Tigrean

Location -   Tigray is in northern Africa in the northernmost section of Ethiopia.  Sudan is the only other country that borders the province of Tigray, otherwise it is bordered by other provinces of Ethiopia. 

Language -  The population of Tigray is about five million. They have their own unique language and alphabet called Tigy.  The language is used in Tigray and Eritrea, a neighboring province.  Their language became the official language when independence was won from Ethiopia.  Until 1991, the people were very oppressed and could not use their language or other cultural symbols. Then new rulers were brought into power and that all changed.  The Tigreans can now embrace their entire culture freely, language included.  They are using this freedom to improve their written language. 

History and Politics -  Present day Tigray is located where the powerful kingdom of Axumaite used to be.  Axumaite left behind a strong heritage for the now Tigreans.  Auxumaites were very literate, strong willed, with a well-developed alphabet.  Eventually the Tigy language was formed.  In the fourth century, Christianity was introduced to the Tigreans, and it is still their religion today.  The monasteries are the centers for learning and translating.  Religion is very important to the Tigreans. 

Axum is a small town in the center of Tigray.  The people use it so symbolize national consciousness and cultural pride. In the beginning, given their geographical location, the Tigreans had the important task of defending Ethiopia from central powers.  Yohannes, an old Tigrean king, defended off attacks from the Italians, Egyptians and Sudanese armies who were trying to take the land from the Tigreans.  To this day, a great pride is felt for these victories against stronger and better trained armies.  It is probably the brightest moment in the Tigreans history.

Daily Life -  Circumcision, done by a local practitioner, is mandatory for male and female children in Tigray for religious and other reasons.  It is done before the age of one.  Breast feeding is the main source of milk for infants.  Children are raised to be always respectful of their parents and the elderly.  Honesty is another very important value taught to young Tigreans.  If a child misbehaves, they are usually given a stern talking to, although spanking is accepted too.  Marriages are arranged, usually by the parents.

Religion in Tigray is about 80% Orthodox Christian, and 20% Muslim.  The Christian population in Tigray does not eat meat on Friday or Wednesday, as it is prohibited by their religion.  This practice is called fasting and is very important to them.  Another fast takes place during the fifty five days before Easter.  The purpose of fasting is to make your body weaker, allowing the soul gets stronger.  The Muslims also fast, but do so for Radman.  They are instructed to fast all day and eat only at night while they pray.  It is not very common in Tigray for a marriage between a Muslim and a Christian. 

Camels, donkeys, and sheep are all over Tigray.  There are some oxen too but they are used to plow the fields.  Churches are customarily built up on hills.  All of the major celebrations that a city or the country might have are held around the churches.  Coffee is a very important and customary drink in Tigray.  There is even a “coffee ceremony” in some regions, where they grind beans in a ceremonial manner.  Music is important as well.  Many drums and string instruments will play while people dance.

Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not claim expertise on the Tigreans.

If you are Tigrean, your feedback is much appreciated.

Resources

www.grmi.org/~jhanna/obj50.htm

 www.telecom.net.et/~walta/conflict/articles/article1352.html

Burstein, Stanley. Ancient African civilizations : Kush and Axum. Princeton, NJ. 1998

By  Scott Hufford