{"slug":"LIT7111Zodiac","id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","title":"Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","author":"Anonymous","genre":"other","date":"","tradition":"ethiopic","coverage":"unknown","publication":{"status":"machine-draft","reviewed_by":null,"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","generated":"2026-11-15T00:17:29Z","cost_usd":0.001339},"source":{"registry_id":"ethiopic:betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","work_id":"LIT7111Zodiac","edition":"betmas","language":"","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"},"stats":{"passages":2,"english_words":306,"coptic_letters":0,"commentary_units":11,"commentary_kinds":5,"derived_notes":0,"ambiguities":4,"work_notes":4,"external_links":1,"timeline":3},"summary":{"work":"LIT7111Zodiac","abstract":"An anonymous Geʿez astrological treatise on the twelve zodiac signs, surviving in a single manuscript witness edited in the betmas series. The work lists zodiac names derived from Arabic (e.g., ḥamal for Aries, mīzān for Libra, šarṭān for Cancer, žāgī for Sagittarius) and associates them with Ethiopian calendar months such as Maskaram. No date, author, or translation is provided in the edition, leaving its medieval or early modern origin uncertain. The text belongs to the Ethiopic tradition of astrological and calendrical literature, but its sources and transmission beyond the sole witness are undocumented.","historical_context":"The work is part of the Ethiopic Christian tradition of astrological and calendrical texts, which flourished in the medieval and early modern periods (13th–18th centuries) in the Horn of Africa, particularly in the Ethiopian Empire and its monastic centers. Geʿez, the classical liturgical language, was used for scholarly and religious writings. The zodiac names show clear Arabic influence, suggesting contact with Islamic astrological traditions, possibly via trade or scholarly exchange. The single known manuscript witness, edited in the betmas series, provides no colophon or date, so the work cannot be precisely dated; it may be as early as the 14th century or as late as the 18th. Its survival in only one copy indicates limited circulation, and the lack of commentary or translation hinders study of its sources and use.","significance":"This treatise is a rare witness to the integration of Arabic astrological knowledge into Ethiopic Christian scholarship. Its use of Geʿez terms derived from Arabic (e.g., žāgī for Sagittarius) illustrates linguistic and cultural exchange. The work also connects to the Ethiopian calendar tradition, linking zodiac signs to months like Maskaram. It provides a basis for further research on the transmission of astrology in the Christian Orient and the adaptation of foreign scientific ideas.","timeline":[{"date":"13th–18th c.","event":"Probable period of composition, based on Ethiopic astrological literature and Arabic influence."},{"date":"Undated","event":"Single manuscript witness produced, later edited in the betmas series."},{"date":"20th–21st c.","event":"Edition published in betmas series without translation or commentary."}],"relations":[{"work":"Ethiopic astrological and calendrical literature","relation":"Part of broader tradition","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Arabic astrological treatises","relation":"Source of zodiac terminology","key":"","label":null,"url":null},{"work":"Ethiopian calendar tradition","relation":"Associated with month Maskaram","key":"","label":null,"url":null}],"external_links":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"Edition of the treatise","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac","reason":"Primary source for the work"}],"cautions":["Date of composition is unknown; the work may be medieval or early modern.","Author is anonymous and not identified in the manuscript.","The text survives in a single manuscript witness, limiting knowledge of its transmission.","No translation or commentary is available in the edition, restricting access to content."],"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor","provider":"Relace","cost_usd":0.000358,"generated":"2026-11-15T00:17:29Z"},"checks":{"work":"LIT7111Zodiac","status":"pass","blocking":[],"warnings":[],"stats":{"passages":2,"translated":2,"commentary_passages":2,"commentary_units":11,"english_words":306,"source_letters":613,"commentary_kinds":5},"model":"deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor"},"work_notes":[{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The work is an anonymous astrological treatise on the twelve zodiac signs, composed in Geʿez. It belongs to the broader Ethiopic tradition of astrological and calendrical literature.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"transmission","kind":"transmission","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The text survives in a single known manuscript witness, edited in the betmas series. Its transmission history beyond this witness is not documented.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"source edition: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"dating","kind":"chronology","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"No date or author is given in the manuscript. The edition does not propose a dating; the work may be medieval or early modern, but this remains uncertain.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"sense","kind":"sense","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The edition provides no translation or commentary. Readers without Geʿez cannot access the content directly, and the astronomical or astrological sources are not identified.","cites":[{"key":"ed:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"source edition: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"derived_work_notes":[{"kind":"limit","severity":"caution","text":"The English is a machine draft produced passage by passage from the transcribed Coptic; no human has verified it. The commentary is model-written and cites only keys the pipeline could resolve."},{"kind":"register","severity":"info","text":"Register: other in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them."},{"kind":"structure","severity":"info","text":"Passages: 2 narrative."},{"kind":"source","severity":"info","text":"Source edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC"}],"derived_structure":{"narrative":2},"term_index":[],"citations":{"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac":{"label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"},"ed:LIT7111Zodiac":{"label":"source edition: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}},"segments":[{"i":1,"ref":"p1","source":"Index\nIn , the text is preceded by an index in the form of a circular figure, divided into twelve sections, in the first two of\nwhich is written: በኵሉ፡ ክፍል፡ በዚህ፡ ይታወቃል። ቅጽሩን። ጠንቅቅ። ፩ ሐመል፡ እሳት፡\nክፍሉ፡ ሚዛን። ሸርጣን፡ ዠጂ። . The circular figure is not attested in other witnesses, a similar index is however attested in .\n\nThe following incipit is taken from according to\n485 .\n\nመቅድመ፡ ከዋክብት፡ ስም ፡ ወእም፡ በ፲ወ፪ ግድፍ፡\n\n፩ ሐመል፡\nThe following incipit is taken from according to\n485 .\n\n፩ ሐመል፡ እሳት፡ ይሰርቅ፡ በም ስ ራቅ፡ መልክዓ፡ ገጹ ፡ ከመ፡ በግዕ። አምሳሉ፡ ወኅብሩ፡\nሚዛን፡ ሸርጣን፡ ዢዲ፡ አሰድ። ፀሩ፡ ደለዊ፡ አቅራብ፡ ገውዝ፡ ኩት። ሐመል፡ በወርኃ፡ መስከረም፡ በረቡዕ፡ ወዓርብ፡ ወበእኁድ፡","english":"Index\nIn , the text is preceded by an index in the form of a circular figure, divided into twelve sections, in the first two of which is written: \"In every section, in this, it will be known. Its form. Examine carefully. 1. Aries. Fire. The section. Libra. Cancer. Sagittarius.\" The circular figure is not attested in other witnesses; a similar index is, however, attested in .\n\nThe following incipit is taken from according to 485.\n\nIntroduction to the Names of the Stars, and from the Twelve Signs\n\n1. Aries\n\nThe following incipit is taken from according to 485.\n\n1. Aries. Fire. It rises in the east. The form of his face is like a ram. His likeness and his companion: Libra, Cancer, Sagittarius, Leo. His enemies: Aquarius, Scorpio, Gemini, Capricorn. Aries in the month of Maskaram, on Wednesday and Friday, and on Sunday.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"Index","severity":"info","text":"The passage begins with an index in the form of a circular figure divided into twelve sections, a feature not attested in other witnesses of this work.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሐመል","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሐመል (ḥamal) corresponds to the zodiac sign Aries, derived from Arabic ḥamal meaning 'ram'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሚዛን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሚዛን (mīzān) corresponds to the zodiac sign Libra, from Arabic mīzān meaning 'balance'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ሸርጣን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ሸርጣን (šarṭān) corresponds to the zodiac sign Cancer, from Arabic sarṭān meaning 'crab'.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"text","lemma":"ዠጂ","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term ዠጂ (žāgī) corresponds to the zodiac sign Sagittarius, likely from Arabic al-qaws (the bow) via a variant form.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"text","lemma":"መስከረም","severity":"info","text":"The month Maskaram is the first month of the Ethiopian calendar, corresponding roughly to September–October, and is used here to associate Aries with specific days of the week.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The index circular figure is described but not fully preserved in the source; its exact layout and contents for all twelve sections are uncertain.","The phrase 'በም ስ ራቅ' in the incipit is unclear; it may be a scribal error or abbreviation for 'in the east' (በምሥራቅ)."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]},{"i":2,"ref":"p2","source":"ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ አንስት፡\n\n፪ ሰውር\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፫ ገውዝ\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፬ ሸርጣን፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፭ አሰድ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ አንስት፡\n\n፮ ሰንቦላ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፯ ሚዛን፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፰ አቅራብ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፱ ቀውስ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፲ ጅዲ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፲፩ ደለዊ፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\n፲፪ ሑት፡\n\nለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡\n\nThe following explicit is taken from according to\n485 .\n\nወትቀትል ፡ ፫ አው ፡\n፯ ብእሲ፡ ዓይነ፡ ወርቅ፡ ሀለወ፡ ባቲ። መድኃኒታ፡ ፀሊም፡ በግዕ፡ ወጠሊ፡ በፈርሱ፡ ወበደሙ፡ ትትሐፀብ፡ ወጸሐፍ፡ መርበብተ፡\nሰሎሞን፡ ቀዳሚሁ፡ ቃል። በወርኃ፡ ጥቅምት፡ ወግንቦት፡ ወመጋቢት፡ በዕለተ፡ ረቡዕ፡ ወ ወ ዓርብ፡ ወእኁድ፨ ለሁት፡ ኅርመቱ፡\nፀዓዳ፡ ዶርሆ፡ በርእሱ፡ ሕርድ፡ ቀርነ፡ ብራዕይ፡ ብዕራይ፡\nአሰደ፡ አሰድ፡ ለደለዊ፡ ይተርፈዋል። ሸርጣን፡ ለዢዲ፡ ይተርፈዋል፨","english":"If it is female.\n\n2. Taurus\n\nIf it is female.\n\n3. Gemini\n\nIf it is female.\n\n4. Cancer\n\nIf it is female.\n\n5. Leo\n\nIf it is female.\n\n6. Virgo\n\nIf it is female.\n\n7. Libra\n\nIf it is female.\n\n8. Scorpio\n\nIf it is female.\n\n9. Sagittarius\n\nIf it is female.\n\n10. Capricorn\n\nIf it is female.\n\n11. Aquarius\n\nIf it is female.\n\n12. Pisces\n\nIf it is female.\n\nAnd it will kill 3 or 7 men. An eye of gold is in it. Its remedy: a black ram and a lamb on its flesh and on its blood she will be smeared. And write the talisman of Solomon, his first word. In the month of Ṭəqəmt and Gənbot and Məggabit, on the day of Wednesday and Friday and Sunday. For Pisces, its eclipse: a white falcon on its head, a sharp horn, a wild ox, an ox. Leo, Leo, for Aquarius it will remain. Cancer, for Capricorn it will remain.","structure":"narrative","commentary":[{"unit":"structure","kind":"structure","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The passage lists the twelve zodiac signs in sequence, each preceded by the phrase 'If it is female,' indicating a gendered classification within the astrological scheme.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"term","kind":"term","basis":"glossary","lemma":"ሸርጣን","severity":"info","text":"The Geʿez term 'ሸርጣን' corresponds to the zodiac sign Cancer, derived from the Arabic 'saraṭān' (crab).","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"background","kind":"background","basis":"background","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The reference to a talisman of Solomon and specific days (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday) reflects the integration of Solomonic magical traditions into Ethiopic astrological practice.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"reception","kind":"reception","basis":"external","lemma":"","severity":"info","text":"The explicit is taken from a source indicated by 'according to 485,' suggesting a textual tradition that may include marginal annotations or variant readings.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]},{"unit":"caution","kind":"caution","basis":"text","lemma":"","severity":"caution","text":"The final lines contain unclear syntax and possible corruption, e.g., 'Leo, Leo, for Aquarius it will remain' and 'Cancer, for Capricorn it will remain,' which may reflect scribal error or incomplete transmission.","cites":[{"key":"betmas:LIT7111Zodiac","label":"betmas: Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac","url":"https://betamasaheft.eu/LIT7111Zodiac"}],"named_sources":[],"dropped_cites":[]}],"ambiguities":["The phrase 'If it is female' is repeated for each sign but its astrological significance is not explained; the gender assignment may follow a lost system.","The final section's instructions for remedies and talismans are disjointed, possibly due to textual corruption or abbreviation."],"confidence":"medium","notes":[]}]}