The Mengesha Tribe

The Mengesha Tribe Country: Chieftaincy of Ghanyah Titles: Chief of Zewu Founder:Mengesha of Tejju Current Head: Melesse Alem Zewedu Seat: Zewu Ethnicity: Ghanyan

The Mengesha Tribe is one of the newer tribes of the Chieftaincy of Ghanyah. They are one of the most culturally advanced tribes in the Chieftaincy, with some of the most unique customs in the land.

History

The origins of the Mengesha are rooted in the continent of Atlas. In the early days, before states had taken form, various clans and tribes scattered in the vast expanse of the northern desert and dry grasslands of the savannah, locked in a seemingly eternal war among one another. The Mengesha derive their name from the revered leader and hero, who founded the tribe deep within the rolling dunes of the desert. As recited in the great epic of Mengesha, a tale passed down from generation to generation by local storytellers or “griots”.

In the early days of strife, their lived two clans locked in war, the Tejju and the Zewa. Mengesha was born the son of the Tejju’s “Kantiba”, or chief. Mengesha's mother was his father’s second wife, Enku . When he was born, Mengesha was brought before the local priests, as was tradition, to receive blessings and divinations of his future. He was prophesied to one day become a great leader of men, a fierce warrior, and to one day found a great tribe and nation. However, To his parent's dread, he did not have a promising start. According to the oral traditions, Mengesha did not walk until he was seven years old. However, once Mengesha did gain use of his legs, he grew strong, valiant and grew to be greatly respected among his clan.

Sadly for Mengesha, this did not occur before his father died. Despite the Kantiba of Tejju's wishes to respect the prophecy and put Mengesha as his successor, the son from his first wife, Ketefu, was crowned instead. Not too long after Ketefu took the throne, sensing a challenge to his rule, he and his mother forced the increasingly popular Mengesha into exile, along with his mother and two sisters. However, before Ketefu and his mother could enjoy their unimpeded power, The Zewa clan from the south set its sights on Tejju, making war with them and terrorising much of the region, taking captives and and goods. After a particularly humiliating defeat, Ketefu abandoned his clan and fled in the night.

Mengesha spent several years in exile, first wandering the desert, before staying with the Ewoti and then as a guest of the neighboring clan settlement of Mesosa, Mengesha was sought out by a Tejju delegation and was begged to combat the Zewa and free his clan. Apparently, after Ketefu fled, the Zewa had subjugated the Tejju, taking tribute from them. They had disarmed them, forbidding them from crafting weapons. Hearing his peoples fate, Mengesha turned to the Ewoti and Mesosa who he had lived with during his years of exile. Mengesha had made such a great impression with the chiefs of Ewoti and Mesosa that Mengesha was able to organize a coalition between the three clans.



Returning with the combined warriors, Mengesha arrived to the the Tejju and organized a revolt. Due to the lack of weapons among the Tejju, The tribesman instead armed themselves with sickles they used to farm. They then went on the offensive engaging in lightning fast raids, attacking zewan farmers, and outlying village settlements. When the Zewa caught wind of the Tejju’s rebellion, The Chief of Zewa, Kiros, summoned a large host of his strongest warriors along with a small number of orkish tribesmen, who had agreed to aid them in exchange for slaves and personally lead them to put down the revolt. As the Zewa warriors approached the Tejju settlement, the Kitet, or drums, were beaten as the Tejju and its coalition mobilized to meet the attacking warriors. The resulting event was a pitched and bloody battle. Kiros was a fierce warrior but was also arrogant and underestimated the Tejju and their coalition. It is said that as the battle reached a fevered pitch, A lion with a mane, gold as the sun and as bright, appeared atop a nearby hill, a physical manifestation of Ahkonnen’s presence. As the lion appeared the forces of Mengesha fought with divine strength and passion, cutting down the zewa forces. Mengesha himself defeated and beheaded Kiros. As the battle ended, the Lion, Roared once and as recorded by those who were there, bowed to Mengesha before disappearing before them in a flash of light. Observing this miracle, the people deemed it divine. Having been victorious over the forces of Zewa and filled with zeal, Mengesha and his warriors marched on to raze The Zewa settlement, destroying the Clan, sending those who remained scattering into the desert. With this great victory, Mengesha was declared a "Mesafin", or divine prince by the Tejju, and seeing the miracle displayed during the battle, the Mesosa and the Ewoti swore fealty and allegiance to Mengesha. This union between the three clans formed what would from then on be known as The Mengesha tribe.

Culture

The mengesha are traditionally sedentary agro-pastoralists, raising goats, sheep, and cattle in the desert, along with growing maize, millet, and Sorghum. Mengesha settlements range from small outlying villages to The capital city of Mennet. Mengeshan buildings are distinct for their architecture, characterized by two story square courtyard-based buildings, with thatched roofs, and family compounds with striking reliefs in brightly painted mud.

Socially, the Mengesha are organized into clan families and have traditionally been a socially stratified society with a caste based social order. this consists of two classes of free strata; high-ranking clans(chiefs, warriors, priests), low-ranking clans(farmers herders, serfs), servile castes of artisans. (artists, craftsmen and griots etc.), and the slave class. The servile groups are socially required to be endogamous, while the slaves can be emancipated over four generations. In this way ones occupation is hereditary. There is a hierarchy of occupational clan status, with a clan specifically for the ruling Mesafin and clan associations specifically for elite soldiers ( called the “nobility of the spear”) Each clan has distinct privileges, rights, and leverage within society. Family and kin relatives are often involved in arranging weddings rather than either the bride or groom. A custom observed by the Mengesha, Kola nuts, a bitter nut from a tree, are formally sent by the suitor's family to the male elders of the bride-to-be, and if accepted, the courtship begins.



Mengeshan culture is rich in tradition, music and spiritual ritual. Mengeshans continue a long oral history tradition through stories, songs and proverbs. Because the Mengesha don't have a written language, oral history is passed down through griots. Griots are a caste of historians, storytellers, poets and/or musicians. The griot is a repository of oral tradition and is often seen as a societal leader due to their traditional position as an advisor to chiefs and nobles.This passing down of oral history through music has made music one of the most distinctive traits of the Mengesha. The hallmark instrument of the griots is the kora. The kora is a twenty-one-stringed guitar-like instrument made out of a halved, dried, hollowed-out gourd covered with cow or goat skin. The strings are made of fishing line (these are traditionally made from a cow's tendons). It is played to accompany a griot's singing or simply on its own.

The Mengesha do not worship multiple gods as in other lands. Most believe that the Ahkonnen is the only true god, though Mensaphi are sometimes mistaken by outsiders as deities. Mensaphi are spirits; immortal beings that act as the intermediaries between the mortal races and Akhonnen, and have a variety of natures whether good, neutral or evil. Some mensaphi are rooted in ancestor worship; warriors, kings, and founders of villages are recognized as deities upon their deaths due to extraordinary feats. They are celebrated after death and join the pantheon of Mensaphi.The ancestors do not die, but are seen to have "disappeared" and become Mensaphi. Some of these mensaphis are based on historical figures confined to worship in their families or towns of origin; others are venerated across wider geographic areas. Other Mensaphi are more primordial beings of nature. Usually during the ritual of mourning after the death of a Mesafin or an person of great influence , artisans are commissioned to construct bronze heads of the deceased, as it is believed the soul resides within the “rasi” or head. The bronze head is meant to be recreated as accurately as possible, in the likeness of the deceased, so as the Mensaphi can find its rasi, and make it its home. The statue is usually then kept in the families home or at a shrine or temple to be worshiped and asked for guidance and help by the living. Ahkonnen itself is sometimes described as the disc of the sun, though it is more so formless, beyond creation. More accurately described as the life-force that runs through all things, living and inanimate. It is described as the energy that make things happen. Akhonnen is worshiped through consultation or communion with the mensaphi,with the goal of achieving balance with them to receive favor. Practitioners traditionally believe that daily life depends on proper alignment and knowledge of one’s “rasi”, or head, but in spiritual terms, the soul.This is usually achieved through consultation with priests, who use their understanding of the spiritual world to to contact or accrue favor with the mensaphi. They guide practitioners through the varying spirits important in their daily lives, usually, through libation, sacrifice (of animals, vegetables, cooked food, flowers, semi-precious stones, precious metals, etc.), fetishes and rituals. It is in this practice that the central theme of Mengeshan philosophy and belief is centered. belief in a cyclical nature of reality. The living stand between their ancestors and the unborn. Traditional belief embraces natural phenomena – ebb and tide, waxing and waning moon, rain and drought – and the rhythmic pattern of agriculture.

The traditional garment is the Shamma, worn by both men and women. The material used is cotton, calico or muslin and is usually white in color to show piety. A colored stripe over the right shoulder is used to indicate status. women wear the Shamma over a long white dress which often has a woven border. Men wear the Shamma over a long sleeved white tunic shirt, which is worn over long white trousers. charms, necklaces and jewelry are common, for religious purposes, aswell as symbols of wealth and status. Often due to the hot and dry climate men and women often wear a turban or a Fatalaa. It is a dyed cotton garment, with the appearance of both a veil and a turban. The Fatalaa covers the head. It prevents the inhalation of wind-borne sand by its wearers and gives protection from the dust and extremes of temperature characterizing dry environments.

Military

War and rebellion is at the center of Mengeshan history. The Mengesha are a warrior people and put a strong emphasis on martial ability. Boys are trained from early childhood in the use of the sword, spear and shield. Generally, soldiering has been the surest path to social advancement and economic reward within society. The Mesafin traditionally awards land, titles, and political appointments to those who prove their loyalty, competence, and courage on the battlefield. As a result, warriors traditionally give allegiance to the commander who could assure the fruits of victory to his followers. The elite of the Mengesha's fighting force are what is referred to as the the “Nobility of the spear”, a group of several warrior clans that form the elite core of the tribes military. They are nobles dedicated to serve the tribe through bearing the spear against the tribes enemies, serving as cavalry commanders. The head of each clan forms a council that advises the Mesafin in war. Though the elite of the Mengeshan warriors form the core,the entire tribe can be mobilized when a Mesafin orders a kitet, or call to arms. This is made by proclamations in the marketplaces and other gathering spots, and large war drums are beaten to alert outlying farms. Each man provides his own weapons and is expected to acquire skill in its use on his own initiative. If traveling far, He brings his own food for the march or forage en route. Often a soldier brings his wife or if he can afford it, a servant to cook and tend mules. The shotel is a favoured type of sword, a heavy steel weapon curved like a shamshir , but with the sharpened edge usually on the inside of the curve so that the warrior could stab around the edge of an opponent’s shield. It is carried slung on the right side, so that the left (shield) arm has a full range of movement. The Shotel is a symbol of prestige among warriors as it is a symbol of the sickles used by the valiant Tejju during the rebellion against the Zewa. Steel-headed spears are pretty much universal among men and boys for defending their flocks from wild animals; generally about 6ft long with a leaf-shaped head, they can be thrown, but are more often used for thrusting. Small shields complete a Mengeshan warrior’s kit. Styles vary among the tribe, but the most common is a circular, conical shield made of hide and covered on the front with coloured cloth such as velvet. Many are decorated and strengthened with strips of brass, tin or more valuable metals; a shield is an easy way for a warrior to show off his wealth and status, and many are quite elaborate.