migration events, nor do they signify a dominant vs. subordinate or center vs. periphery human relationship betwixt polities. Elites of peer polities or co-evolving polities of relative parity inwards sociopolitical evolution too economic scheme may actively appropriate symbols too objects from i some other for usage inwards internal legitimization. This is a thought of active engagement too critical selection from a various repertoire of elements inwards the southern Red Sea cultural milieu, non a passive incorporation from colonizing populations; it is a perspective that promotes "Pre-Aksumite" agency too creates a to a greater extent than dynamic film of cultural transformation inwards the 1st millennium BCE."
 [To give a related example, manful someone monarch  Zoscales of Adulis, who ruled inwards the 1st century CE, was known to utter too write inwards Greek. In fact, Hellenic influences on the part were so strong that nearly all inscriptions until the early on 4th century CE were made inwards Greek. The elite inhabitants of the part adopted Greek for the same reasons they adopted Sabaean textile culture: because they were inside the economical too cultural influences of these polities. Additionally, past times connecting themselves amongst unusual kingdoms too empires, the elites were seeking to legitimize their dominion domestically.

So who are the ancestors of the Tigrinya people?
Although our cognition of ancient Eritrea is soundless inwards its infancy, the archaeological remains found inwards the plateaus about Asmara betoken a pastoralist company (with some express agriculture capacity) was inhabiting the part inwards the s millennium BCE. These early on groups of people produced Black Ware pottery, which have got historically been associated amongst the Beja people.
"Around 2,000 B.C. pastoral people from the deserts of southern Arab Republic of Egypt too northern Sudan entered the Barka Valley too northern highlands, pushing the kickoff moving ridge southwards. These people were the forerunners of the Beja tribes, who for many hundreds of years seem to have got been the exclusively independent pastoralists inwards Africa."
By the early on 1st Millenium BCE, these pastoralist people gradually shifted to settled farming communities inwards the greater Asmara Plateau. As a result, from 800 to 400 BCE, the 
Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas
Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia



oldest settled civilization inwards the Horn of Africa 
developed inwards what archaeologists regard every bit the Ancient Ona cultures of Asmara (Ona agency ruins inwards Tigrinya).
"The settlement's inhabitants lived inwards stone houses, ate cows too goats, drank beer, farmed fertile solid ground too wore brute skins.
Tools for tanning too softening hides have got been discovered, along amongst needles, stone implements for punching leather, too bronze buttons.
To conserve estrus on the cool highland plateau, houses did non have got whatsoever doors, they were entered through openings inwards the roof."

Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia



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Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas
Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia




Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas
Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia



Biher-Tigrinya too Tigray people: The state of war of Identities
Written By Admin of madote.com on February 19, 2010
 Written past times Hassan Adem, M.T., Tekle B.

Introduction
This article examines the problematic human relationship betwixt Eritrea's Biher-Tigrinya too Ethiopia's Tigray people. It focuses on the recent western concept of "ethnic identity" too how it tin endure mobilized for political gains. It also focuses on the deep animosity that runs betwixt both ethnic groups too tries to shed some lite on how they may have got originated. This slice does non assume a sure enough aeroplane of prior cognition of the horn region's ancient too recent history amid its readers, so a non bad bargain of information inwards this newspaper is dedicated to the historical aspect of these groups.
When Eritrean civilians of the Biher-Tigrinya ethnic grouping were asked on their feelings of Tigray people, many responded with: "Tigray" or "Agame", (as Eritreans sometimes contemptuously refer to them )— cannot endure trusted too never could" (2003, Africa, volume 73, p.377).  While i informant, who was an EPLF veteran told professor Richard Reid, how inwards 1991, upon the winning of Eritrean independence, 'our grandparents' had warned against trying to amend the human relationship amongst Tigray, saying, "Be careful, these people are dangerous, nosotros know them well!" (2003, Africa, volume 73, p.377)  So how did these deep resentment begin? For starters, many Tigrayans regard the Biher-Tigrinya to endure portion of the same ethnicity every bit them, piece every bit innocent every bit this may sound, this seems to endure at the root of the problem. It is clear the Biher-Tigrinya do non regard the Tigray people to endure the same ethnicity too leave of absence of their way to brand this clear. But before nosotros begin, nosotros must elbow grease to sympathise the concept of ethnic identity.

What is Ethnic Identity?
There is yet no acceptable unmarried word inwards English linguistic communication for the phrase "ethnic group", no i word equivalent to "class," "caste," or "family" to depict a grouping self-consciously united about item cultural traditions. Ethnicity or ethnic grouping is relatively a novel 20th century concept brought upon past times Europeans. There are many factors involved inwards the concept of "ethnicity." Each company or tribe of humans gives different value to the various aspects of relationships too social order. Among the kickoff to take the term "ethnic group" into social studies was the non bad High German sociologist Max Weber, who defined it as:
“Those human groups that entertain a subjective belief inwards their mutual descent because of similarities of physical type or of customs or both, or because of memories of colonization too migration; this belief must endure of import for grouping formation; furthermore it does non affair whether an objective blood human relationship exists…ethnic membership does non constitute a group; it exclusively facilitates grouping formation of whatsoever kind, specially inwards the political sphere. On the other mitt it is primarily the political community, no affair how artificially organized, that inspires the belief inwards mutual ethnicity.” (1978, Max Weber, p. 389)
Max Weber also adds on:
“ethnicity tin endure broadened or narrowed inwards boundary damage according to the specific needs of political mobilization. Ethnic identities re-articulated past times interest-seeking individuals when it is appropriate too advantageous to do so too ignored when other wise. Ethnic groups are hence conceived every bit arbitrarily created, temporarily sustained, situation-responsive, goal-oriente groups.” (2009, Miguel N. Alexiades, P.168) 
So where does the word "ethnic" gets its origins from? The next paragraph sheds some lite on this subject:
"The word ethnic has a long history. It is a derivative of the Greek word Ethnos, pregnant nation. The reference, however, is non to a political unity, but to the unity of persons of mutual blood or descent: a people. The adjectival from, ethnikos, eventually entered Latin every bit ethnicus, referring to heathens, those "others" who did non portion the dmoninant faith. This is to a greater extent than or less the pregnant that the word carried when it kickoff found English linguistic communication usage about the 15th century. In English, "ethnic" referred to someone who was neither Christian nor a Jew---in other words, a pagan or heathen. The affair of belief is less of import inwards this usage than the drawing of a boundary. "ethnic" clearly referred to others, to those who were non "us". (2001, Harry Goulbourne, p.77)
In fact it was non till 1945 that the word ethnicity specifically started representing "a fellow member of a item ethnic group" (The American Heritage® Dictionary, 4th edition). So before this period, nosotros tin conclude amongst certainity that the concept ethnicity or ethnic grouping did non exisit inwards human interactions. Before this period, people associated their grouping call amongst their clan, regional or villages.
Arguably the most of import factor of determining ethnicity is the psychological aspect of it, every bit professor Joshua A. Fishman illustrates:
"The psychological dimension of ethnicity is perchance the most of import because, regardless of variations inwards the biological, cultural, too social domains, if a someone self-identifies every bit a fellow member of a item ethnic group, too then he or she is willing to endure perceived too treated every bit a fellow member of that group. Thus, self-ascribed too other-ascribed ethnic labels are the overt manifestations of individuals' identification amongst a item ethnicity. (2001, Joshua A. Fishman, p.115)
In add-on to the psychological aspect of ethnicity, at that topographic point are also many layers of ethnicity. For example, a Bedouin homo from Kingdom of Saudi Arabia volition adhere to a larger Arab identity, piece at the same time, soundless professing to his Bedouin ethnic identity too inwards most cases, going downward to his clan too sub-clan identity. 
Sometimes ethnic groups that adhere to the same religion, language, too civilization thought themselves completely separate from i another. An representative of this are the Austrians too Germans. Both utter German, both predominately follow Roman Catholicism, too both portion many cultural similarities, yet they thought themselves every bit completely separate ethnic groups. Some similar the Hutus too Tutsis utter the same Central Bantu language, follow predominately Catholicism too have got similar cultures, yet they thought i other every bit separate ethnic groups every bit well. Other times, ethnic groups such every bit the Dinka of Sudan utter a gain of dialects inwards 5 distinct languages, amongst cultures too religions that vary, yet they consider themselves to endure i people, despite their linguistic, religious, too cultural differences. Thus, determining ethnicity is non every bit clear cutting every bit some would similar to believe, it’s a procedure of regain involving many aspects.

With all these many factors inwards making the recent 20th century concept of an ethnic identity, it remains puzzling to reckon the extent Ethiopian authors, particularly, the Tigrayans too the Tigrayan dominated Ethiopian authorities inwards claiming the Biher-Tigrinya people of Eritrea every bit beingness Tigrayans. For example, a Tigrayan writer past times the call of Alemseged Abbay wrote an entire volume dedicated on his perceived Tigrinya peoples “jilted identity”. In his book, which is titled, “Identity jilted, or, Re-imagining identity?” he argues that Tigrayans, due south of the Mereb River, too Kebessa (Biher-Tigrinya) Eritreans, northward of the Mereb, are ethnically i people. Much of his claims are bold too seem emotionally driven, if non politically motivated. The books championship lonely suggests the Tigrinya people are non capable of knowing who they are too anything that goes against his belief is either a “jilted” or a “re-imagined identity", fifty-fifty though the really concept of ethnic identity is e'er an ever evolving one, too i that boils downward to self-inclusion perception of "us" too "them".

Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia



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Eritrean Tigrinya adult woman amongst her traditional hairstyle, Asmara, Eritrea

Tigrinya is closely related to the Tigre language, some other Afro-Asiatic linguistic communication spoken past times the Tigre people every bit good every bit many Beja. Tigrinya too Tigre although unopen are non mutually intelligible, too piece Tigrinya has traditionally been written using the same Ge'ez script (fidel) every bit Amharic, Tigre has been transcribed mainly using the Standard Arabic script. Attempts past times the Eritrean authorities to have got Tigre written using the Ge'ez script has met amongst some resistance from the predominantly Muslim Tigre people who associate Ge'ez amongst the Orthodox Church too would prefer the Standard Arabic or the to a greater extent than neutral Latin alphabet.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith wearing traditional wearing clothing of Tigray people inwards Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

It has also met amongst the linguistic difficulty of the Ge'ez script beingness a syllabic scheme which does non distinguish long vowels from curt ones. While this works good for writing Tigrinya or Amharic, which do non rely on vowel length inwards words, it does complicate writing Tigre, where vowel length sometimes distinguishes i word too its pregnant from another. The Ge'ez script evolved from the Epigraphic South Arabian script, whose kickoff inscriptions are from the eighth century BC inwards Eritrea, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Yemen.
Tigrinya writing system
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
h 
l 
 
m 
ś 
r 
s 
š 
ḳʰ
b 
v 
t 
č 
n 
ñ 
ʾ 
k
x
w 
ʿ 
z 
ž 
y 
d 
ǧ 
g
 
č̣ 
 
 
ṣ́ 
f 
p 
 äuiae(ə)owiwawe
In Ethiopia, Tigrinya is the 3rd most spoken language. The Tigray constitute the 4th largest ethnic grouping inwards the province after the Oromo, Amhara too Somali, who also utter Afro-Asiatic languages. In Eritrea, Tigrinya is past times far the most spoken language, where it is used past times about 55% of the population. Tigre is used past times about 30% of residents.

Differences betwixt Eritriean too Ethiopian Tigrinya Language

Asmara DialectTigray DialectEnglish Translation
Adde
Enno
Mother
Aykonen
Yekhoney
It is not
Heque
Ziban
Back
Aqhut
Nawti
Goods
Kifeto
Arhiwo
Open it
Kelo
Kinesu
While
Tsibah
Naga
Tomorrow
Nigho
Gwahat
Morning
Ewe
Yewo
Yes
Mebelaku Neyre
Kebbele Neyre
I would have got eaten

Sources: Tadese Beyene too Madote

























History
Historically, the province of Tigray too key Eritrea was where Ethiopian too Eritrean civilization had its origins. The kickoff kingdom to arise was that of D`mt inwards the eighth century BC. The Aksumite Kingdom, i of the powerful civilizations of the ancient world, was centered at that topographic point from at to the lowest degree 400 BC to the tenth century AD. Spreading far beyond modern Eritrea too Tigray, it moulded the earliest civilization of Eritrea too Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too left many historical treasures: towering finely carved stelae, the remains of extensive palaces, too the ancient places of worship soundless vibrant amongst civilization too pageantry.
The Tigray-Tigrinya people are descendants of early on Semitic-speaking peoples whose presence inwards the part spanning key Eritrea too northern Ethiopia, is postulated to have got existed from at to the lowest degree 2000 BC, based on linguistic evidence (and known from the ninth century BC from inscriptions)
According to Ethiopian traditions, the Tigrayan nobility; i.e. that of the Tigray province of Ethiopia, describe their ancestry to the legendary manful someone monarch Menelik I, the kid born of the queen of Sheba too King Solomon every bit do the priests of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (Ge'ez ካህን kāhin). Menelik I would move the kickoff manful someone monarch of the Solomonic line of rulers of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia that ended exclusively amongst the deposing of Emperor Haile Selassie inwards 1974.
Tigrinya adult woman of Eritrea. Circa 1910

The kickoff possible bring upwards of the grouping dates from about the eighth to tenth centuries, inwards which catamenia manuscripts preserving the inscriptions of Cosmas
Cosmas Indicopleustes  (fl. sixth century) contain notes on his writings including the bring upwards of a tribe called Tigretes. This writing clearly proves that the Tigray have got been inwards their acquaint location since before the fourth dimension of Christ too began converting to Christianity inwards the 4th century. Some of the population may have got migrated from the Arabian peninsula. There seems to endure a long-term procedure of migration south, amongst Tigray imperceptibly "becoming" Amhara every bit they conjoin into Amhara communities. The Tigray, amongst the Amhara, are the coinheritors of the Aksumite Kingdom, which afterwards move the Ethiopian Empire. Tigray every bit good every bit Amhara were eligible for the emperorship, the finally Tigray emperor beingness Yohannes (1872-1889).

The Tigray living inwards Tigray Province experienced a relatively curt colonial catamenia (1936-1942) compared to that of their Eritrean neighbors, who were dominated past times the Italians from the 1890s until 1942. The heavily Tigray-influenced Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF, at nowadays the EPLF) led a separatist revolt through the 1960s until it was joined past times the now-stronger Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) after the 1974 overthrow of Haile Selassie. Most Tigray are rural; Asmara inwards Eritrea too Maqelle inwards Tigray are the exclusively urban centers. War, drought, too international relief agencies have got played a major role inwards this part since the mid-1970s.

Young Eritrean missy from Kebessa - 1936

Settlements
Tigray "parishes" equate amongst local communities too are the smallest units of direction for both the province too the Ethiopian Orthodox church, having a master copy appointed from above. Priests too deacons are responsible to church building authorities. Parishes gain inwards population from 500 to 4,000 people. There is regional variation inwards settlement pattern: climatic conditions favor dispersed settlement of little hamlets across parishes where rainfall is relatively constant from yr to year, too nucleated villages, i per parish, where rainfall is less predictable. Villages move through a procedure of dividing into quarters, which reunite when new, to a greater extent than powerful quarters elbow grease to dominate them. Depending on the stage of their life cycle, villages have got ii or 3 quarters. Houses gain from wattle-and-daub huts to impressive masonry lime-domed or zinc-corrugated roofed edifices, depending on the family's economical success.

Holly wood Stars Will Smith too his married adult woman Jada Pinkett Smith were welcomed past times Tigray people to Tigrai province inwards Ethiopia.

Economy
Subsistence too Commercial Activity. The Tigray exercise turn tillage of primarily cereal crops: wheat, barley, t'af (Amharic: tyeff; Eragrostis abyssinica ), too sorghum. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 minute crop per yr is risky or impossible inwards most areas. Legumes, primarily garbanzos, are included inwards the croprotation cycle. After several years, weeds move also strong for competition, too the plain is fallowed until grasses choke out the weeds too the turf tin endure removed again, bringing the plain into cultivation. Flax is grown for linseed oil.

 In some zones, frankincense figures prominently. For those living close the eastern escarpment, shipping of common salt from the Danakil Depression for sale inwards the highland markets is an of import source of income. In add-on to the common salt trade, individuals earn some cash past times purchasing cattle too little animals inwards the lowlands too selling them farther into the highlands. Cattle are of import every bit turn animals. When population density is high too pasturage is inwards curt supply, turn animals are the most critical variable inwards the agricultural process.

Industrial Arts. Crafts are associated amongst pariah "castes" of artisans who are believed to endure witches. Blacksmithing, pottery making, tanning, weaving, too music making autumn nether this stigma. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 someone amongst a physical disability, however, tin engage inwards weaving without beingness regarded every bit a witch.

Trade. Markets, shops, too mills are associated amongst towns. Shops are oftentimes run past times Arab merchants. Products of artisanry (pottery, hides, metallic tools), herbs too spices, coffee, salt, too staff of life are sold. Towns, especially those associated amongst administrative offices, have got mead houses; each quarter of a hamlet has at to the lowest degree i beer house.

Division of Labor
 For nonartisans, sexual practice too historic catamenia line of piece of job concern human relationship for most of the sectionalization of labor. Men are responsible for nearly all agriculture too husbandry. The sole exception is weeding, which is done past times women. Once the grain has left the threshing floor, its storage too processing into injera (the crepelike staple) too staff of life is also the province of women. Boys, after the historic catamenia of almost 12, get down herding too helping amongst plowing too planting. Girls assist amongst nutrient preparation too kid care. At to the lowest degree i herd man child is needed if a household is to endure independent. If at that topographic point are to a greater extent than herd boys than necessary, some may move off to study the Bible to laid for careers every bit deacons, amongst the eventual possibility of joining the priesthood. Priests, similar other manful someone heads of households, are farmers. As many every bit 10 per centum of a parish's households may endure headed past times priests. Most curing, which depends heavily on ecclesiastical training, is done past times defrocked priests too deacons; most handling of spirit possession is done past times women. Artisans sometimes shape their ain villages, where they also exercise agriculture; however, inwards other villages, they are found interspersed inwards private households amongst nonartisans. Elders too powerful men are designated every bit "recognized men" too "big-men."

Land Tenure
 Land tenure is complex too governed on a parish-by-parish basis. Each parish chooses from permutations of ii basic forms: ristî (hereditary) too igurafgotet (communal). To brand a claim nether ristî, a someone must describe descent from a parish founder through whatsoever combination of males too females. The scheme has inherent contradictions: all plots of solid ground potentially have got multiple claimants, giving ascent to a political every bit good every bit a genealogical factor to solid ground claims. igurafgotet solid ground tenure, dissimilar ristî—which tin endure used to restrain the inflow of novel farmers—encourages newcomers too becomes salient after a drought depopulates an area. Because the pick of land-tenure systems affects the size of the holdings of many people, parishes switch from i scheme to the other exclusively nether extreme ecological too demographic conditions. The ii land-tenure systems are non associated amongst settlement patterns; nucleated too dispersed forms of settlement are found amongst both types.


Kinship
Kin Groups too Descent. Descent is omnilineal or ambilineal. Descent groups shape too disperse depending upon the item solid ground claim that is beingness prosecuted. Persons who are allies for i purpose are enemies for another. This does non follow the familiar pattern of "fission too fusion" described past times Evans-Pritchard for the Nuer ( 1940), inwards that groups are non segments of larger groups but are based on a item individual's genealogical relations inwards a item parish. He or she volition endure brought together amongst a distinct collection of people inwards each parish too at each genealogical level. These associations do non accomplish the variety of solidarity that would brand them useful for purposes other than solid ground claims. Kinship is bilateral and, similar descent, is traced through whatsoever combination of males too females. The importance to each household of having at to the lowest degree i herd man child leads to boys oftentimes beingness brought upwards inwards the household of a father's or mother's blood brother or sister, every bit adjustments to household piece of job forces require.

Kinship Terminology. Tigray kin damage reverberate their bilateral kinship too omnilineal descent. Generation too linealtty are distinguished. Sex is distinguished exclusively inwards Ego's generation too for parents. Kin types are grouped every bit follows: boy too daughter, brother, sister, father, mother, father's too mother's brother, father's too mother's sister, too father's too and mother's begetter too mother. All 8 great-grandparents are referred to past times a unmarried term.

                                     Eritrea Tigrinya mothers

Marriage too Family
Marriage. Marriages are monogamous too "contractual." First marriages involve a dowry, unremarkably of animals, given past times the bride's menage unit of measurement to the couple. Second marriages unremarkably require equal contributions from both parties.

Should the potential married adult woman non have got uppercase comparable to her potential husband's, an organisation is made inwards which she is "paid" too her accumulated shares are eventually converted into community property. Only older couples too deacons intending to move priests are married before the church.

 The "life expectancy" of a matrimony at the fourth dimension it is contracted is betwixt 7 too twelve years. Marriage contracts contain the potential of divorce. At marriage, a guardian is selected to assist reconcile difficulties too to assist inwards sectionalization of holding inwards representative of divorce. Elders are called inwards to oversee the process. After the wedding, for a kickoff marriage, at that topographic point is a catamenia of bride-service during which the duet goes dorsum too forth betwixt the ii parental households, spending fourth dimension inwards each. Once bride-service has been completed, at that topographic point is no formal dominion of postmarital residence. Practical considerations of articulation herding oftentimes Pb to a catamenia of viripatrilocal residence.

Domestic Unit. The nuclear menage unit of measurement is the most mutual domestic unit. Youngest children may rest amongst the menage unit of measurement homestead to take attention of aging parents. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 little number of economically successful households retain their ain sons too daughters too pull inwards their mates, hence forming large multifamily households. Partition takes topographic point inwards stages: separation of hearths, separation of grain bins, too finally separation.

Inheritance. Inheritance rules distinguish betwixt solid ground too household property. If the parish is ristî, each child, regardless of gender or marital status, inherits an equal portion of the solid ground of his or her dead parent. Domestic equipment tends to rest amongst the kid who took attention of the aging parent. Other holding (principally livestock), if non consumed inwards the funeral commemoration a yr after death, may endure divided.

Socialization. Small children are indulged, specially boys. Girls get down helping their mothers before than boys get down helping their fathers. Girls gradually take on domestic chores. At almost historic catamenia 7, boys must get down to larn to obey, which involves a catamenia of apparent trauma. Children are baptized. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 serial of vertical scars to the exterior of either eye, found on most adults, is regarded every bit "medicinal" rather than "ritual" too is done on the occasion of oculus infections.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 cross is oftentimes made past times tattoo or scarification inwards the middle of the forehead. Movement from minority to adulthood is non dramatic. Boys displace to the adult portion of the parish coming together when they move married or when they move deacons. Women tend to deed inwards political contexts exclusively inwards the absence of their husbands but have got the rights of jural majors after marriage.

Sociopolitical Organization
Social Organization. The most important unit of measurement beyond the household is the h'agareseb (lit., "farm people"), which is the parish or local community. It is at the parish meeting, held on Lord's Day mornings after church building services, that all of import community decisions are made, whether they endure religious or civil, whether to add together a novel saint to the local church building calendar or to repair a path. Parish meetings are presided over past times a secular community leader, or "manager." In nucleated parishes, hamlet wards are important too have got informal leaders. Neighbors participate inwards i another's life-cycle ceremonies too have got the legal duty to response when a vecino raises a hue too cry. Descent groups have got niggling relevance exterior of land-tenure issues. Most adults belong to "twelve apostle" eating clubs, consisting of men or women or couples who come across i time a calendar month for feasting too discussion.


Political Organization. When the Ethiopian province was surgical procedure well, the Tigray of Tigray Province were total participants inwards politcal life too on several occasions provided emperors. This human relationship was interrupted inwards Eritrea past times the long Italian colonization. After the 1974 Revolution, many of the Tigray inwards both areas rose inwards rebellion. Nowadays the province organisation involves provincial, district, too subdistrict governors. Each parish has an official, appointed from above, who owes loyalty to the subdistrict governor. The official at each aeroplane of authorities owes loyalty to the official at i time higher upwards him, non to the key government. Parish priests are responsible to the bishops.

Social Control. In native theory, people are "good" because they fearfulness what their neighbors volition think, what the courts volition do, too what God volition do. Beyond this, the parish master copy is an officeholder of the courtroom too has the responsibleness to grip pocket-size cases too to carry to a greater extent than serious ones to higher courts. The establishment of awu ha h requires all members of the community to gather for 3 days or until someone confesses cognition of a crime.

Young Tigray missy inwards a plain amongst her traditional hairstyle. Tigray. Ethiopia

Conflict. The Tigray reckon conflict every bit a natural termination of weak authority. Conflicts occasionally transpire, ranging from those at the the intervillage aeroplane to rebellions against the state, every bit happened inwards the 1940s too i time to a greater extent than since the Revolution. Outlaws amongst a large next are sometimes afterwards made portion of the state, too province officials sometimes move outlaws.

Tigray adult woman from Ethiopia

Religious belief
The Tigray recognized 3 categories of belief every bit "religion" (haymanot): Christianity, Islam, too Judaism. In Ethiopia, the Tigray Region is 95.6% Ethiopian Orthodox, 4% Muslim, too the remaining 0.4% are mostly Catholic too Protestant. In Eritrea, the Jeberti are Muslim too line of piece of job concern human relationship for almost 10% of the Tigrinya people there. The remaining 90% are Christians, so divided: 73% of the Eritrean Orthodox faith, 10% Roman Catholic too Eastern Catholic (whose volume is held inwards Ge'ez every bit opposed to Latin), too 7% belonging to various Protestant too other Christian denominations, the bulk of which belong to the (Lutheran) Evangelical Church of Eritrea.
These are the authorities registered (allowed) religions of Eritrea. Meanwhile at that topographic point are those who profess faith to smaller Evangelical denominations whose rights to worship are currently suspended past times the Eritrean government, such every bit the Pentecostals, Seventh Day Adventists, Jehovah's Witnesses every bit good every bit non Christian denominations such every bit the Bahá'í.

Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 number of the saints are indigenous too non shared past times the Roman or Greek churches. Spirit possession, inwards the shape of the zar cult, is prominent, but many Tigray regard it every bit illegitimate. Zar has special significance inwards empowering women.
Christianity is said to have got come upwards to Tigray amongst the shipwrecked Syrian Fromentius, inwards the 3rd century. Each parish is associated amongst a church, which inwards most regions is built of masonry and, inwards some others, carved into cliffs. It is through Bible study that most immature men gain literacy. The Ethiopian Orthodox church building was formally affiliated amongst the Coptic church building inwards Alexandria, to which, until 1954, it was obliged to turn for archbishops.
Tigray Ethiopian Orthodox Priest,

The Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox Churches describe their roots dorsum to the Axumite Church founded inwards the 4th century past times Syrian monks. Historically, the Ethiopian too Eritrean churches have got had strong ties amongst the Egyptian Coptic church, where the Egyptian Church appointed the Abuna (archbishop) for the Ethiopian Church (which too then incorporated Eritrea) until 1959. The Ethiopian Church gained independence from the Coptic church building inwards 1948 too began anointing its ain pope. The Eritrean Orthodox church building split from the Ethiopian Orthodox inwards 1993 too reverted to having its pope inwards the Coptic Church of Alexandria, Egypt.

A little crowd waiting exterior S. Salvatore inwards Campo for the finally portion of Michaelmas

Over vi i one one thousand thousand Tigrayans are Oriental Orthodox, amongst i priest for every 92 members—the highest concentration inwards Ethiopia. The residuum are Muslims. There are many Muslims inwards Tigray Province, but they to a greater extent than oftentimes than non belong to other ethnic groups than the Tigrayans. The Tigrayans are reported to have got fewer than 500 Evangelicals, but at that topographic point are to a greater extent than Evangelicals amid the Tigrinya inwards Eritrea.
The faith of the church building is really intimately woven into the civilization of the Christian members of the Tigrinya people too is key to their way of life. In the Ethiopian too Eritrean Orthodox too Catholic churches, Mary is considered a saint, too the Ark of the Covenant (tabot) features prominently inwards the Orthodox Church. Moreover, the Ge'ez bible preserves many texts considered apocryphal past times Catholics, Orthodox, too Protestants, such every bit 1 Enoch, which has exclusively been preserved inwards Ge'ez.

Church services are conducted inwards Ge'ez, the ancient linguistic communication of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia too Eritrea, precisely every bit Latin i time was inwards the Roman Catholic Church, too continues to endure the liturgical language.
The Eastern Catholic Church inwards Eritrea was established inwards the 16th century past times Portuguese too Castilian missionaries who had come upwards to assist the Christian Abyssinians deal off a Turkish invasion. Centered inwards the one-time Akele Guzai province (the eastern portion of the Eritrean highlands) the churches maintained most of the liturgy of the already existing Orthodox Church, including Ge'ez every bit the liturgical language, amongst pocket-size differences there-among sharing communion with, too submitting to the authorization of the Vatican Pope every bit opposed to the Pope inwards Axum.
Roman Catholicism arrived inwards Eritrea amongst the advent of Italian colonialism too almost coincided amongst the arrival of Swedish missionaries who brought Lutheran Christianity to Eritrea at the halt of the 19th century. The human relationship betwixt these ii religions was especially tense every bit the Roman Catholic Italians resisted too discouraged the spread of Protestantism inwards their colony too fifty-fifty lay prohibitions too numerous constraints on the activities of the Swedish missionaries. The Roman Catholic Church every bit an musical instrument of the colonial authorization has held volume inwards Latin too Italian since its inception, incorporating local languages inwards its missionary piece of job throughout Eritrea. It initially sought to cater to Italian citizens every bit good every bit foster an elite of Eritreans into becoming proficient Italian subjects. Today the church building is a distinctly Eritrean church, although masses move along to endure held inwards Italian too Latin along amongst local languages there-among Tigrinya too it also caters to the really little Italian too Italo-Eritrean community mainly inwards Asmara. The Lutheran Church of Eritrea too its Swedish too Eritrean missionaries were the ones who translated the Bible from the dead Ge'ez linguistic communication exclusively understood past times higher clergymen, into the Tigrinya too other local languages too their main destination was to gain too "enlighten" every bit many people every bit possible inwards the populace through education. They were instrumental inwards raising the literacy charge per unit of measurement of their community.
Tigray-Tigrinya missy from Ethiopia

Religious Practitioners
 Priests too deacons, many monastery trained, celebrate the Mass. Diviners are defrocked deacons or priests. Spirit mediums are typically women, every bit are the vast bulk of those afflicted amongst possession.

Priests too deacons have a special resources allotment of solid ground for their services, addition honoraria from their penitents. Diviners accuse for their services, every bit do spirit mediums.

Ceremonies
 The most frequent ceremony is the celebration of Mass, which occurs a number of times per week, depending on the local church building calendar too parish patron saints. Other of import rituals are baptism too funerals. Ordinary weddings are to a greater extent than ceremonial than ritual. Divination too curing have got a ritual character, every bit do ward or neighborhood dances intended to touching on the weather.

Ashenda Holidays dance. Three days of women!  Ashenda is a vacation celebrating women hither inwards Northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia mostly inwards the Tigray region.  It corresponds to the halt of a ii calendar week fasting catamenia for Ethiopian Orthodox Christians commemorating the Virgin Mary, but the vacation has grown way beyond that now.

Arts.
 Arts, crafts, too secular music are primarily the domain of the pariah castes of artisans. The exceptions are sacred music, which is led past times monastically trained (but non necessarily ordained) men, too icon painting, biblical illumination, too scroll making, which are undertaken past times a few deacons.
Tigrinya adult woman from Eritrea

Medicine
 Most affliction (including illness) is treated past times diviners rather than past times priests or spirit mediums. Affliction is attributed to transgressions against God, sorcery motivated past times envy, or witchcraft unconsciously executed past times artisans or others possessed past times Satan. Diviners both diagnose too treat. Spirit possession past times entities other than Satan too his minions primarily affects women too is regarded every bit exterior the realm of Christian belief. Such possession may endure brought nether command but non cured.

Death too Afterlife
 After death, people are judged, inwards what is popularly thought of every bit a setting much similar a secular court, too proceed to sky or hell.
Source: http://www.encyclopedia.com/topic/Tigray.aspx

Tigray Girl - Atsbi, Tigray, Ethiopia












Tigray missy from Ethiopia

Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically p Info For You TIGRAY-TIGRINYA (TIGRAY/BIHER-TIGRINYA/KEBESSA) PEOPLE: CULTURALLY DOMINANT AND POLITICALLY POWERFUL PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA





Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically p Info For You TIGRAY-TIGRINYA (TIGRAY/BIHER-TIGRINYA/KEBESSA) PEOPLE: CULTURALLY DOMINANT AND POLITICALLY POWERFUL PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA








Tigray missy inwards Hawzien - Tigray, Ethiopia













Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically p Info For You TIGRAY-TIGRINYA (TIGRAY/BIHER-TIGRINYA/KEBESSA) PEOPLE: CULTURALLY DOMINANT AND POLITICALLY POWERFUL PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA












Tigrinya or the Kebessa people or but Tigrays are culturally dominant too politically p Info For You TIGRAY-TIGRINYA (TIGRAY/BIHER-TIGRINYA/KEBESSA) PEOPLE: CULTURALLY DOMINANT AND POLITICALLY POWERFUL PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA




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