Saint Yared

The Ethiopian Re'ese Liqawnt (head professor), Yared, was born on April 25, 505 A.D. in the city of Aksum. His father was named Adam and his mother Tauklia. Yared's lineage was from the priesthood of Aksum. When he was six years old his parents gave Yared to the tutorship of Yishaq, who was a teacher in Aksum. Under this teacher, Yared completed the study of the alphabet and began to study the Psams. However, he had difficulty learning his lesson and was sent back to his parents by his teacher. His father having died in the meantime, his mother, Tauklia, placed him in the hands of her brother, Abba Gedeon, who was the parish priest, with the request that he should raise and educate Yared. Abba Gedeon was the teacher of the Old and New Testaments in the courtyard of the church of St. Mary of Sion and he had begun translating the Holy Scriptures into Geez from Hebrew and Greek. Yared lodged with Abba Gedeon and began studying along with the other children but for years he lagged behind the others in his studies and so was constantly reprimanded and punished by the new teacher. Yared was not a bright student and however much he studied he could not grasp his lessons. Because of his slow-mindedness he became an object of derision and mockery to his classmates. One day his uncle whipped Yared severely, saying: You should not lag behind your classmates and you should pay attention to your studies as the others do.

Yared became bitter about his failure as a student and decided to go elsewhere and start life anew. He therefore fled from the school and while journeying to his uncle's birth place, Medebai welel, he was caught by a heavy shower and was obliged to take cover under a tree near a spring called Maikerah, some four kilometers outside the city of Aksum.
While sheltering under the trees, pondering and feeling remorse about his failure, he witnessed an event that was to change his whole life. His attention was caught by a caterpillar struggling time and again despite repeated failures, to climb up the trunk of tree to eat of its leaves. Six times the caterpillar failed but on the seventh trial it struggled with all its might and was able to reach its destination. Watching the perseverance of the caterpillar, Yared wept, comparing his weakness with the strength of the grub. After seeing the stamina of the tiny creature, he decided to return and take up his studies again. He reasoned that man was a creature superior to a caterpillar and as the caterpillar had, with repeated effort, reached its goal and eaten of the leaves of the tree so he too should bear the consequences such as whipping, study diligently and succeed. Having decided this, he returned to his spiritual teacher, Abba Gedeon and begged to be forgiven and to be taken back to continue his studies. Abba Gedeon relented and began teaching him the Psalms. Besides continuing his studies, Yared went to the church of St. Mary of Sion every day and prayed to God saying: "Oh ! merciful lord give me wisdom! " God heard the child's prayer and endowed him with insight and intelligence. His sudden brightness filled his teacher with wonder. Thus he was able, through diligence and hard work, to complete the study of the Old and New Testaments within a short time. Since Yared was now a highly gifted student, he finished his studies with astounding results and thereafter became a deacon.

In the Book of May II Sinksar (Lives of the Saints) is related the full story of how Yared created the chant and notation system inspired and guided by the Holy Spirit. At this time there was no set of rules for the liturgical chant. In this same book it is written that when Almighty God wanted to establish sacred chants, as he was desirous of being praised upon earth, three Angels were sent from Paradise in the form of three birds to teach Yared heavenly songs in his own language. The birds circling in the air in front of Yared sang to him sweet and captivating new songs, while Yared stood there listening, mesmerized by the sweet sound. The birds began praising him in his language (Geez), saying "Oh ! famed, honored (Yared) and full of grace! praised be the womb that bore you, praised be the breasts the breasts that" you sucked. They then carried him off to heavenly Jerusalem where twenty-four celestial Angels were singing. St. Yared standing before the seat of the Trinity sand the secret songs conceived in his heart and revealed to him by the Holy Spirit.

When he was brought back to Aksum, Yared went to the chief priest of the church of Aksum at nine in the morning and standing in front of the Holy ark of Sion raised both his hands and sang: "Praised be the Father, praised be the Son and praised be the Holy Ghost. He first created Sion and heaven and reveled to Moses the Law of the Old Testament". He called this song. "Ariam" which means supreme heaven, abode of God.
While Yared was in heaven he had heard the angels praising God with musical instruments such as the inzira (a large flute), the masinquo (a one-stringed violin), the tsenatsil (a type of sistrum), the kebero (a large drum), and the begena (great harp). He thus had these instruments made and used them to accompany his hymns. St. Yared himself testified that he had indeed heard his hymns from the angels in heaven saying: "Praised be God, Holy, Holy, Holy God, Your hallowed Lordship ! Ruler of heaven and earth. How wondrous is the song I heard from the angels in heaven! "Now Yared set to work and composed a large number of chants for the hymns and liturgy of the church. He also invented a system of musical signs and symbols, and introduced the mequamia (praying stick) to provide support during the long services of his sacred dance.

St. Yared was not only a composer of hymns but also the originator of a new system of education, revealing his discoveries to the people in Geez which they could easily understand therefore, he is the father of Ethiopian education and has greatly contributed to Ethiopian culture. As can steel be seen today, ecclesiastical music and poetry comprise a major part of traditional Ethiopian education and the bases of these were laid down by Yared. The primary stage, 1st nebab bet (simple reading), the 2nd comprising Zeima Bet (school of music or hymns), the 3rd Quine Bet (poetry), the 4th Mesahft Bet (Study of the interpretation of the Scriptures) is still given in the curriculum of the Church schools. The Church was the main source of cultural and ethical inspiration through the years of Ethiopia's isolation and the generations that followed.

St. Yared died at the age of 66 on May 20, 571 A.D. in a cave below the Semien mountain where he had been accustomed to teach.

Yared Tour&Travel

Because Yared is a very important historical person in Ethiopia and his music and hymns are still sung daily in the Orthodox Churches, and because we also have a son named Yared, we have chosen this name for our travel agency.

Our son Yared