"Rarely have I read a text that offered as many possibilities as this story of the seventeenth-century Ethiopian saint Walatta Petros, a multidimensional woman worthy of study. Belcher and Kleiner have given a new generation of readers access to this full biography of a formidable resister to European colonization, as well as keen insight into her communities and relationships with women."--Salamishah Tillet, University of Pennsylvania

"The revolutionary Ethiopian saint Walatta Petros finally has the translation into English that she deserves. Faithful, well-researched, and accessible, this volume brings to light a fascinating example of women's leadership in the early modern world."--Getatchew Haile, College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University

"Wendy Belcher and Michael Kleiner's annotated English translation of the biography of Walatta Petros combines rigorous textual scholarship with a fresh, vivid, and intimate portrait of the saint in her context. This stimulating volume will challenge general readers' view of Africa as 'the land of orality.'"--Alessandro Bausi, University of Hamburg

"This beautifully translated biography tells the fascinating story of an influential seventeenth-century Ethiopian leader. Based on meticulous scholarship using the oldest manuscripts, and including an accessible introduction, color illustrations, and helpful footnotes, this is a significant contribution to Ethiopian and women's studies as well as religious history."--Alice Ogden Bellis, Howard University School of Divinity

"This book provides an important contribution to the history of elite African women and to the scholarship on Ethiopia. The text reads fluently, the critical apparatus is very impressive, and the introduction does everything we could ask an introduction to do."--John K. Thornton, Boston University

"This eminently readable translation of a neglected and important work is a major contribution to scholarship, beautifully framed by the introduction and the book's other features. Taken together, they provide almost a reference work on premodern Ethiopia, full of rich byways through which we are led with erudition and clarity."--Samantha Kelly, Rutgers University

The Life and Struggles of Our Mother Walatta Petros

A Seventeenth-Century African Biography of an Ethiopian Woman

PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESS

The Translation of the Life-Struggles of Walatta Petros (Gädlä Wälättä Petros)

In the name of God, who was before all time and who will be for eternity, who is without beginning and without end! He is our Lord by virtue of his divinity and our Father by virtue of his benevolence. Our praise of him comes from him, and our glorification of him emanates from that which belongs to him. He is all-powerful, nothing is impossible for him. For eternity, amen.

Introduction

I, the sinner and transgressor Galawdewos, will write a small part of the story of her persecution, as well as of the many struggles and virtuous deeds of our holy mother Walatta Petros, the mother-of-pearl, the mother of a myriad of precious stones, she of holy lips and mouth. Word of her deeds has spread throughout the world and has been proclaimed from one end to the other. Truly, this word benefits anyone who hears it, profits anyone who listens to it, and is a path to salvation for anyone who pursues and follows it.

I now write this out of neither presumption nor pride, nor because I seek empty praise or vain accolades. Rather [I write it] because [the young nun] Qiddista Kristos, who burned with love for Walatta Petros, made me do it, saying, "Write, so that Walatta Petros's story may be known, so that it may reach those places which it has not yet reached, that anyone who has not yet heard it may hear it, and that her commemoration may be read by the generations of those who will come after us, in perpetuity!" As Christ says in the Gospel, "What I told you in the dark, proclaim in the light, and what I whispered in your ears, preach on the rooftops. A city built upon a hill cannot be hid. Neither do people light a lamp to then put it under a basket. Instead they will put it on a stand so that it gives light to everyone in the house."

Chapter 1: The Author's Worthiness

Because of Qiddista Kristos's urging, I, too, became eager to follow this story from its beginning to its end. Even though I am not worthy to mention Walatta Petros's name with my impure mouth or to write her story with my polluted hand, truly, I know that her pure and holy story will not be defiled by my impurity; that it will not harm the listener in any way, that my foolishness will not taint it, if he listens to and receives from me this pure, holy, and sweet story that comes from my mouth.

While I am impure in all my deeds and rotten of character inside and out, I am capable of carrying out useful work just like three [other] laborers who live in the world. One of them belongs to the pure and two belong to the impure creatures. Even though they are foul, bad, and impure by nature, they please people with their good works. They are the bee, the donkey, and the dog.

The bee belongs to the pure creatures. [Yet] she is cruel and her poison is bitter. She stings people and causes much pain. However, in her service to human beings, she goes into the wilderness and industriously collects nectar. She also goes down to the stream to draw [water] and brings it to everything that is important to her work. She is not idle in the least, but ever-diligent. She takes the nectar and puts it into a beehive basket, rock crevice, or tree hollow — wherever she lives. When blessings descend on it from heaven above, then it becomes sweet honeycomb. When someone comes near to her, be it her owner or a stranger, the bee will sting without qualms, she will spare no one.

Those who know her ways will create smoke and fan it in her direction, and she will flee for fear of the smoke. When she withdraws and leaves the honey behind, then they will take it from her. The honey is sweet when eaten, fragrant when smelled, and delights the hearts of kings and lords when made into mead. Furthermore, its wax becomes a lamp for the church and the palace. People do not abandon honey just because of the painful poison of the bee. As for the bee, she is not saddened nor resentful nor does she abandon working if people take [her honey] away from her, but rather the next day again goes into the fields as is her habit because she is ordained to be the servant of humanity.

Similarly, I am cruel in my deeds, stinging people with my tongue and causing much pain. However, because I am [also] ordained to serve you I have drawn inspiration from the holy books and from the words of the learned Fathers and now will write the story of our holy mother Walatta Petros, a story which is sweeter than honeycomb and which will delight people's hearts.

As for the donkey, it is impure and yet carries the holy vessels of the house of God, as well as food for the people. Such a [holy] vessel is not abandoned because of the donkey's impurity; rather people remove from the donkey what belongs to the house of God and what is needed for sustenance. Similarly, I also carry a chosen vessel and spiritual food: the struggles and virtues of our blessed mother Walatta Petros.

The dog is also impure, and yet he goes into the wilderness with his master to hunt. If the dog sees a gazelle or another wild animal, a partridge or other birds that may be eaten, he runs tirelessly to seize it. Then his master pats him, the dog abandons [the prey] to him, the master takes what had been seized by the dog's mouth, eats it and does not abandon it just because of the dog's impurity. Similarly, I also hunt in the holy books for the story of the life and holiness of our chosen and beatified mother Walatta Petros. I write for you, therefore you should receive this story in faith, like the pure sacrifices which are the flesh and blood of the Savior [during the Eucharist] when you say "Amen and amen"; do not reject it because of my impurity.

Does not the Orit say: Samson found honey in the mouth of a dead lion that he himself had killed [earlier]? He then ate [that honey], and as he himself [later] put it in a riddle, "From the mouth of the eater came food, from the strong, sweetness." Moreover, when Samson was parched from thirst and near to death, he prayed to God, and God made sweet water flow forth for him from the jawbone of a donkey. Samson then drank and life returned to him, as he himself [later] put it in a riddle: "A drink in the time of thirst and a weapon for warfare." Also, every day a raven brought food to the prophet Elijah, who took it and ate it and did not consider it impure. If these saints did not deem these impure creatures impure, neither should you deem impure this story that comes from my impure mouth.

As for me, I am not worthy to write this, for I am a sinner and transgressor and because "holy things should be handled by the holy" and "pure things by the pure." Nevertheless, love for Walatta Petros compelled me to write down for you a few of the many things [about her], insofar as allowed by my poor understanding and weak intellect, as well as by what you are able to hear — just like the dinbeets bird dives into the big lake, but can drink only what her tiny stomach allows.

Chapter 2: The Author's Petition

And now you people, lovers of God, who have come from distant regions or who live in this monastery, monks and nuns, fling wide the windows of your ears and awaken your hearts so that you can hear this sweet story I have written down for you. As David said, "Hear this, all you peoples, and listen, all who live in the world, in your various lands, [you] children of Eve, rich and poor! My mouth will speak wisdom, and the meditation of my heart [will give] counsel. With my ears I will listen to parables, and I will expound my words with song." He further said, "My people, listen to my law and incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with parables and I will speak in proverbs of old, all that we have heard and seen and which our fathers have told us."

Before all else, I thank God who has deemed me worthy of writing this book — I who have neither worthiness nor ability and am a fool, the first among fools. It is just as our Lord says in the Gospel, "I trust in you, O Father, and I praise you, Lord of heaven and earth, who hid this from the wise and the learned and revealed it to children. Yes, Father, for like this it was your will."

Furthermore, I beg and implore the Lord to help me and grant to me the power of the word so that I will be able to tell [Walatta Petros's story] from its beginning to its end, lest people mock me and say, "This man began to build, but then was unable to finish!" For I am weak of heart and many are those who have wanted to write these things down but did not because the time and day that pleased God had not yet come. Indeed, for this reason we [of her community] have been distressed for some time that the story of our holy mother Walatta Petros had not been written down for our benefit, including the virtuous deeds and the miracles that she performed during her lifetime and after her demise.

Therefore, because spiritual ardor for our holy mother Walatta Petros moved us, we wrote down this book of her Life and Struggles in the thirtieth year after she had passed away and found rest, in the Year of Mercy 7165 [i.e., 1672–73 CE], in the eleventh epact [and] the nineteenth matqi, in the fifth year of the reign of our King Yohannes, lover of God, in a year of Matthew the Evangelist. This book is to be read out aloud on every seventeenth of the month of Hidaar [24 November, the anniversary of Walatta Petros's death]. May the blessing of her prayers and the grace of her assistance be with _______ for eternity, amen.

Chapter 3: Our Mother's Conception and Birth

Let us begin with the help of God to write the story of the conception and birth of our holy mother of exalted memory, Walatta Petros, of a distinguished family and noble lineage, from the house of Dawaro and Fatagar. Her father's name was Bahir Saggad, her mother's Kristos Ebayaa. Both of them were righteous and God-fearing people, as well as very rich in the possessions of this world. People would praise them for all their good deeds, their fasting, prayers, and mercy toward the poor. Her brothers were great lords whose names were Pawlos, Za-Manfas Qidduus, Lisaana Kristos, Za-Dinghil, and Yohannes.

As for her father Bahir Saggad, every year during the fast of Nahaasé, he would go to the island of Réma and [there] fast with a clean heart and a pure mind, out of his love for our Lady Mary. [For additional mortification,] he would stand in the lake during the night, dressed in a garment of iron, praying and supplicating for the salvation of his soul. When the fasting period was over and the feast [of the Assumption] arrived, he would prepare a banquet and [thereby] make the poor and the wretched happy. One day, when he lacked what he needed for the banquet, he became extremely sad, and while he prayed in the lake, as was his custom, he found a fish. When he tore open its belly, in it was gold weighing an ounce. He much marveled [at this], rejoicing and praising our Lady Mary. With this gold, he achieved his desire [to hold the banquet].

It was further told about him that while in church during the liturgy, he would see the mystery of Communion, with the host changing from bread to white lamb, and also would see it return to its previous state.

While he was living this kind of life, a righteous monk said to him, "I have seen a great vision, with a bright sun dwelling in the womb of your wife Kristos Ebayaa."

Bahir Saggad replied, "Abba, please interpret the meaning of your vision to me."

So, the monk interpreted [the vision] to him and said, "A beautiful daughter who will shine like the sun to the ends of the world will be born to you. She will be a guide for the blind of heart, and the kings of the earth and the bishops will bow to her. From the four corners of the world, many people will assemble around her and become one community — people pleasing God. Through her your names [Bahir Saggad and Kristos Ebayaa] will be called out until the consummation of the world."

Bahir Saggad then also saw a vision like the monk. He told his wife what the righteous monk had imparted to him, and that he himself had seen [the same vision]. He said to her, "Come, let us hold a vigil and pray with great penitence for seven days so that God may reveal to us and make us certain that this thing is true."

She replied, "Very well." Therefore, that is what they did. After completing a week, he said to her, "Let us do another week since nothing has been revealed to me." Again she said to him, "Very well," and that is what they did. After they had completed the two weeks, they too saw what the righteous monk had seen. However, they kept this thing [secret] in their hearts until its time had come.

After a few days, Kristos Ebayaa conceived by the will of God. When the time arrived for her to give birth, pain gripped her. Hearing this, Bahir Saggad withdrew to a chapel and prayed that she would give birth without pain and suffering. Continuously he sent messengers [to the house], one after another. At the proper time, Kristos Ebayaa gave birth, and a servant who had been sent came carrying the good news and announced to Bahir Saggad that she had given birth.

He asked, "What is the newborn child, boy or girl?"

The servant responded, "It's a girl."

At that moment, Bahir Saggad was amazed and praised God because it was fulfilled for him what the righteous monk had told him and what he himself had seen. Therefore, he went happily and exultantly into the house of childbed, even though he was a great lord and it was not appropriate for him to enter into such a house.

They said to him, "How can you enter the house of childbed before the time for entering has arrived?"

Bahir Saggad responded, "Let me enter, I who already knows! You don't yet know what secret is associated with that girl child." Thus he entered, sat down, and said to the midwife, "Please show me the child! Give her to me to hold her and kiss her."

The midwife said to him, "How can you hold and kiss a newborn who is all covered in blood?"

He responded, "Give her to me! Truly, there is no unclean blood or filth on this daughter of mine."

Therefore, the midwife wrapped her in a garment of fine linen and gave her to him. He received her and carried her in his arms for a while, looking her in the face and kissing her head. He marveled at the beauty of her appearance and said to her, "You are blessed, child that God has chosen and sanctified to be his servant while still in your mother's womb!" Having said this, Bahir Saggad left the room and went away.

On account of [all] this, we consider blessed Walatta Petros's father and mother who brought forth for us this blessed and holy mother through whom we have found salvation. She became our guide toward righteousness and hope, she revealed to us the way of renunciation and of monastic life and taught us the law of love and humility. If they had not brought her forth for us, our lives would have been destined for perdition. As the prophet Isaiah says, "If the Lord of Hosts had not left us a seed, we would have become like Sodom and would have resembled Gomorrah." Behold, in her the sign of her parents' righteousness was visible, since the good tree produces good fruit, but the bad tree produces bad fruit. As our Lord says in the Gospel, "No good tree produces bad fruit, and no bad tree produces good fruit. Every tree is known by its fruit." Paul further says, "If the first fruit is holy, the [entire] dough also will be holy, and if the root is holy, the branches also will be holy."

Chapter 4: Our Mother's Baptism and Childhood

When the infant was eighty days old, they baptized her in Christian baptism according to the order of the book and named her Walatta Petros. And truly, she was a daughter of Peter, since the work of the father is found in the one who is born from him. As our Lord said to Peter, "Upon you I will build my church," and upon her, too, the Lord built a community and made them a house [of God]. As Paul says, "You [all] are the house of the Lord." Just as the Lord gave Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, so he likewise gave to Walatta Petros that those who follow her will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. And as the Lord three times said to Peter, "Tend my sheep," so to her likewise he conferred the tending of his sheep in the pasture of meritorious spiritual struggle.