Novel
Tobbya
ልብ ወለድ ታሪክ
Afäwärq Gäbrä Iyäsus · 1908
Synopsis
During a war, a general of the Christian king, who bears the title of däggazmač, is captured by a pagan king. His two children, his son Wahéd and his daughter Tobbya, each set out on their own to free him. Abductions, disguises and reversals follow one another: Tobbya, disguised as a boy, finds herself at the heart of amorous intrigues, and her stubborn faith is tested to the end, chance and providence deciding each turn.
Context
The novel appeared in Rome in 1908, where there was already a press with Ethiopic type, with a short preface by Francesco Gallina, holder of the chair of Amharic at Naples, whose assistant the author was. Its title, a story born of the heart or rather of the mind, claims invention: where traditional writings, especially in Ge'ez, presented themselves as true, this one announces heroes who never existed, and the expression has become in Amharic the very name for prose fiction. An English translation by Tadesse Tamrat appeared in 1964.
Who it is for
A novel in Amharic, translated into English in 1964. The ornate style, of great purity, is better appreciated with some knowledge of Christian Ethiopia.
Prizes and reception
Regarded as the first novel in Amharic and one of the first novels in an African language, it made its author an innovator.