Harbai
Encyclopedia
Harbai was negus
of Ethiopia
. The Paris Chronicle and a manuscript Pedro Páez
and Manuel de Almeida
saw at Axum
, list him as the last of the Zagwe dynasty
. He is considered the ancestor of the kings of the Ethiopian province of Lasta
.
Little is known about his reign, which E.A. Wallis Budge states lasted 20 years. Budge wrote that Harbai died around 1330; other authorities date his death before 1270, when Yekuno Amlak
became ruler. Huntingford assumes that this ruler is a dublet of Kedus Harbe
, who is mentioned in the Gadl Lalibela, or the hagiography
of king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela
, as his brother.
Negus
Negus is a title in Ge'ez, Tigrinya, Tigre and Amharic, used for a king and at times also a vassal ruler in pre-1974 Ethiopia and pre-1890 Eritrea. It is subsequently used to translate the word "king" in Biblical and other literature...
of Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. The Paris Chronicle and a manuscript Pedro Páez
Pedro Páez
Pedro Páez Jaramillo was a Spanish Jesuit missionary in Ethiopia. Páez is considered by many experts on Ethiopia to be the most effective Catholic missionary in Ethiopia...
and Manuel de Almeida
Manuel de Almeida
Manuel de Almeida was a native of Viseu, who entered at an early age into the Society of Jesus, and went out as a missionary to India...
saw at Axum
Axum
Axum or Aksum is a city in northern Ethiopia which was the original capital of the eponymous kingdom of Axum. Population 56,500 . Axum was a naval and trading power that ruled the region from ca. 400 BC into the 10th century...
, list him as the last of the Zagwe dynasty
Zagwe dynasty
The Zagwe dynasty was an historical kingdom in present-day Ethiopia. It ruled large parts of the territory from approximately 1137 to 1270, when the last Zagwe King Za-Ilmaknun was killed in battle by the forces of Yekuno Amlak...
. He is considered the ancestor of the kings of the Ethiopian province of Lasta
Lasta
Lasta is a historic district in north-central Ethiopia. It is the district in which Lalibela is situated, the former capital of Ethiopia during the Zagwe dynasty and home to 11 medieval rock-hewn churches....
.
Little is known about his reign, which E.A. Wallis Budge states lasted 20 years. Budge wrote that Harbai died around 1330; other authorities date his death before 1270, when Yekuno Amlak
Yekuno Amlak of Ethiopia
Emperor Yekuno Amlak was of Ethiopia and founder of the Solomonic dynasty. He traced his ancestry through his father, Tasfa Iyasus, to Dil Na'od, the last King of Axum.-Rise to power:...
became ruler. Huntingford assumes that this ruler is a dublet of Kedus Harbe
Kedus Harbe
Kedus Harbe was negus of Ethiopia, and a member of the Zagwe dynasty. According to Taddesse Tamrat, he was the son of Jan Seyum, the brother of Tatadim. Some authorities date his reign to the years 1079 - 1119...
, who is mentioned in the Gadl Lalibela, or the hagiography
Hagiography
Hagiography is the study of saints.From the Greek and , it refers literally to writings on the subject of such holy people, and specifically to the biographies of saints and ecclesiastical leaders. The term hagiology, the study of hagiography, is also current in English, though less common...
of king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela
Gebre Mesqel Lalibela
Gebre Mesqel Lalibela , also called simply "Lalibela", which means "the bees recognise his sovereignty" in Old Agaw, was negus or king of Ethiopia and a member of the Zagwe dynasty. He is also considered a saint by the Ethiopian church. According to Taddesse Tamrat, he was the son of Jan Seyum and...
, as his brother.