Hana Tamno

Father's name: Magus Tesema Tamno

Mother's name: Asfo Waba Eyeli

Year of birth: 1977

Place of birth: Kar Waha, Armacho

Region in Ethiopia: Armacho

Main occupation in Ethiopia: Potter’s apprentice to her mother

The language of the interview: Amharic

Hana Tamno, Kar Waha, province of Armacho, wealthy, mother potter, family, headscarf, kaila, Falasha, menstruation house, role of the woman, women’s secrets, breast enlargement, grinding, deliveries to the field, agricultural product, childhood games in Ethiopia, water from the river, corn husks, flour, sacrificing Jews, volume, forgive, יקבה, קבה, cloak, Kesim, housework, village life in Ethiopia, mountainous and agricultural surroundings, the month of “Meskerm” (September), Ethiopian new year, menstruation house, medav (bench), barley, teff, chickpeas, bonfire with wood, millstones, hospitality, boneh (coffee), childhood games, ball games, gebetta (mancala), engesha game, making dolls, bandod, oftzich, washing clothes, dokma fruit, shahi fruit, bamba fruit, taking care of a baby, robbery, punishment, agriculture, vessels from hollow gourd, water from the river, leech, buda (devil), “kiala”, dog, Jerusalem.

Summary of the testimony:

Hana is the second daughter among six siblings. She was born in a village named Kar Waha, in the province of Armacho. Her family was wealthy. Her mother was a potter and her father a weaver.

Hana describes the village structure and how the agricultural and grazing lands were allocated. She describes her family’s house in great detail. There was complete segregation between the houses of the Jews and their Christian neighbors. She relates that they had a good relationship with the Christians, but that sometimes during a dispute the Christians made false accusations against the Jews.

Hana reminisces about her childhood experiences: the customs connected to festivals, how she passed time with her friends, and how the adults treated her. Between the ages of 3 and 12 she was given tasks such as cleaning the house, grinding flour and spices, making deliveries to the field, bringing water from the river, helping with the work in the field, and taking care of her younger siblings or the sheep. At age 12, she left the village.

Hana describes the games she played with as a child. The games imitated adults’ behavior and symbolized daily life, or were games played in nature. She describes her experiences and her conversations with her friends, which took place between the jobs and tasks they were given. She describes how they used to put on make up, clothes, jewelry, and various beauty products.

When Hana grew up, she learned pottery from her mother and worked with her. She used to go to the marketplace to sell the vessels they made.