Horse name
Secondary royal title of the Ethiopian Empire nobles
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A horse name is a secondary noble title or a popular name for members of Ethiopian royalty; in some cases the "horse names" are the only name known for a ruler. They take the form of "father of X", where "X" is the name of the person's warhorse. According to Mahtama Sellase "They were given to a man for “his good administration, judgment and council in times of peace and his bravery and strategy in times of war”[1] The first named horse in the region's history was that of Amda Seyon I in his royal chronicle "The Glorious Victories." This would set the groundwork for the Horse name in Pre-Modern Ethiopia[2]
Some known horse names of Ethiopian nobility include:
| Name | Title | Horse Name | Literal/Synonymous meaning | Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alula Engida | Ras | Abba Nega | Father of dawn | Alula Aba Nega Airport is named after him and his horsename. | |
| Balcha Safo | Dejazmach | Abba Nefso | Father of the Soul | [3] | |
| Bashah Aboye | Dejazmach | Abba Däffar | Father of audacity | [4] | |
| Belay Zeleke | Dejazmach | Abba Koster | Father of Sharpshooter | [5] | |
| Darge Sahle Selassie | Ras | Abba Gersa[note 1] | Father of Recurring Impediment (i.e. impeding the enemy). | [6][3] | |
| Garmame | Dejazmach | Abba Mala | [7] | ||
| Habte Giyorgis Dinagde | Fitawrari | Abba Mechal | Father of Tolerance | [3] | |
| Haile Maryam Gebre | Dejazmach | Abba Dammana | Father of the Cloud | [8] | |
| Lul Seged | Ras | Abba Balay | |||
| Menelik II | Emperor of Ethiopia | Abba Dagnew | Father of Justice | [3] | |
| Sabagadis Woldu | Dejazmach | Abba Garay | [9] | ||
| Tekle Haymanot | Negus of Gojjam | Abba Tanna | [10] | ||
| Tessema Nadew | Ras Bitwoded | Abba Qamaw | [11] | ||
| Tewodros II | Emperor of Ethiopia | Abba Tatek | Father of readiness (of arms) | ||
| Welde Giyorgis Aboye | Negus of Gondar | Abba Saggad[note 2] | Father of Commandeering | [12][3] | |
| Yohannes IV | Emperor of Ethiopia | Abba Bezibiz | Father of Plunder | [3] |
Bibliography
- Girma, Hewan. "Amharic Names, Naming Ceremonies and Memory." In Naming Africans: On the Epistemic Value of Names, pp. 37-59. Cham, Switzerland: Springer International Publishing, 2023.
- Mehari, Krista. 2007. Throne names, pen names, horse names, and field names: A look at the significance of name change in the Ethiopian political sphere.
- Pankhurst, Richard. 1989. The Early History of Ethiopian Horse-Names. Paideuma 35, pp. 197–206.
- Mahatama-Sellasie Walda-Masqal. 1969. A Study of the Ethiopian Culture of Horse Names. Journal of Ethiopian Studies Vol. 7, No. 2, pp
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