Ezezew Alemayehu Legesse

Father's name: Legesse Azaza

Mother's name: Etnet Darbo

Year of birth: 1938

Place of birth: Tena Godmisa, Kiros, Semien

Region in Ethiopia: Simien

Main occupation in Ethiopia: Farmer and merchant

The language of the interview: Amharic

Ezezew Alemayehu Legesse, nature, agriculture, shepherding and cattle herding, pilgrimage site, holy site, prayers, farmer, merchant, divorce, firewood, business, trade, loans, wedding, matchmaking, customs and tradition, traditional medicine, malaria, natural spring, taxes, death, mourning, Italians, Derg, Haile Selassie, Tena Godmisa, Kiros, Semien, Angut Shevel, Debarq, Zrima, Kula Wagera.

Summary of the testimony:

Ezezew Alemayehu talks about his family history and the history of his birthplace, which was a pilgrimage site and a holy site for Jews. When he was a baby, his family returned to his father’s village, Angut Shevel, where his brothers were born. Nine years later, his parents divorced and he moved with his mother and brothers to the town of Debarq. His mother received a Jewish divorce document. Ezezew Alemayehu explains the divorce customs and the communal conduct connected to them.

Several years after the divorce, on one of his father’s visits, Ezezew Alemayehu moved to live with his father. He lived with his father for ten years, shepherded the herds and cattle, and worked with him in agriculture. After several unsuccessful attempts to arrange a match for him, Ezezew Alemayehu ran away and returned to his mother’s house in the village of Zrima. His mother and grandmother earned a living from making pottery and did not own agricultural land. Therefore, at first, he wandered around the village with nothing to do. One day he climbed a woody hill above his house and cut wood to heat the house. On his way back, he met a truck driver who bought the wood from him.

He decided to use the money to open his own business. He travelled to the large market in Debarq, bought chickens and various spices, and sold them near his house. He soon perfected his method and expanded his range of merchandise. He also joined a group of friends who set up a fund to give loans for their needs, and he explains how the fund worked.

At the age of 26, following many attempts by his mother and brothers to find him a match, Ezezew Alemayehu got married. He talks about the preparations for the wedding and how they opened up new business opportunities for him. He also describes the various traditions and customs connected to the wedding.

After he set himself up, Ezezew Alemayehu stopped his trading business. He acquired areas of land and made a living from farming. Once, when he went to get his bride from her parents’ house, Ezezew Alemayehu contracted malaria and stayed in his father-in-law’s house for three months until he recovered. Ezezew Alemayehu explains the traditional and modern ways of treating the disease. During his illness, his crop was ruined by monkeys and other animals and he was supported by his family.

Soon after his oldest daughter was born, she became ill. Ezezew Alemayehu moved with his wife to her father’s home in Kula Wagera. There they treated the sick baby by immersing her in waters from a nearby natural spring known to have healing powers. Ezezew Alemayehu built his house there and his family grew. In order to work the lands under the restrictions imposed by the regime of Emperor Haile Selassie, he was forced to lease the land from their Christian owners and to pay various taxes to the authorities.

Ezezew Alemayehu details the customs of notification of a death and the customs of mourning in various areas. He also talks about how the entire community participated and played a role in the preparations during and following the ceremony.