Ge'ez Rite

  • Thread starter Thread starter janeway529
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
J

janeway529

Guest
I’m really fascinated with their procession and use of drums, dance, and singing. It’s not something us Latins usually have. I’m a bit jealous. 😛
 
I have seen this ceremony used many times in arguments of Latins that go something like, “Oooh, see here, we can have drums and flower princesses and puppets in our processions!”
 
janeway529 said:
I’m sad that the Ge’ez community procession wasn’t included in the recorded video of the Ordination and installation. 😦
Click to expand...
Their procession was before the start of the Mass. There was also a gospel choir as I recall, prior to the Mass, also not included in the EWTN coverage.
 
YoungTradCath said:
I have seen this ceremony used many times in arguments of Latins that go something like, “Oooh, see here, we can have drums and flower princesses and puppets in our processions!”
Click to expand...
The problem is that Ethiopian dance is authentic liturgical dance and a part of their tradition, while the thing that passes itself off as liturgical dance in a number of Roman parishes in the West…isn’t.
 
malphono said:
OK … dzheremi, you know a lot more about this than I do, so tell me: is it just me, or does that versus populum table look a bit inauthentic?
Click to expand...
With the caveat that I’ve never been to a Tewahedo kidase, I would still say that the altar in that video is obviously not authentic, if it is to match its Tewahedo counterpart. In the video it is essentially uncovered, it appears to lack a tabot (the Tewahedo version of the tablitho; because these are to be present always on the altar, covered by elaborate cloths, the EOTC altars I’ve seen generally have little canopies over them like you can see here, symbolizing the ark which held the original…the meaning of the presence of the image of the Theotokos on the altar shown in that photo should be obvious in this context. :)), etc. From what little I’ve read on the altar itself, it appears that the lack of tabot is most serious, as the tabot is necessary in the consecration of the church (i.e., it is not considered to be a church without a tabot present on the altar). Though apparently sometimes the tabot will not be covered by cloths, but instead wood… (sorry to stretch out the page, but wow…)

https://scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/60670_245348048927858_370497867_n.jpg
 
dzheremi said:
With the caveat that I’ve never been to a Tewahedo kidase, I would still say that the altar in that video is obviously not authentic, if it is to match its Tewahedo counterpart. In the video it is essentially uncovered, it appears to lack a tabot (the Tewahedo version of the tablitho; because these are to be present always on the altar, covered by elaborate cloths, the EOTC altars I’ve seen generally have little canopies over them like you can see here, symbolizing the ark which held the original…the meaning of the presence of the image of the Theotokos on the altar shown in that photo should be obvious in this context. :)), etc. From what little I’ve read on the altar itself, it appears that the lack of tabot is most serious, as the tabot is necessary in the consecration of the church (i.e., it is not considered to be a church without a tabot present on the altar). Though apparently sometimes the tabot will not be covered by cloths, but instead wood… (sorry to stretch out the page, but wow…)

scontent-b-sjc.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/60670_245348048927858_370497867_n.jpg
Click to expand...
Thanks for detail and for the photo. 😉 The carving on the wood, both of the altar itself and on the canopy, is really quite lovely. 🙂
 
patrick457 said:
The problem is that Ethiopian dance is authentic liturgical dance and a part of their tradition, while the thing that passes itself off as liturgical dance in a number of Roman parishes in the West…isn’t.
Click to expand...
Yes, I know, but deaf ears are deaf ears.
 
For whatever it’s worth, it should be noted that to Ethiopians and Eritreans themselves (or at least the Orthodox Tewahedo; I can’t speak of Catholics, since I’ve never met one), what they are doing in liturgical chant is not considered dancing. Rather, the rhythmic swaying and clapping (as well as the use of the sistrum, staff, etc.) serve much the same time-marking function as the cymbals and triangle in the Coptic tradition. Tewahedo church music has it’s own cadence, and it is at least to some degree necessary to employ some form of time-keeping in order to follow the appropriate mode. Ethiopianorthodox.org has more information on music in the Ethiopian church tradition, if anyone is interested beyond arguing whether or not the Latins should be allowed to do something that they see as similar (it is not actually similar, of course, and they shouldn’t).

An example of the sistrum/tsenatsil in use, together with rhythmic movement, in the nativity chant “The Savior of the World is Born Today”

There are, of course, paraliturgical functions in which other instruments may be used, just as in any church. But, just like their fathers in Egypt, the Ethiopians maintain a strict division between what is appropriate liturgically and what can be done in other contexts. There has even developed something I’ve seen called Orthodox Gospel music, which is of course just a fancy way of packaging mezmur (perhaps on purpose to appeal to the growing Protestant horde in Ethiopia), but still stays more or less within the limits of Tewahedo tradition (it is okay, in this context, to use the melody-producing krar/Ethiopian lyre, as you can hear in the video, but the kebero/drum is already a part of various paraliturgical services of the Ethiopian church, and the music remains overwhelming percussive anyhow; see this informative post on orthodoxchristianity.net for more on the use of instruments and dance in the EOTC).

This is all much preferred to Protestant or Catholic mezmur, which I am sad to say are indistinguishable in their (musical) awfulness, and not terribly rooted in anything. 😦
 
dzheremi said:
For whatever it’s worth, it should be noted that to Ethiopians and Eritreans themselves (or at least the Orthodox Tewahedo; I can’t speak of Catholics, since I’ve never met one), what they are doing in liturgical chant is not considered dancing. Rather, the rhythmic swaying and clapping (as well as the use of the sistrum, staff, etc.) serve much the same time-marking function as the cymbals and triangle in the Coptic tradition. Tewahedo church music has it’s own cadence, and it is at least to some degree necessary to employ some form of time-keeping in order to follow the appropriate mode. …

This is all much preferred to Protestant or Catholic mezmur, which I am sad to say are indistinguishable in their (musical) awfulness, and not terribly rooted in anything. 😦
Click to expand...
🙂 👍
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top