The people of Tigray are very simple though it may seem all too confusing for someone new to them or new to the inter-workings of that region.
Let me make it clear. There is no such thing as "two Tigrais" or "two Tigringya speakers" but one Tigrai. How its spelled various and that is what confuses people.
People often overlap or confuse Tigray/Tigrai with Tigre and while they claim to be different. The two are just about the same thing. Never listen to their fabricated stories that they differ.
The Tigre people inhabit in Eritrea's Keren region and are predominantly Muslims. However, they are Tigrais and only moved to Keren region after they became Muslims and life became difficult for them back in Tigray. They are originally from Axum and after they migrated as Muslims, they began intermarrying with another drifter group who split with the Cushitic family; the Beja. The mixed kids became known as Beni Amer.
The Tigre, Beja (Cushitic people along with the Saho) and the Jeberti are predominantly Muslim and while both Beja and Saho have no affiliation with Tigray, the other two are the sons of Tigray who are denying their own past.
In an effort to erase the past, the Tigre re-invented themselves as none-Habesha Muslim ethnic with more roots in Arabia than Africa. The Jeberti followed their suit and later by the Bilen (Tigrais).
The Tigres (Muslim Tigrais) and the Beja later became part of the Islamic Empire during the Umayyad Caliphate. The Tigres were ruled by various Beja Sultanates including Qata.
The Umayyad Caliphate was later replaced by the Ottoman Empire who dubbed the region "Habesh Eyalet", which included Massawa, Hirgigo, Suakin and their hinterlands. Pay attention to the Ottoman name of the region, which the locals did not object nor revolt-----the keyword here is "Habesh". This is clear evidence of Tigre's Habesha roots despite claiming to be none Habesha origins.
In various periods between the time of the Umayyad to the arrival of Italy the migration of Tigrais from Tigray to Eritrea continued. Each group came with specific idea and for specific rule/opportunity. The Muslim Tigrais arrived in mass numbers during the golden era of the Islamic world.
The Christian Kebessa moved north as well for various reasons including economic opportunities. The link between them and the long gone Tigre were both the Jeberti and the Bilen but more so the Bilen. The Bilen only began shedding its Tigrai identity in the 18th century while Kebessa begun drifting from Tigray and Tigray identity only in the 19th century. The Italian occupation of Eritrea gave the Kebessa the boost that they needed against Tigray and Tigray identity. They often used Italian resources in order to push Tigrais in Tigray away and thus isolate them. Because they did so much for the colonials, the Italians often favored them and thus rewarded them greatly over their other blood across the Mareb.
The only difference between present day Tigrais in Tigray and Kebessa Tigrais is that they both used to bicker a lot over about everything. They always looked down on each others like all rivalry brothers but they took it to another level for the centuries. Their whole beef is "Tigrai Agame was my maid" and the other is "Kebessa Tigrai was always my subject".
The two still enjoyed great relations though there was resentment. The Kebessa felt that they sacrificed a lot and they should enjoy all the fruits of Italy on their own. The Tigrays felt resentful and thus could not believe how their grandsons and former subjects were now behaving.
This was further exasperated by Tigray's loss of the Emperor to the all clever Menelik II. When Menelik II outsmarted them all and thus eventually defeated Italy. By 1950 Eritrea was returned to Ethiopia and the Tigrais both begun anti-Ethiopian sentiment. In fact in Tigray the the idea to break away from the Ethiopian state begun in 1943 after Italy was defeated. The Tigrais knew that the Shoan elites would take full control of Tigray and Eritrea. They felt unease about the idea of the allies defeating Italy and thus begun the Woyane revolt.
They always felt if two of them cannot be free at least one should be free. That culture continues to this day.
The Kebessa has not being as successful as the Tigres, Beni Amer and the Jeberti in terms of re-inventing themselves. These groups completely erased their identity and today only 30% of them speak their native tongue while overwhelming 70% speak Arabic as their first language. The Kebessa is trying to catch up with them. The Tigrai culture is kick down the one below you on the ladder of ethnic re-engineering. The Kebessa kick the Agame/Adwa faces while the Bilen stamps on the Kebessa and the Beni Amer pi55es down on the Bilen and the Beni Amer gets slapped around by the Tigres. The Tigres thus is the most successful African ethnic group who completely re-invented themselves. 500 years later you can never tell they were once a Tigrais.
The Kebessa is not as intelligent as the Tigre cousin. The Kebessa is chasing far fetched ancestry in an effort to distance itself from the grandmothers they left in North Tigray. All the Kelew Belew none sense is a shadow of their own and will never work like Tigres' simple "Arabic/Islamic" identity
In terms of origins Adwa, Axum, Mendefera, Dekemhare, Mekelle/Enderta, Shire, Adigrat, Abi Adi/Tembien are all Awrajas/districts of Tigrais.
Those from Adwa and Seraye are close lineage while those from Hamasien and Tembien are related especially Tanka-milash district. To go deeper you can say Hamasien are directly from Seharti, Adisalem, Shegalu, Serawat, and Adinifas.
Tigres re-invention of itself makes sense to me but not Kebessa. Tigres were denied to practice their faith in Tigray and thus they packed up to grow their roots somewhere new.
In conclusion, while Tigres have been successful in their re-invention, they failed to come up with a distinctive name and thus their Tigray ancestor is still calling them in Axum.
Kebessa is doing all it can like it always did in order to distant itself from its own grandfathers in Tigray. It is rather very sad story. They tried everything from Kelew Belew Syrian identity, Jewish identity, Arab Badouin identity, Italian Askeri identity to selling their kidneys just to loss bit of Tigray
All Tigrais (Tigray, Tigre, Bilen, Jeberti, Akele, Hamassien) regard the Serae and the Adwa awrajas untouchable often accusing them of being Agew Bantus.
Bilen doesn't suffer from identity crisis but they are caught in a world of conflicting identities, rivalry and survival of the fittest. They remain true people and are naturally warrior folks.
The Bin Amer has one identity and that is Eritrea though they are inbreed of Tigrais (Tigre) and Cushitic Beja.
In the future, we are going to witness big identity war in Eritrea and the process will re-start all over again. It is like nuclear reaction. Tigray ancestry and identity is endless but all inter-twisting and all contradicting itself. We will see more fictional ancestries in addition to their Kelew Belew, Medri Beja, Agazi, Sabean, etc etc. They will not shy away to steal the history of Axum, Ancient Egypt, Syria, Babylon, Israelite, Zeila (they start calling Zeila was mistaken for "Zula"), Islamic history ("Prophet Companions first came to our King") etc. How come every history and every ancient people are centered around them? Is Kebessa/Tigray another word for Earth?
These people are amazing and very insecure.
This family is like Days of our lives.
Helen Pawlos recently released a song where she (a Kebessa Tigrai) is trying to imitate her long gone cousins (the Tigre Tigrais who adopted Arab/Beja identity). The song speaks volume of Tigrais obsession with identity search and identity re-invention. The skirts she is wearing is that of the Cushitic people worn by the Somalis, Oromo, Afar, Saho, etc (various versions).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouwv5YLGS_U
The Cushitic Oromo wearing the same skirts as their Beja cousins across the Mereb. The same one can be found with the Cushitic people of the Afar.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBO-5FJ0dXo
Their Kelew Belew/Kebessa/Agazi/Medri Beja/Syrian/Ottoman/Italian Askeri/Tigre/Tigrai/Two Tigringya/Biher Tigringya/Isrealite Tigringya/Sabaen/Agame/Bilen/Jeberti has been fully decoded and thus remains the creation of a mad man running away from his own shadow/past. Ethiopian policy towards the northern quarter should be one and should view all Tigrais as one people regardless of faith, who colonized them or whose askeri they were.
Ras Hawdian---------Exposing people who are not comfortable with their skins. Call me (the ethnic Police) when you see someone in denial of their true identity.
