Mereja Forum

[fasil1235]

a nice documentry on Kimant tribe

Kimant cultural song

[fasil1235]

The Qemant (Ge'ez: ቅማንት) are a small subgroup of the Agaw people in Ethiopia, who traditionally practiced an early Hebraic religion. Despite their historic relationship, they should not be confused with the Beta Israel.

The ethnicity's population is roughly 50,000, according to the 1994 national census;[2] the latest available national census, the one performed in 2007, does not list them as a separate group.[3] However, only 1,625 people still speak Qimant, and it is considered endangered, as most children speak Amharic; likewise, adherence to the traditional religion has dropped substantially, as most of the population has converted to Christianity. Converts often consider themselves to have become Amhara.

The Qemant live along an axis stretching from Ayikel in Chilga woreda to Kirakir and north to Lake Tana in the woredas of Lay Armachiho. Most remaining speakers of the language are near Ayikel, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Gondar. They are mainly farmers.

The Qemant are divided into two patrilineal moieties, the Keber and the Yetanti; the Keber is higher in rank. A traditional Qemant can only marry a member of the other moiety, so, while the moieties are exogamous, Qemant society as a whole is endogamous.[4]

Religion
The Qemant traditionally practiced a religion which is often described as "Hebraic" . According to the American anthropologist Frederic C. Gamst, their "Hebraism is an ancient form and unaffected by Hebraic change of the past two millennia". A recent sociolinguistic survey notes that the Qemant religion is in a very precarious situation since very few people still adhere to it due to rapid assimilation. According to this study, the ratio of those who follow the Qemant religion vs. those who are baptized and converted to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity is about 1% vs. 99%.[5]

The Qemant call their Deity Adara (God) or Yeadara (My God) or Mezgana, which might to be a proper name. He is described as omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, and anthropomorphic. He is approachable directly or through qedus which are angels or culture heroes.[7]

The highest political and religious leader among the Qemant is their High Priest, called the Wember (also transliterated Womber and Wambar), an Amharic term meaning "seat." There were formerly two superior wambars, at Karkar and at Chelga, with the first being senior, and a varying number of subordinate wambars in other parts of Qemantland. All wambars are chosen from certain lineages in the Keber moiety. The last wambar of Karkar died in 1955, and since then the only wambar has been Mulunah Marsha, Wambar of Chelga (born 1935). Each wambar chose (from the Keber moiety) one or more delegates with the title of afaliq to represent him in judicial matters. These men traveled the countryside, settling disputes, seeing that the laws were obeyed, and punishing wrongdoing, usually with a fine.[8] Each wambar also chose two stewards with different titles, one from each moiety, who served different elements of the sacred meals.[9]

There are two orders of priesthood, the kamazana, the higher, of the Keber moiety, and the abayegariya, the lower, of the Yetanti moiety. Each Qemant locality has at least one of each; they must work together to conduct the traditional sacrifices and other religious ceremonies. When offering a sacrifice, the abayegaria holds the legs of the victim and the kamazana wields the knife.[9] The priests also have a subordinate judicial function.[8]

[Medo]

Are among the most persecuted minorities. 50,000?? No. Most Gondar people are qimants. At least 3m though they were made to leave their language. Most the information is fed in incorrect way.

[fasil1235]

Are among the most persecuted minorities. 50,000?? No. Most Gondar people are qimants. At least 3m though they were made to leave their language. Most the information is fed in incorrect way.

Qimants are not the majority in Gondar they are minority 1994 8% maybe atleast 20 - 30% are qimant

[mollamo]

The actual Qumant population now is about 150,000. They are centered around CHilga woreda and arounund the outskirts of gender town.
Their number rapidly increased after TPLF controlled the country.

[Axumawi]

Silu Semta...Amhara chauvinist propaganda and lies.

Enjoy your Ferenji gifted time. It will be short lived since its based on lies.

[EPRDF]

What I don’t understand is what does it mean Qimants are subclan/subgroup of Agew or saying that they related to Agew. Mecca Barentu Tulema Borena are clans of Oromo, and they are Oromo. Menze, Tegulete Bulge Menjare are clans of Amhara and they are Amhara period. But why one separates Qimant from Agew and says they are related to Agews and gives them some sort of exclusive description. Do they have some major differences to classify them into two different groups? If somebody out here to enlighten us with this who know them well and not guess would be appreciated.

Wey grum, they say only less than two thousand people left who speak the Qimant language. Thousands or maybe millions of them went to Amhara. And guess what these people claim six grand years of history at that part of the country, probably the whole Begemeder belongs to these people, and now only few more than a thousand remained to speak their native language and practice the custom. What a sad story!

These Amhara and Oromo Shifftawoch how many languages and cultures of that empire they destroyed and sent to its extinction. Tsenfegna Politicians from these Shiffta groups should be suspended indefinitely from participation on the nation’s political Affair. Yet they both complaining and playing victim cards to snatch more land and more power. Ethiopian people should not sit idle and watch these worobeloch while destroying the country and its people to ash. They got to be stopped by any means. This is just ridiculous.