Gudit

Gudit na di name wey dem give one powerful woman ruler for Ethiopia story dem. For Tigrinya and Amharic, dem dey call am Yodit. Some people also dey call am Isato for Amharic, and Ga’wa for Ţilţal language.

Dem say dis woman na one strong queen wey destroy di big Aksum Kingdom and di villages wey dey around. She even burn church dem and break di big monuments wey dem build for dat time — all dis one happen for 10th century AD.

Some other story talk say she be di daughter of di last Aksum king wey dem call Dil Na’ad, and her name for dat story be Masoba Warq. Di tori talk say she try to wipe comot all di royal family so dat her own people go rule.

All di different tori about her — wetin she do and how she take rule — dem no write am down proper for dat time, so na oral history (tori wey people mouth carry waka) plus some old books na im we get.

Wetin her name mean

Dis name “Gudit” for di old Ge’ez language connect with di Bible woman wey dem call Judith. Some people think say di name “Gudit” fit also come from Amharic word ‘gud’, wey mean different thing like ‘freak’, ‘strange person’, or ‘something wonderful’.

One researcher wey dem call Caroline Levi talk say dat her other name “Isato” mean fire, and e also get dat same ‘strange and powerful’ meaning inside. Di name Ga’wa wey dem call her for Ţilţal side, dem believe say e join her with one Muslim queen wey rule for 16th century. Dis one show say di tori wey dem dey tell about Gudit take many years before e get final shape.

For one list of Ethiopian kings dem, dem even mention one woman wey dem call Tirda’ Gabaz as di last queen of Aksum — and di things wey dem say she do na di same wey dem say Masoba Warq do. So e be like say na di same person.

Different tori about Gudit life

People dey tell di story of Gudit in two main ways:

Some people say she be princess of King Gideon IV, wey be king of one old Jewish kingdom wey dem dey call Beta Israel (some people dey call am Kingdom of Simien). After her papa die for war against Aksum Kingdom, she come take over as queen. Later, she gather power, fight Aksum, and defeat dem. Another tori talk say she be one princess wey dem pursue comot from Aksum. She come go marry one Syrian prince wey dem call Zenobis, and she change her religion to Judaism. Later, she and her husband plus her mama people wey come from one place wey dem call Hahayle, join hand together fight Aksum and defeat dem.

Plenty tori wey people dey tell about Gudit dey confuse because di tori no complete and e dey contradict itself. One oyinbo historian wey dem call Paul B. Henze talk say, “People say she kill di Aksum emperor, take di throne, and she rule for 40 years. Even till today, some farmers for northern Ethiopia still dey tell stories about how wicked she be.”

Henze even talk one experience wey he get: In 1970, when he visit one old rock church for Tigray wey dem call Abreha and Atsbeha, he see say di ceiling black with smoke. Di priest tell am say na Gudit burn di church, pack hay put inside, then set am on fire — and e happen almost 900 years before.

Another tori talk say she burn down one important place wey dem dey call Debre Damo — dat time, di place be like royal prison and treasury. But some people think say dis tori no be from Gudit time, but from di time of one later warlord wey dem call Ahmad Gragn.

One old explorer wey dem call James Bruce talk say after Gudit kill di king Dil Na’ad, one man wey be her cousin, wey dem call Mara Takla Haymanot, come take over after she and her family rule for some time.

For oral tori wey people dey tell, some people dey mix Gudit story with di story of one 16th century Muslim queen wey dem call Ga’wa for Tigray.

Which tribe she come from

One scholar wey dem call Carlo Conti Rossini first talk say di old record wey describe her tribe as Bani al-Hamwiyah fit get mistake — say e suppose be Bani al-Damutah. E believe say Gudit come from di old Kingdom of Damot, and say she come from Sidama people for southern Ethiopia.

One other researcher wey dem call Enrico Cerulli find some Arabic documents wey talk about one Muslim queen for 10th century wey dem call Badit, daughter of Maya, wey rule under Makhzumi dynasty.

Another historian wey dem call Tekeste Negash believe say Gudit be Cushitic queen wey her kingdom dey near Lake Hayq for Wollo area inside Ethiopia. He talk say she fit get strong connection with Yemeni traders wey dey use Zeila port do business.

Even for Somali people tori, dem get their own story of one queen wey dem call Arawelo, wey rule from Sanaag area enter inside plenty part of eastern Africa — so e be like say strong women rulers no be new thing for dat side.

Plenty recent historians dey believe say, even though some old books talk say Gudit be Jew (Beta Israel), e no too sure say she really be Jew. Many of di stories talk say she be convert, not original Jew, and dat time, di Beta Israel community no even too strong like dat.

One historian wey dem call Steven Kaplan talk say: "Even though di story about Queen Judith dey popular and both Jews and Christians dey remember am, e get many reasons to believe say di real Gudit no be Jew. Many of di old books wey mention her say she just change her religion to Judaism, she no be born Jew. Even di full story wey James Bruce write, e get plenty part wey we no fit trust."

Old records about her

Gudit start her rebellion around di time wey Pope Philotheos dey in charge of Alexandria, and dat time dey near di end of di reign of di king wey sack Abuna Petros. One historian wey dem call Taddesse Tamrat talk say di king death and di wahala wey follow am, na punishment from God because of wetin dem do Abuna Petros.

Arab historian wey dem call Ibn Hawqal write say: "Di country of Habasha don dey under di control of one woman for many years now. She kill di king of Habasha wey dem dey call Haḍani. Till today, she dey rule her own country and some parts wey near di kingdom of di Haḍani, for di south side of Habasha."

Another historian talk say di king of Yemen send one zebra as gift go Iraq around year 969/970, and di zebra na gift wey di Queen of Ethiopia send give di king of Yemen.

For popular culture

Gudit show for di video game Age of Empires II HD: The African Kingdoms. For di game, di story na say she be exiled queen wey come back with her Syrian husband, gather her people, fight and destroy Aksum, and declare say she don become Jew and go persecute di Levites.