The Significance of Field Studies of Stefan Strelcyn for Understanding the Cultural Context of the Ethiopian Orature

Abstract

The recordings made by Stefan Strelcyn during his field trip to Ethiopia contain unique material from the mid-20th century. Their contextual interpretation has revealed various interesting characteristics of Amharic folk poetry, such as metaphors and metonyms, prosodic features, etc. Most significantly, they have provided an insight into the linguistic worldview typical of Ethiopia with its distinctive concepts describing basic phenomena in human life. The results of the work on folk songs of five distinctive Ethiopian national groups will certainly enrich our knowledge of Ethiopian culture and its diversity.