Arawelo

Queen Arawelo (wey some people also dey call Ebla Awad) na one olden days queen for Somalia wey her story na big part of Somali people folklore — dat na di kind tori wey dem dey pass from generation to generation. For Somali language, dem dey call her Boqorad Carraweelo.

Her tori

People talk say Arawelo kingdom dey for area wey di Habr Je'lo clan dey live, for one place wey dem call Murihi inside Sanaag region for Somalia.

One oyinbo researcher wey him name be Ralph E. Drake-Brockman be di first western person wey write about Arawelo for book. For 1912, e write book wey dem call British Somaliland, and for di book e talk say:

"Di tori talk say many thousand years ago, one strong Somali queen wey dem call Arawelo bin dey rule di land wey di Habr Toljaala tribe dey stay. People fear her well well because she dey do things wey no be normal. She live for Murihi, but now na only one big stone mound dey di place wey dem say na her capital. People say na under di stones dem bury her body. Towards di end of her life, Arawelo come begin show strong favour to women dem, but she no like di men at all."

Plenty tori wey people dey tell about her life give us small small personal gist about her. Dem say her mama name na Haramaanyo, but nobody sabi who her papa be. She be di first born for her family, wey get three daughters. As first born, she be di person wey suppose take over di throne after her mama and papa.

Arawelo no like how people dey treat women, so she fight hard to make sure women get power. She believe say na women suppose dey lead society, not men.

For her time as queen, e no dey strange for her to punish men by torturing dem private part (testicles) — sometimes dem even hang men by dem private part. Some tori talk say any man wey dem catch as prisoner that time, dem go cut off him private part (castrate am) by Arawelo order.

Different ways people see her

Some people see Arawelo as feminist hero — woman wey fight for women freedom and power. But some other people see her as wicked queen wey just dey cut off men private part anyhow. Di way people remember her depend on who dey talk di story.

Where her kingdom dey

According to Drake-Brockman, Arawelo kingdom dey centre around one place wey dem call Murihi, for inside wetin dem call British Somaliland dat year — today, dat place na part of Sanaag region for Somalia. After Arawelo die, dem pass di throne give another person, but nobody sabi who dat person be.

How she take challenge gender roles

Arawelo become queen around year 15 AD. For her time, her husband no like di way she dey act like di provider wey dey feed everybody. Di husband believe say women suppose just stay house dey cook and clean, while men dey control everything outside. But Arawelo no gree. She tell all di women for her land make dem leave house work and join her for leadership. She believe say women naturally dey more peaceful, and if women dey in charge, e go reduce wahala, fight, and war. From when she small, she don believe say men too wicked and na dem dey always start war. Na why she fight to make sure women no just get freedom, but women go even dey on top pass men.

How people remember her today

For Somali culture today, if woman too strong head or she no dey fear anybody, dem fit call her 'Caraweelo', because of how Queen Arawelo strong. Some people even talk say Arawelo na queen of di ancient Harla people, wey be old Somali tribe, but many people believe say her story na just folklore — tori wey people dey tell, but no sure say e happen for real. People get different opinion about her. Some say she wicked because she like to cut off men private part and she even introduce female genital cutting (FGM) for women. But her supporters believe say she be strong woman wey just wan help women get di respect and power wey dem deserve.

Books and music about her

For 2014, one writer wey him name be Farah M. Mohamed write book about Arawelo.

She also show for one popular book wey dem call Rejected Princesses, wey dey talk about strong women from history.

Different authors like Margaret Laurence for 1954 and Omar Osman Rabeh for 1984 also write about her.

For 2017, one Somali-Canadian singer wey her name be Cold Specks release song wey she call Fool’s Paradise. Di song na about Arawelo, because di singer hear about Arawelo from Somali song wey her mama dey play for house when she small. She say di story of how Arawelo no fear men inspire her well well.