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You know each society has its own category and definition of color. And definitely in our society, color has a place. We use color designations that refer to ones skin tone ?Teyim, Qey, Qey dama etc. Sometimes these designations are tied with class structures that evolved from our feudal traditions, like shanQela, shanQo, Tossa ? the weavers in the Gomu, Goffa region.
And then within the context of the urban tradition, it?s not unusual to give nicknames on the basis of skin tone. Arreru or nug to highlight a dark complexion with a negative connotation. Yet our notion of color shouldn?t be confused with the notion of color in western traditions. For example, in our society, it is true that in most instances the tradition established it in such a way so that its expected for people to seek partners who are lighter skinned, even though in our folklores, Teyim is the revered skin tone. And that?s tied to the mythology.
Well usually an Ethiopian is perceived as being Teyim, the one that God created in his perfection. Mythology has it that God made us from clay. The first person was pulled out quickly, and consequently was white. The second person was kept in the kilt for too long, and was black. The third person was pulled out at the perfect time, and that person was a Teyim Ethiopian. http://www.seleda.com/oct01/profile.shtml
Posts: 8675 | From: Tukuler al~Takruri as Ardo since OCT2014 | Registered: Feb 2003
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