Songs and blessings of the Amina in Gojjam

The Amina are a group of people who wander from place to place to get their livelihood by begging with poetic chanting for and blessing bountifully their benefactors. This paper attempts to examine the poetic tradition of the Amina and to describe their performances and major themes. It also seeks to look at the tradition, social life, belief system, social values, etc., of these singers and raise some questions about their identity, particularly whether or not they are a distinct ethnic group. Equally interesting are the questions of their relations with other peoples, and why they cling to their profession of beggary. A translation and analysis of sample poems and blessings as well as interviews conducted with two Amina individuals supplement the discussion.