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1. Approaching the source of the Nile |
James Bruce
9. Prophecies of war
Lowes thinks that he has discovered the original for the prophecies of war
in Kubla Khan, in a story Bruce tells of a talk with Ozoro Esther, wife of
the old vizier of the king of Abyssinia, whose floating hair we saw before
(397).
The passage offers a cluster of related images, tying together Abyssinia,
and prophecies of war by holy men. Bruce is recalling what he said to the
queen.
Text
"But, pray what is the meaning of the Ras's speech to me about both armies
wishing to fight at Serbraxos? Where is this Serbraxos?"
'Why, says she,
here, on a hill just by; the Begender people have a prophecy, that one of
their governors is to fight a king at Serbraxos, to defeat him, and slay him
there: in his place is to succeed another king, whose name is Theodorus, and
in whose reign all Abyssinia is to be free from war…and the empire of
Abyssinia to be extended as far as Jerusalem.'
'All this destruction and
conquest without war! That will be curious indeed. I think I could wish to
see this Theodorus,' said I, laughing -
'See him you will, replied Ozoro
Esther; peace, happiness, and plenty will last all his reign, and a thousand
years afterwards. Enoch and Elias will rise again, and will fight and
destroy Gog and Magog, and all this without any war.'
'On which I again
said…And now, why does Ras Michael choose to fight at Serbraxos?'….
'Why,'
says she, all the hermits and holy men on our side, that can prophecy, have
assured him he is to beat the rebels this month at Serbraxos; and a very
holy man, a hermit from Waldubba, came to him at Gondar, and obliged him to
march out against his will, by telling him this prophecy, which he knows to
be true, as the man is not like common prophets….
'Such a man as this, you
know, Yagoube, cannot lie.' --Bruce IV 129-130 |
 Other sources
William Bartram |