The lions of addis

2015 ma WELCOME TO ADDIS ABABA magazine 22/11/2015

Lion of Judah Monument unveiled outside the station With Imperial guard and two photographers.

From a postcard marked D. Kalaidjian

THE LIONS OF ADDIS

Addis Ababa features many historical sculptures which are situated at the different parts of the city, statues that gracefully adorn the city and being one of the tourist attractions of the city for long time now.

The Equestrian statue of Emperor Menelik II, Statues of his holiness Abune Petros, The Lion of Judah of Emperor Haile Selassie, Victory statue (Miazia 27), Martyr’s Monument (Yekatiti 12) are jewels for the capital city of Africa (Addis Ababa).

But today I want to give homage to the extraordinary sculptures “THE LIONS OF ADDIS “ ,few are the ones that you only get to see them when you visit to one of the Historical Orthodox churches of Addis Ababa.

Lions, particularly male lions, have been an important symbol for thousands of years and appear as a theme in cultures across Europe, Asia, and Africa.

The lion is the biblical emblem of the tribe of Judah and later the Kingdom of Judah. It is contained within Jacob's blessing to his fourth son in the penultimate chapter of the Book of Genesis, "Judah is a lion's whelp; On prey, my son have you grown. He crouches, lies down like a lion, like the king of beasts —who dare rouse him?" (Genesis 49:9) In Middle Eastern culture, both Arabic and Persian, lion regarded as the symbol of courage, bravery, royalty and chivalry.

The lion is a common charge in heraldry traditionally symbolizing courage. The following positions of heraldic lions are recognized: • rampant • passant • salient • guardant • statant • sejant • reguardant • couchant • dormant

The Lion of Judah Monument stands in the square in front of Addis Ababa's train station. The golden colored statue of the Lion of Judah in its complete glory stands on a black granite pedestal which is decorated with relief portraits of Emperors Menelik II and Haile Selassie I, and Empress Zewditu, as well as Ras Makonnen. It marks the foot of the city's widest and avenue, Churchill Road which has the impressive Addis Ababa City Hall at it's other end. The Lion of Judah statue has a very interesting history. Erected in 1930 just before Emperor Haile Selassie's

coronation, it was looted by the Italian occupiers in 1935 and taken to Rome, where it was erected next to the Vittorio Emanuelle Monument.

It was looted by Italians in 1935 & returned home in 1960s,from home where it was replaced next to the massive Vittorio Emmanuelle Monument. A hero detained from Ethiopia,Zeray Deres killed 5 Italians by sword in Rome screaming “the lion of Judah Avenged� on the anniversary celebrations of proclamation of Italian empire in 1938.The monument is originally made for the coronation of Ras Teferi in 1930.I

During the 4th anniversary celebrations of the proclomation of the Itlian Empire, Adolf Hitler chose to visit Rome, and attended the celebratory parades along side the Fascist Dictator Musollini and King Victor Emanuelle III. In the parade were numerous subjects of Italy's African Empire, including a young Eritrean named Zerai Deres. Zerai Deres was marching with other parade members carrying a ceremonial sword with which to salute the King, the Fuhrer, and el Duce, at the grandstand. As the parade marched past the Vittorio Emauelle monument, Zerai looked up and saw to his shock, the golden Lion of Judah, the symbol of the ancient monarchy to which his ancestors had long owed aliegence, erected as war booty in the heart of Rome. It was too much for him to bear, and he promptly drew his sword and with tears of anger running down his face he fell on the first Italian officer he could find. He killed and wounded numerous Italian military officers before he was killed.

Zerai Deres is lionized to this day as a brave Ethiopian patriot. The monument remained in Rome for several decades, and was finally returned to Addis Ababa after long negotiations in the 1960's. When it was re-erected in it's square the day it arrived, the Emperor was present in military uniform to salute, and to pay tribute to Zerai Deres. Following the revolution in 1974, the Dergue regime decided to remove the statue once more as it was a monarchist symbol.

However, the elderly war veterans association members appealed to the Dergue to consider the memory of Zerai Deres and his sacrifice that was inspired by this very symbol. This act saved the statue and it stood it all it's Imperial glory right through the Dergue era, and continues to stand today.

The Lion of Judah of Emperor Haile Selassie This black-stone carved monument is erected near the National Theater on the western sid at the Unity Square and it commemorates the Silver Jubilee of Emperor Haile Selassie, celebrated in 1955.

The monument is the work of a French sculptor Morris Calka, the winner of grand prix of Rome. Henry Shomet the Architect of the Addis Ababa City Hall selected him to be engaged in this task. The symbol of the monument served as a logo to the former Ethiopian Tourism Commission and is still serving the present Ministry of Culture and Tourism, depicting the country’s tourism promotion slogan ‘thirteen months of sunshine’.

The Lion of Judah of Bata Maryam Now let me take you to one of the Historical Orthodox Churches. Bata (Saint Mary Church) where Menelik’s Mausoleum, Empress Taitu and Queen Zawditu are buried.

The Lion of Judah At Ethnological Museum Statue of a lion of Judah at the Ethnological Museum at Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Set within Haile Selassie’s former palace and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University’s main campus is the enthralling Ethnological Museum. Even if you’re not normally a museum fan, this one is worth a bit of your time – it’s easily one of the finest museums in Africa.

The show starts before you even get inside: look for the intriguing set of stairs spiralling precariously skyward near the palace’s main entrance. Each step was placed by the Italians as a symbol of Fascist domination, one for every year Mussolini held power (starting from his march to Rome in 1922). A small Lion of Judah (the symbol of Ethiopian monarchy) sits victoriously atop the final step, like a jubilant punctuation mark at the end of a painfully long sentence.

The Lion of Judah At the National Museum

An Exhibit At The National Museum, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Lion of Judah At The Top Of victory Monument `Victory Monument in Arat Kilo, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

The Lion Passant The oldest known picture of the lion passant is on the seal of Theodore II (1855-1868). After him all Ethiopian rulers have used seals with lions passant. We are informed about this seals by M. de Coppet in his “La Chronique de Menelik.” (1930).

We may understand from his collection that initially the symbol of the “Elect of God and King of Kings of Ethiopia� was a crowned lion passant guardant. Only by Menelik II (1889-1913) the lion was given a processional cross in his paw, in a later version augmented with a streamer.

This last version can be found in an embellished form on his great seal and on the reverse of his coinage struck from 1894 until 1903.

The Great Seal of Menelik II was also used by Empress Zaudita The position of the lion of John IV (1872-1889) was walking to the right (in heraldic terms: to the sinister) and this position was at first also adopted by Menelik II. In the newer, embellished version we meet on coins and stamps after 1894, the lion is depicted walking to the left (in heraldic terms: to the dexter) which is a position more into agreement with western heraldic rules. Contrary to the lion on the seal, the lion has the processional cross in his left paw.

The position of the lion was changed by Haile Selassie at the occasion of his coronation in 1930 and from this time until his deposition in 1974, the lion walking to the sinister was the common position of the lion. Also, from this time the lion is always keeping the processional cross in his right paw.

Seal of Theodore II. Seal of John IV

Seal of Menelik II Seal of Ménélik II

Seal of Menelik II

Embellished Ethiopian lion as on Ethiopian coinage 1894-1903 The first Ethiopian coins were minted by the Paris Mint to which we may ascribe the design of the new lion.

The lion keeping the procession cross in his left paw.

Coloured version of the Ethiopian lion until 1930.

The lion keeping the procession cross in his right paw.

The Ethiopian Lion 1930.

Sculpture presented by the Franco-Ethiopian Railway Company on the occasion of the coronation of Haile Selassie on 2 November 1930. The lion keeping the procession cross in his left paw.

The inscription reads: A SA MAJESTÉ LE ROI TAFARI MAKONNEN EN SOUVENIR DE SON COURONNEMENT. LA COMPAGNIE DU CHEMIN DE FER FRANCO-ETHIOPIEN.

foto N.N.

A statue of the Lion of Judah of about the same design was erected in 1930 on the square in front of Addis Abeba Railway Station.

Fifty matonas coin dated 1923 EE (1930 AD) showing the lion of Haile Selassie.

The processional cross-and-streamer in his dexter paw.

The Italian Interlude AFRICA ORIENTALE ITALIANA

9.V.1936-27.XI.1941

After the conquest of Addis Abeba the statue of the Lion of Judah next to the railway station was transported as a booty to Rome where it was placed on the Altare della Patria (between Capitoline Hill and Piazza Venezia). After long negotiations it was returned in the sixties.

The coat of arms of A.O.I. (Africa Orientale Italiana) was adopted not very long after the creation of this empire. It was:

Arms: Gules, an Italian fasces within a garland Or and a chief also Gules, a cross Argent.

On the shield the Italian royal crown. i[1] Provincial arms in the time of the A.O.I, 1936-‘41 ii[2]

Addis Abeba

Amara

Galla & Sidamo

Amendments and additions

Harar

Addis Abeba

Amara

Galla & Sidamo

Harar

Shoa

Notes •

• • •

By Royal Decree of 12 October 1933, n° 1440 a Capo del Littorio (a chief of the fasces) could be added as a mark of honour to the arms of Italian provinces and municipalities.

The chief was of one-third of the height of the shield. It had to be purple-red (rosso porpora), charged with a fasces per pale Or, within a garland of oak and laurel proper, tied with a bow of the national colours green, white and red. iii[3] For the arms of Eritrea and Somalia, also belonging to the A.O.I., see Eritrea and Somalia.

For the blasoning of the arms see The Imperial Arms.

The arms of Addis Abeba were: Azure, a rose Argent.

After the collapse of A.O.I. and the return of Haile Selassie, the old national symbols were restored

The End of the Empire, The Republic Asfa Wossen

King 1974-1975

Asfa Wossen Royal seal After the abolition of the monarchy a provisional emblem occurs, consisting of the uncrowned Ethiopian lion, the procession cross changed for a spear. iv[4]

SOCIALIST ETHIOPIA

1975-1987

A new emblem of state for the Republic was designed in 1975 by Tadesse Mesfin. It is:

Emblem: Azure, a cogwheel Gules charged with a fourteen rayed sun Or, charged with a plow tied with a cord in the form of the first letter of the Amharic alphabet Hoi. Garland: Two branches of the silver cluster leaf (Terminalia sericea - Combretaceae) and two leaves of the oil palm, on the junction a native shield on two spears in saltire and over all a lion passant to the sinister.

In this emblem the fourteen rayed sun symbolizes the fourteen districts of the nation, the plow symbolizes agriculture and the cogwheel industry. The letter Hoi symbolizes the necessity of alphabetisation.

The silver cluster leaf is used for construction and charcoal production and is typical for the wooded savanna. The palm leaves symbolize the importance of palm oil production.

The shield, spears and lion are the symbol of the Ethiopian Defense Force. v[5]

DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

12.IX.1987-1991

After the renaming of the country in 1987 a thoroughly new emblem was adopted on 13 September of the same year. It is:

Emblem: Azure, in chief a golden rayed disc Gules charged with a five pointed star Or, in base a cogwheel issuant Azure, rimmed Gules charged with an Ethiopian shield proper, posed on a rifle and a spear in saltire also proper, and issuant therefrom the upper part of the Aksum obelisk.

Garland: Two branches of the silver cluster leaf (Terminalia sericea - Combretaceae) and two leaves of the oil palm, on the junction a red ribbon charged with a lion’s head. In chief the name of the republic in Amharic.

Symbolism: Star: The struggle of the people for the construction of a new state.

Red: The readiness to make sacrifices, heroism Yellow: Hope, Justice, Equality Rays: The just administration.

The Aksum Obelisk: The Empire of Aksum, the cradle of Ethiopia in the first century AD and Holy City.

[On April 20, 2005, the people of Ethiopia witnessed, with great joy, the return of the first part of the Aksum obelisk which was stolen by the Fascist forces of Italy in 1937. The second part of the obelisk has arrived on April 22 and the last part has arrived on April 25, 2005.]

The cogwheel: Industrial development The shield and the sword and spear in saltire: The army.

The lions’head: The head of State. vi[6]

TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA

06.1991-1995

In July 1991, the EPRDF, the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and others established the Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) which was composed of an 87-member Council of Representatives and guided by a national charter that functioned as a transitional constitution. In June 1992, the OLF withdrew from the government; in March 1993, members of the Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Coalition also left the government.

Arms: Vert, an aquaduct, in chief a pigeon upholding a balance Argent.

Garland: Per fess of two branches of the silver cluster leaf Vert and a demi-cogwheel Sable.

Title: TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA, the same in Amharic in chief.

Supporter: A white disc. vii[7] DEMOCRATIC FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA

1996-present

On 6 February 1996 a flag was adopted with a new emblem or badge in the middle. This consists of a yellow pentagram with rays between the points on a blue disc. It represents the shared desire of the state, the people and the religion of Ethiopia to make a united nation.

The seal of the republic shows the national emblem surrounded by the name of the country and the name of the service in amharic and english.

i ii iii iv v vi vii