ዲጂም ብሊኑ ኢማኒውዱ/Digim Blinu Imaniwdu - Old Bilin Stories
These old Bilin stories preserve the oral traditions, legends, memories, and ancestral narratives passed down through generations. This collection draws primarily from the traditions of Bet Tarqe, and Beinu (Salaba), as recorded and documented by the Italian scholar Conti Rossini.
introduction
Digim Blinu Imaniwdu — Old Bilin Stories — is a collection of oral traditions, legends, ancestral memories, and stories preserved within the Bilin-speaking communities of Bogos. For generations, these stories have been passed from elders to younger generations, carrying with them memories of ancestors, migrations, battles, customs, places, families, and important events of the past.
The stories presented here are drawn mainly from the traditions of Bet Tarqe, and Beinu (Salaba), three important traditions within Bilin society. Each community has preserved its own accounts and memories, while many stories also overlap, revealing shared ancestry, relationships, and historical experiences.
Before these traditions were written down, they lived primarily through spoken words—told by elders, remembered by families, and repeated across generations. The Bilin language itself is therefore an essential part of preserving these narratives. Some expressions, names, and meanings are difficult to fully convey in translation, which is why the original Bilin wording is retained wherever possible.
This collection is not intended to replace written historical sources. Rather, it brings together the oral memory of the Bilin people, allowing these stories to be preserved, studied, and shared with future generations. They provide a window into how Bilin communities understood their origins, their ancestors, their homeland, and the events that shaped their history.
Digim Blinu Imaniwdu is therefore more than a collection of stories—it is an effort to preserve a living part of Bilin heritage in the language in which these memories were first told.
Conti Rossini's Introduction
The following narrative closely corresponds to the first of the Bilin tales published by Conti Rossini, while nevertheless possessing a distinct character of its own. Differences in wording, along with several additional details and variations in the narrative, make this version worthy of preservation and publication.
The story concerns internal conflicts among the Bogos/Bilin communities, with particular attention to Ad Sciatif, an ancient Bilin community that was once prosperous but had, by the period in which the account was recorded, become greatly diminished and nearly extinct. The narrative recounts a conflict between the Sciatif and another branch of the descendants of Tarchè, associated with the scium Quortemà. At the center of the dispute was the protection extended to an adversary of Quortemà who himself belonged to the wider Bilin family.
The account subsequently describes the defeat of the Sciatif at the hands of Abyssinian forces and the eventual transfer of their lands to other branches of the family. Beyond its narrative elements, the tale is significant for the insight it provides into the relationships, rivalries, territorial claims, and political organization remembered within Bilin oral tradition.
An Italian explanatory commentary accompanies the original text, intended to assist readers who wish to examine and understand the narrative in its original form. Such interpretation is not always straightforward, since some of the Bilin terms occurring in the text are not found in Leo Reinisch's otherwise extensive and important Bilin lexicon. The preservation of both the original narrative and its accompanying explanation therefore provides valuable material for the study of the Bilin language, oral traditions, genealogy, and historical memory.
Digim Blinu Imaniwdu: Shatif-Qurdi Bgedda Kewdi
Sekwinakoled chitu yisete giruwa senak. Nika terqequrdi lemecheli qamedelba yiseta bril gin nisegna.
Sim kortema terqe qurdu bgedako sim senak.
Chitu sim kortemer genjinet ay' kidukh. Sim kortemekha hiletukh gin; ema chitut, yigenjinet kidro’ dembi sekata kwared dembi an qwalaga, brel feri yikhulu.
Ena dearo chitay nisug, gin chitifrukul segmakh akhnedi. sekata kwarilid dembitren malku yid gin yikhulu. Chitukha sim kortemet, ajayo, weleyde gaytukh.
Chitu Senhitera (Blina) sim kortemetlid, khati f’terqe qursi teketelo’nal ateyikhu.
Simkortema yikhe shatif qurlid d'bidi abjerahditil enshiqo; wureyo ena chitu yiqebli akho merkisekhunle; an’nit’ qwaladok’ tikgeseya yilebeked antarekunlu; ema nan kuwelu wori ari bril gayselu; nis habegdenen yidi entedi wakitnekun yikhulom.
Shatifqur dibidi abjerahdi yikhe sim kortemet; chitut entarden qwalto jerebegren kisera kwara firo sena kuge si kwaril gile yiro kefyo; yino’ wentesukhu.
Sim kortema shatif kursi gedmo yidi intedi nil wakhitnekh bra edanakh kwaldno nil delewa yikhulom.
Sim kortema abjerahhti wegrukhl yi maldi kumaldit nil akibno arersegemnin yikhulu. Lom; ji'unugusikha sim kortema lawancha insekho dibi'nebekil gwe ina abjerahr wanchet awi ji'ira yikhulom. Dibeka gwaguto tim yikh.
Nidembi sim kortemikhra gwe nikhrsi yid nekh abe abjerahr wanchet an ji'irila yesenelu; nikher yikhe intita kugo deghi bseto jerebrukh girek abjerahti gebto aa leka yikhulu; nikhra yikhe jar kabirele yo wanchet a yi'ji'eku.
Nidembi hada quir sim kortemesi nishan kodgema unukhulu newa yino; kumalsi balwa akhtasi k ta'sre gelisilen yinukhulu. Nikhe inda habikh.
Shatif qur anseba segnew namaldi na'adamdit akibno intinkhu. Abjerah cherhasena bgeda qur se'ar senkh idgirnkh sim kortemi khurekha densilt bto diwe abjerahtik wukh.
Abjerah tim yesena nikraw krotok wra tim yikhin yinkh; yikhe nise awi kuro geresekhun yisetgeminikh.
Dembgema sim kortemi khured krawlid legirwa intukh newa yo besherdukh; shatif qurkha idgirnkh, abjerahkha krukh. Nan ferdno gitlid intemal ada yikhulom. Sigma bgeda qur illunu ferno maldi adamdit adnkh.
Sim kortema midsi ese bgeda kurd gebo ji'sekh.
Lom; ji'unugusikha sim kortema lawancha insekho dibi'nebekil gwe ina abjerahr wanchet awi ji'ira yikhulom. Dibeka gwaguto tim yikh.
Nidembi sim kortemikhra gwe nikhrsi yid nekh abe abjerahr wanchet an ji'irila yesenelu; nikher yikhe intita kugo deghi bseto jerebrukh girek abjerahti gebto aa leka yikhulu; nikhra yikhe jar kabirele yo wanchet a yi'ji'eku.
Nidembi hada quir sim kortemesi nishan kodgema unukhulu newa yino; kumalsi balwa akhtasi k ta'sre gelisilen yinukhulu. Nikhe inda habikh.
Shatif qur anseba segnew namaldi na'adamdit akibno intinkhu. Abjerah cherhasena bgeda qur se'ar senkh idgirnkh sim kortemi khurekha densilt bto diwe abjerahtik wukh.
Abjerah tim yesena nikraw krotok wra tim yikhin yinkh; yikhe nise awi kuro geresekhun yisetgeminikh.
Dembgema sim kortemi khured krawlid legirwa intukh newa yo besherdukh; shatif qurkha idgirnkh, abjerahkha krukh. Nan ferdno gitlid intemal ada yikhulom. Sigma bgeda qur illunu ferno maldi adamdit adnkh.
Nidembi sim kortema innigen hada quir kodgeme wusilu; niseteka kodegema shekhew dembgem yiquirsi yite terifsi dhisedno gin yo gu'itukh ima kuwelom yikh. Naw yikhe idgirno finukh.
Shatif farsotat segneneku.
Hatsey Ashena Sehul yistakhsi nikrawdi insheqo shatif qurlid gibr neqsi yikhulu.
Shatif qurkha uneli yino gushnukh. Sehul yikhe gushnukh yo hatseyl inshequkh. Sigma bra edanekh teshafefsenyino delewa yikhulom. Sehultika wererilom yikhulu. Shatif qurkha namaldi na'adamdit irdira koke ndukhul tuseno; nashuti kedenfno 2 kwara teshafefsegni nikh sikher girgedkha shatif qursi Sehul se'aro dihisikhulom.
Ina mismisa nd dembi shatif qursi intekhuk dhisekhulom girek; tiksine hiletu segneneku. Nenen nawk ekungusi Terqe Qur tsebab idgirunu segneneku. Shatifta nabril teshafefunu segnenekh.
Dembgem Terqe Qur shatifr brese bensenyiniku.
Nidembi Tesfagergis Reti khura sekonetlid. Behay Manot behalya khurakha hadembes tilid. Nebere abib khurakha gebrukullid; nenen Hatsey Ashenilid seyems nukh.
Nenen dimistu diwikna.
English Translation
There was a man of the Sucuneiti named Cettù. He lived among the descendants of Tarchè in a place called Lamacelli Qemadalba.
Scium Quortemà, who belonged to the Decchi lineage, was the chief of the land of Begheddà. Cettù took some of his slaves, both male and female, and sold them. Scium Quortemà, being a powerful man, said to Cettù:
“Since you have sold my slaves, leave within eight days and go to a place where I shall no longer see you.”
Scium Quortemà, from whose residence at Daharo-Cittai Cettù had taken them, continued:
"If you do not leave within eight days, I shall impose a fine, and to pay that fine I shall seize all your possessions."
Cettù replied:
“Very well.”
He then left immediately.
Having been expelled by Scium Quortemà of Senhit, Cettù settled among the people of Sciatif, son of Tarchè, and joined their ranks.
Scium Quortemà then sent a message to Debin and Abcerah, the sons of Sciatif:
“Why do you harbor this Cettù? Whenever I see him, my heart is filled with hatred toward him. Therefore, either kill him or drive him away to another land; otherwise, we shall go to war.”
The sons of Sciatif, Debin and Abcerah, replied:
“If you do not wish to see Cettù, then tomorrow morning, at sunrise, sit facing away from the sun.”
Scium Quortemà then said to the sons of Sciatif:
“Let us gather our respective herds on the broad plain known as Uogruc. Let us meet there and do battle.”
Scium Quortemà prepared some mead. Because he harbored hatred toward the sons of Begheddà, he had others drink it. While they were drinking, he filled a cup, rose among the assembled men, and said:
“Who among you will drink this and face Abcerah?”
Everyone was struck with fear and fell silent.
Then the son of Scium Quortemà stood up and said:
“Father, give me Abcerah’s cup, so that I may drink it.”
Scium Quortemà replied:
“You wish only to fill your belly, but you will not be able to face Abcerah.”
His son answered:
“God will sustain me.”
And he drank the cup.
Afterward, the sons of Hadà, who were cousins of Scium Quortemà, advised him:
“Send all your livestock to graze as far as Baloa.”
And he did so.
When the sons of Sciatif, who were at the Anseba, had gathered their livestock and their men and arrived at the appointed place, Abcerah let out a shout, and the sons of Begheddà fled.
But Scium Quortemà’s son, who had hidden inside a tree, lay in wait and killed Abcerah.
When Abcerah fell silent, all his people, including Cettù, asked one another:
“Why has Abcerah gone silent? Is he dead? But who could possibly have killed him?”
A man of the lineage of Scium Quortemà then came and proclaimed:
“The sons of Sciatif have been defeated. Abcerah is dead. Therefore, we are going to the mountains; drive out your livestock.”
The descendants of Begheddà rejoiced and shouted for joy as they drove out their livestock and their people.
Afterward, however, Scium Quortemà harbored ill will toward his brothers, the descendants of Hadà, who had earlier given him good counsel. He said:
“They are about to lay hands upon my children! I am afraid; kill them.”
They, however, departed and left.
The Fall of Sciatif/Shatif
The sons of Sciatif were renowned as brave warriors. A king named Ascena had sent one of his soldiers, Sehul, who demanded:
“Bring me the tribute of the sons of Sciatif!”
They refused.
Sehul sent a messenger to King Ascena to report their refusal. The king became angry and said:
“Prepare yourselves, so that we may fight upon an open plain.”
He then ordered Sehul:
“Fight them.”
The sons of Sciatif gathered their possessions and their men at a place called Cochen, where there was a fortress. From there, they went out onto an open plain to fight.
They battled for two days, but on the third day, Sehul defeated the sons of Sciatif and destroyed them.
For this reason, the sons of Sciatif were subsequently scattered, although they had once been a very powerful people.
While these events were taking place, the sons of Tarchè fled toward Tsabbab, while the Sciatif continued fighting in their own land. After the sons of Sciatif were defeated, the descendants of Tarchè divided the lands of Sciatif among themselves.
Appointment of New Leaders
Afterward, King Ascena appointed the following men as leaders:
Tesfagherghis, son of Retti, of the Sucuneiti;
Bahaimanot, son of Bahailai, of the Hadembes;
Nebere, son of Abib, of the Decchi Ghebru.
Genealogical Clarification
In this narrative, Sciatif is also regarded as a descendant of Tarchè. The expression “sons of Tarchè,” as it occurs in the account, refers more specifically to the branches associated with Hadà, Sucuneiti, Hadembes, and Begheddà, rather than to all descendants of Tarchè collectively.
The narrative therefore reflects a broader Tarchè lineage comprising several branches, including Sciatif, Hadà, Sucuneiti, Hadembes, and Begheddà. The distinction is important when interpreting the conflicts described in the story, since the Sciatif are portrayed as a branch of the same wider lineage while simultaneously being involved in political and territorial conflicts with other branches of that lineage.
Accordingly, references in the translation to the “sons of Tarchè” should be understood according to this narrower genealogical usage and not as a statement that the Sciatif were separate from the descendants of Tarchè.
The Gim/King of Bet Tarchè
Among Bet Tarchè, the Bilin term Gim refers to a distinctive traditional institution of sacred and symbolic kingship. Although the term may be translated as “king,” the Gim did not necessarily possess the political or military authority normally associated with a sovereign ruler. His position was primarily ritual and sacral, while effective temporal authority remained in the hands of the pastoral nobility and the leaders of the various branches.
The institution of the Gim was understood as carrying a form of heavenly blessing and sacred legitimacy. The Gim could therefore be regarded as an anointed or consecrated king whose importance derived not simply from political power, but from his ritual position within the community. The distinction between sacred kingship and temporal authority is essential to understanding the institution.
According to the tradition recorded in the historical sources, the Gim himself considered that, in another country, his sacred position might have developed into that of a king possessing full temporal authority. In Bet Tarchè, however, he attributed the absence of such political power to the influence and jealousy of the pastoral nobility, who retained effective control over political and social affairs.
The community nevertheless recognized obligations toward the Gim. The tribe provided him with ceremonial or state dress, while members of the community collectively assumed responsibility for his well-being, food, and general maintenance. These obligations demonstrate that the Gim occupied a respected and institutionally recognized position even without exercising direct political authority.
The institution can therefore be understood as a form of sacred kingship without centralized temporal sovereignty. The Gim represented ritual authority, blessing, continuity, and communal legitimacy, while political and pastoral authority remained distributed among the established leaders and noble families.
This distinction is particularly important when interpreting older Bilin traditions. The word Gim should not automatically be understood according to the modern European concept of a king ruling a centralized kingdom.
Adi Beynu
Adi Beynu is described in the oral traditions of the Zaul people as a community descended from the wider Zaul lineage. According to the account recorded by Aida Kidane, the name Beynu is connected with Hebtyes, a descendant of Ande Hariat.
The tradition relates that Hebtyes, originally from Ad Zaul in Hamassien, was taken captive and transported westward with other prisoners. During the journey, he escaped by climbing a tree and subsequently learned that Zaul people lived in the region. He was taken to his grandmother, who lived in a village called Zagga. When she saw him arrive alone, she repeatedly asked whom he had come with. He answered “beyney,” meaning that he was alone. She prepared burkutta bread for him and referred to him as Beynu, a name that subsequently became associated with his descendants.
Hebtyes eventually settled at Sheib Seleba, near Debre Sina, where he married and became a farmer. According to the account, he is regarded as the eighth grandfather of the narrator. His descendants became associated with Adi Beynu, and the community maintained its connection with the wider Zaul people while becoming established in Senhit.
The tradition also records that Adi Beynu later had a close relationship with Ad Zemat. A dispute developed between the two communities, after which Ad Beynu moved toward the Kebessa. They later returned and carried out raids against Ad Zemat, creating a prolonged conflict between the two communities.
The dispute eventually came to an end through the death of Mender wedi Tiraj of Adi Beynu. Before his death, Mender instructed his sons to bury him at Megarih, despite the strained relationship between the communities. His sons carried out his wish and sent a mourning message to Hakin wedi Medin. Hakin gathered members of Ad Idekel and Ad Zemat, received the body, and arranged for Mender to be buried at Megarih.
During the funeral, Hakin addressed those gathered and called for an end to the cycle of retaliation between Adi Beynu and Ad Zemat. The death and burial of Mender wedi Tiraj thus became, according to the tradition, an occasion for reconciliation, after which Adi Beynu returned to its own land.
Conclusion
The traditions presented in this collection offer a broader view of Bilin historical memory, genealogy, customary authority, and community organization. The accounts surrounding Tarchè, Sciatif, Adi Beynu, and the various branches associated with them demonstrate that Bilin history was preserved not only through genealogical descent, but also through stories of migration, settlement, conflict, leadership, justice, and reconciliation.
Source
Rivista degli studi orientali by Conti Rossini 1907. Pg 1049-1056.
The Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
1913.
the Swedish missionary Richard Sundström on the history of Keren area 19th century
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