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Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac

Anonymous · betmas

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machine-draft · no human review 2 passages · 306 words

Work dossier · summary and historical context

Summary

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.

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.

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.

Apparatus · what the pipeline recorded

Annotation and terms

11 commentary units 5 term2 structure2 background1 reception1 caution 0 derived notes 4 open questions 2 narrative
What the kinds mean

Pipeline notes

  • limitThe 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.
  • registerRegister: other in Geʿez; the English keeps the liturgical formulae and the vocatives rather than normalising them.
  • structurePassages: 2 narrative.
  • sourceSource edition: betmas — CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC

Term index

CopticRenderingCountFirst
no glossary terms recorded
LIT7111Zodiac:1 · narrativemedium
Source
Index In , 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: በኵሉ፡ ክፍል፡ በዚህ፡ ይታወቃል። ቅጽሩን። ጠንቅቅ። ፩ ሐመል፡ እሳት፡ ክፍሉ፡ ሚዛን። ሸርጣን፡ ዠጂ። . The circular figure is not attested in other witnesses, a similar index is however attested in . The following incipit is taken from according to 485 . መቅድመ፡ ከዋክብት፡ ስም ፡ ወእም፡ በ፲ወ፪ ግድፍ፡ ፩ ሐመል፡ The following incipit is taken from according to 485 . ፩ ሐመል፡ እሳት፡ ይሰርቅ፡ በም ስ ራቅ፡ መልክዓ፡ ገጹ ፡ ከመ፡ በግዕ። አምሳሉ፡ ወኅብሩ፡ ሚዛን፡ ሸርጣን፡ ዢዲ፡ አሰድ። ፀሩ፡ ደለዊ፡ አቅራብ፡ ገውዝ፡ ኩት። ሐመል፡ በወርኃ፡ መስከረም፡ በረቡዕ፡ ወዓርብ፡ ወበእኁድ፡
English
Index In , 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 . The following incipit is taken from according to 485. Introduction to the Names of the Stars, and from the Twelve Signs 1. Aries The following incipit is taken from according to 485. 1. 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.
LIT7111Zodiac:2 · narrativemedium
Source
ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ አንስት፡ ፪ ሰውር ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፫ ገውዝ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፬ ሸርጣን፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፭ አሰድ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ አንስት፡ ፮ ሰንቦላ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፯ ሚዛን፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፰ አቅራብ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፱ ቀውስ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፲ ጅዲ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፲፩ ደለዊ፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ ፲፪ ሑት፡ ለእመ፡ ኮነት፡ ብእሲት፡ The following explicit is taken from according to 485 . ወትቀትል ፡ ፫ አው ፡ ፯ ብእሲ፡ ዓይነ፡ ወርቅ፡ ሀለወ፡ ባቲ። መድኃኒታ፡ ፀሊም፡ በግዕ፡ ወጠሊ፡ በፈርሱ፡ ወበደሙ፡ ትትሐፀብ፡ ወጸሐፍ፡ መርበብተ፡ ሰሎሞን፡ ቀዳሚሁ፡ ቃል። በወርኃ፡ ጥቅምት፡ ወግንቦት፡ ወመጋቢት፡ በዕለተ፡ ረቡዕ፡ ወ ወ ዓርብ፡ ወእኁድ፨ ለሁት፡ ኅርመቱ፡ ፀዓዳ፡ ዶርሆ፡ በርእሱ፡ ሕርድ፡ ቀርነ፡ ብራዕይ፡ ብዕራይ፡ አሰደ፡ አሰድ፡ ለደለዊ፡ ይተርፈዋል። ሸርጣን፡ ለዢዲ፡ ይተርፈዋል፨
English
If it is female. 2. Taurus If it is female. 3. Gemini If it is female. 4. Cancer If it is female. 5. Leo If it is female. 6. Virgo If it is female. 7. Libra If it is female. 8. Scorpio If it is female. 9. Sagittarius If it is female. 10. Capricorn If it is female. 11. Aquarius If it is female. 12. Pisces If it is female. And 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.
Citation. Tergwame, “Astrological treatise on the twelve signs of the zodiac”, LIT7111Zodiac:1, machine-draft, 2026. https://naxiai.com/christian/works/LIT7111Zodiac#s1
Colophon. Source: betmas · licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 (per file); site footer states NC-SA - treat as NC · model: deepseek/deepseek-v4-flash:floor · provider: Relace · cost: $0.0013 · generated 2026-11-15.