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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | The Ethiopian Cult of the Saints in Medieval Ethiopia: A Preliminary Investigation |
Author: | Kaplan, Steven |
Year: | 1986 |
Periodical: | Paideuma |
Volume: | 32 |
Pages: | 1-13 |
Language: | English |
Geographic term: | Ethiopia |
Subjects: | saints Ethiopian Church Peoples of Africa (Ethnic Groups) Religion and Witchcraft History and Exploration |
External link: | https://www.jstor.org/stable/23076639 |
Abstract: | Exploration of the cult of the saints in medieval Ethiopia within its social and religious context. Attention is paid to the competition for relics, the veneration of the saint at his grave, the 'täzkar' or memorial service, and the powers of the saints. The deposition and transfer of relics was a complex issue, connected with the changing balance of power between kings and abbots, and between monasteries. Moreover, both the transfer and the veneration of the relics took place within the framework of clearly defined notions of the sacred and its dynamics. To receive the benefits of saintly intervention, one undertook the obligation to loyally serve the saint. When neglected or ignored, the saint could not only withdraw his favours, but also strike out in anger. At the heart of the Ethiopian cult of the saints stood two sets of mutual but unequal agreements: the 'kidan' between the saints and God, and the less formal pact between the believer and his saintly patron. Bibliogr., notes, ref. |