The following are a couple of excerpts from an interesting book about the Abyssinian Character by a Russian Traveler Alexander Bulatovich who traveled to Ethiopia around 1896. The book was translated and edited by Richard Seltzer in 2000.
Ethiopia Through Russian Eyes: a Country in Transition, 1896-1898. Lawrenceville NJ, Red Sea Press.
(Excerpts)
It is hard to imagine so many contrasts united in one person, as are united in the Abyssinian character. Their character is like the nature around them — where precipices, cliffs, mountains and plains alternate among one another, and cold is mixed with tropical heat. If I allow myself a rather free comparison, this is how I would characterize the Abyssinian. He is talented and receptive, like a Frenchman. With his practicality, with the way he deals with those he has conquered and his governmental abilities, he is like an Englishman. His pride is like that of a Spaniard. By his love for his faith, his mildness of character and tolerance, he is like a Russian. By his commercial abilities, he is like a Jew. But in addition to all these characteristics, he is very brave, cunning, and suspicious.
At the present time, Abyssinia — with its ancient culture, Christianity, and historically shaped governmental order — appears like an island among other peoples who are almost in a childlike condition. Abyssinians have professed the Christian faith since 343 A.D., and before then, from the time of Solomon, they professed the Jewish faith, which even today is reflected in their ceremonies. To this day they separate animals into pure and impure; they give great significance to the ability to butcher cattle; and they circumcise their children. There are many other similarities, but I will tell of them in greater detail later. […]
19 thoughts on “The Abyssinian character”
“With his practicality, with the way he deals with those he has conquered ” The above quote confirms that Abyssinians conquered the south with force. Thank you Elias for giving us yet another eyewitness evidence. Galatoomi!
Those who’re conquered are doing everything in their power to free themselves.
The Highlands of Ethiopia
isn’t this racist?
Thanks Elias for posting this interesting remark made by the Russian Traveller Alexander Bulatovich about “The Abyssinian man” over a century ago. It makes any Ethiopian to feel proud about himself. […]
Well, the Russian must be confused. Where on earth does he make the link between business acumen and Abyssinians??/ Unless he is talking about the Gurages which i doubt. The rest is fairly fine with me. Ethiopians are receptive, tolerant and brave. I am not sure if you would single them out for being talented and for dexterity in business. I mean let’s be fair.
Talk is cheap.Only action saves Ethiopians.
mr anonymous,
So those are your evidences to say that you are conquered?. That is how you come to believe what you do believe now? Pathetic! you are telling us how poor understanding people of your type have. Galatoomi!
When almost all ammunitions are completely emptied from the political barrels we have to go again centuries back and dig out lunatic and divisive racist wild and mad fake opinions of a mad citizen of the brutal medieval Russian empire who used to colonize nations and nationalities Left and Right, East and West but have recently disintegrated in to its smallest components.
Well, if the present and the future looks gloomy with not light at the end of the tunnel, why not go back and live in the proverbial golden past.
This melancholic folktale story reminds me of ex-dictator Siad Barre of Somalia’s restless rule when he was trying hard to unite all the Somali clans under his authoritarian domination but when faced with stiff and determined challenges turned around to depend on his tiny minority clan for survival until the end came to collect him, his dictatorship and the entire nation state of Somalia.
Today’s Abyssinian faith is not only Christianity alone but also 50% good Muslims which means “Abyssinia” of today equals to Muslims, Christians and others. That is to say diverse and heterogeneous.
Our philosophy need not be the philosophy of desperation and taking refuge backwards in to the dark ancient cave corners of medieval parochialism but needs to be modern in thinking.
That is to say that all religions are different but equal in the sense that each one of them takes good care of their respective faith communities’ physical and spiritual welfare and well beings which is an excellent behavior and practice. Inter religious bickering and minor conflicts are outcomes of injustices, inequalities and being practiced by the ruling dictators manipulating the faith from behind just for using them for political purposes. Christians, Muslims and other faith communities need to unite against all of these big and small political opportunist manipulators from behind the scene.
The way forwards must necessarily be our common way just like the good ways of the Nordic welfare countries rather than the failed primitive contention of “My way or no way” running in circles.
Every thing he said is true. But this put our enemies to be ashamed of themselves, like a person #1. For #5 I would say please dont compare the 19th century business ability of Ethiopians with the 21st one. We have been sabotaged for years by different type of enemies. Try to be proud of Ethiopiawinet in case if you.
He has the right to say in the way he understands the Abyssinians. Yes, Abyssinians are defined differently by different writers,travellers, historians,politicians,traders and so on so forth. Whatever they say, we know ourselves. We are living for ourselves not for them. Good or bad what they say,we are abyssinians. We learn from good things and we ignore good for nothings. This should be our motto. Talk is cheap!!! What we need is to solve our problems and to live in this world just like a humanbeing.
The first commentator, what is written here is a foreigners opinion regarding a country he has visited once. It is not something factual, it is not supported by data, it is a mere superficial observation of a one man.
However, if you insist that it is something factual, then lets not forget that you came (rather migrated to main land Abyssinia which includes current day Somalia and Djibouti) first to conquer us. Unfortunately for you, being very sophisticated and intelligent compared to your tribes men, the Abyssinians returned the favor. You have invaded their country with your cattle, but unable to enforce your primitive culture amongst the natives/Abyssinians who had a relatively advanced social systems and ways of life at the time. As a result, you had to settle to learn and adopt what was Abyssinian then and Ethiopian today.
It is like when we migrate to the West today, we are forced to learn from the Westerners starting from their language and adopt their ways of life. Their scientific and technological advancements make their culture more advanced and puts it on top of ours. Therefore, even if we are proud of our culture and identity, we still learn what is western eagerly. We have to do that if we wish to survive, succeed and flourish. That is what happened in the case of oromo Ethiopians, and i say it was a smart thing to do. It has enabled them to share political power and resource with the natives, and helped them to take ownership of the country. You, narrow minded tribal lords should not be hasty to destroy that of their achievements.
To #1.
Medeival Ethiopia included all of present Ethiopia, Eritrea and then some. If you say Minilik conquered the South, then it implies that the land was invaded earlier. Otherwise how can Ethiopians conquer a land that is historically part of Ethiopia?
Now question for you, who invaded this land that is later reconquered?
[…] What is the big deal if a medieval dumb feudal writer from a medieval feudal kingdom praises another feudal society in another feudal kingdom after consuming barrels of highly intoxicating Stolichnaya and moskoviskaja vodkas as a matter of solidarity after additionally being repeat fed, say, eating several courses of highly spiced dooro wat and exotic aromatically spiced tire siga kitfo and tire siga kurt with fluffy white teff injeera and annebaabiro bedooro accompanied with lots of very strong honey wine (ye mar tej)?
In similar circumstances I personally would have written several volumes poetry just like our own local lalibelas and Azmaris, praising my feeders and host beyond skies in to the outer space and let the future bicker as to the merits and demerits of my poetry because it is me who knows the hands that fed me to sing the song. :)
Back home I was always afraid of those lalibelas and Azmaris chanting and singing sky high none existing praises for those gave them some thing while cursing and condemning all those who did not have some thing to give them.
It is just like all of those Meles cadres who day and night sing and chant for dictator Meles while cursing and condemning all those who have nothing to give them. What a strange shade of life and living! Hmm…
I am afraid Number 1 Anonymous might be Meles Zenawi. Anyway who cares for a dead fish, except a fisher one. Actually even in the bible and in the Koran Ethiopians have a bigger place and Ethiopians had been mentioned many times even the prophet Muhammad had given us a place in his heart because of our father’s fairness. So it should not be a new thing however the main thing we should worry must be how we keep our fathers and theirs fathers past history to be our current history also more over how we transfer this proud history to our children and their children to come, when we face our mortal enemies like Meles and TPLF in front of our face today. About how Ethiopians were smart in business look Emperor Menelik he established the first hotel and restaurant which is called Tehatu hotel, for death sentenced criminals the first electric chair, the first even to this day we have the first and the only single rail road, the first modern non church schools, the first news paper, eucalyptus tree to stop deforestation, the first sawing machine, automobile, and the biggest victory of Aduwa. Before him emperor Tedros he manufactured the first known military weapon and he gave his life. In addition Abdissa Aga and Zeray Deres and pope Peter or Abun petros all fought with greatness. However the current generation failed from its responssibility. One more thing for number 1 cry baby Anonymous if you think you are a conquered people were you a country governed as a country before you were conquered remember mister cry baby if you were not a country you can not be conquered instead you might have been aded or included to an existing country if that is the reason it will not be a new thing it has happen many times in history like California, Arizona, Texas and many states of USA use to be part of Mexico. Or are you still in your old Marxist elusion nation and nationalities gamble in order to benefit people like Meles Zenawi. People like you are an obstacles to change if you are not Meles by the way, or one of his agents wake up and smale the coffee. One more thing do you know Italy and by Garibaldi and German by Bismark they became a country 1870s USA in 1776 and most of the middle eastern countries became countries less than 100 years they were never a countries as they are now except Ethiopia, take Sudan, Libya, Jordan, Israel, Saudi, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq Etc. So cry baby number 1 Anonymous stop your useless cry and try to be one of us. I know your imagined being conquered by other people is eating your poor and little insignificant soul from inside just like a bad ailment. One more thing Ethiopia is the only country with its own alphabet in Africa so get more head ache if you have a living head.
This sounds racist comments made by the white Jesuits at that time, no compliment as some us of you may think. These guys were used to masquarade as humanists, religious men and ethnographists, but reality were on the colonial expedition missions. If you once read the pseudo-literary of the likes of Richard Burton, Arthur Rambou, et.al. you will be shocked what they wrote about the black people. Thanks for the the so-called Russian scholar but no thanks again.
A nice article
#1: You are really lazy and perhaps stupid to arrive at your conclusion. The writer said nothing about anyone invading Southern Ethiopia.
Bravo #12!
#13 Amsale I do not get what you are saying, what is your point? I am afraid you may not understood the point. To me you look like you are writing completely to a different topic so are you sure you are writing about the Russian visitor. First of all the person is an individual so address your point as a point addressed to an individual mostly do not address him as a mode of society so your writing has to be related to his article do not miss your point in your analysis. You may not like his analysis because of your preexisting dislike of Ethiopians here is the main thing if you like it or not the man has been dead a long time ago and his book has been read to this day and in the future also by many of us including you a pitiful living thing I am sorry for saying you thing but you look like you are incomplete human being. Please stay focussed and say your point instead of jumping here and there adding food and drink which is not part of the topic just to increase your lousy pitiful analysis to his 18th century understanding you look like you are writing an answer to a question before you read the question. Remember he is a visitor from another place visiting a new place which is a new land with new people and culture as well as different skin color, so why are you confused or are you Meles’s polygamist wife Azeb Kedada. If you are polygamist Azeb Kedada the wife of Kinfe, Samora, Hayelom, Zerihun, Tamirat Lyne and Bata koyegh little Meles etc. forget it and you will be better off if you leave this place as soon as you can, you will not get the man’s point he is not in your level.