For quite sometime, I have been sharing with Saddam the most odd trails following Marehan history that keep leading to Eritrea-Sudan.
Very clearly, eastern Cushitic origins is from Sudan; Meroe in fact.
It is groundbreaking but I suspect (cannot prove yet) everything about the Somali ethnic group is more "recent' then assumed.
Somalis as a separate ethnic group are not "1,000" years or older.
There is no "Sheikh Darod from the 10th, 11th,12th century, etc" and no "Sheikh Isaaq from 800 years ago."
Intriguingly, I would estimate first Somali abtirsi system, AT MAX, formed mid-late 18th Century (1750-1800).
The overwhelming majority of Somali abtiris system formed late 19th Century to 20th Century (1880s-2005).
It is most likely the "Ugaas/Sultan/Boqor spontaneous combustions beginning the modern Sultanates of most of Somali geneology---is realy the beginning of the Xeer or Contract that brought them together for mutual assurance (started their qabiil).
Furthermore, I have reason to suspect, a number of the combustions were formed by Marehan offshoots.
And Marehan, my brothers and sisters, may actually predate "Somali."
It is shocking---but I think Marehan may have started as the aspect of Aksum/Dmt that accepted Islam.
- Along with that, I imagine the Marehan Somalis today are only 1/3 of those Marehan---who because of strife, religious conflict naturally got separated.
- Furthermore I think another third 1/3 are probably derivatives of the Bani Amir of Eritrea who form the bulk of the Beja in Eritrea as well as form a sizable half of all Tigre speakers (not Tigrinya speakers from Tigray) on the former Semhar coast (Bur to Baharnagash}.
- The Bani Amir are also known as the Amanrar/Amarar anecdotally evocative of the Rida-Amir, forming the majority of Marehan Somalis, are also known as Amaanreer.
- The last 1/3 of those originally Marehan made the foundations of a number of Somali clans including the Darod as a whole I believe. They also have fused into neighboring Cushitic groups like the Silte of Gurage, the Assamarrah of Afar, and the Warrahiman Afran Qallo/Warrajelu Yejju of Oromo.
To go back to Eritrea/Marehan
- In Akele Guzai of Eritrea, there is a famous mountain where people went into for Important deliberations. It is called Hinbari or "Look to Fortune"
- Marehan are called rer Hodanbari "Prosperous Morning"
- There is also the long important river vital to the region. It is called Wadi Mareeb.
- The Marehan homeland in Central SomaIia are called Dhusa Mareeb (Dhuusa btw actually means "to remove the Myrrh/Frankincense from the tree, later became synonymous with anything removed from a whole like flatulence)
- The old chieftain were called Ag'azi which is the title the Akzumites who embraced Islam took on. Ag'azi is preceded by Goyta.Ag'azi is phonetically and meaning similar to Ugaas or the Somali Military title for someone who commanded the title.
- For a long time I have seen the Marehan Ugaas called "Ugaaska Ugaasyada Soomaaliyeed" or "Ugaas Emeritus over the Somali Ugases" and that in a meeting with two or more Ugaas, the Marehan Ugaas always talks first. I never understood this, I thought it was just odd respect from the Kacaan days but I have come across this dhaqan before the Kacaan and recently found out in Somalia this is because "The Marehan Ugaas is recognized as the first Ugaas of that Title". Prior to that Marehan was the only title of Goyta/Guuto of any Somalis according to history.
- The blood price (diya) in Akele Guzai-Bur Region is called "Gar Naqsi" and "Gar Shire" was the sentencing place (today Shire, Tigray)
- Again, Marehan chiefly line is called Garshireedle with "eedleh" being a suffix "one who does"... essentially Gar Shire" also Shire is historically, along with Guled, Barre, and Siyaad Marehan origin names according to late HG Somali historian/writter Abdiqadir Aramo
- Common place names like "Marahani", and "Horissamadaga" which are signifiers of very important moments in Marehan oral history underpinning reasons for migration.
- And a bunch of other weird cultural, linguistic, and historical similarities along with documented Marehan existence, migration, and participation historically in the area from the Futuh to Ethiopian chronicles.
The point is---there is enough grounds for a historical study of this yet not only has no one studied it, but I have yet to come across anyone who has even discussed these similarities/connections (?) inspiring reasons for study?
I think our history is so much more dynamic and integrated to the wider Horn ("Ethiopian nation") than we have ever realized.
The whole Yemen and Arabian descent mythology has hurt Somalia historiagraphy more than we can yet quantify. How much time was spent on that which would have been more productive researching this!
