article
Dreams in Amharic prose fiction
Journal of Ethiopian studies • 21 • Published In 1988 • Pages: 155-183
By: Assefa, Taye.
AbstractBrief abstract written by HRAF anthropologists who have done the subject indexing for the document
This is a study of the role of dreams in Amhara prose fiction published between 1932 and 1981. Dreams are used in some cases to advance the plot of a story, but for the most part are illustrative and used to reiterate events already recounted, or to express the underlying emotional and psychological state of the dreamer/character. Assefa identifies two types of dreams: prescriptive waking visions and prophetic sleep-dreams. In the former, a divine agent instructs the dreamer what to do, in the latter a future event is symbolically foretold, the meaning of which the dreamer may or may not comprehend. The symbolism can be complex and is usually based on religious narratives. The article includes many examples of the different kinds of dreams and symbolism found in Amhara fiction.
- SubjectsDocument-level OCM identifiers given by the anthropology subject indexers at HRAF
- Literature
- Literary texts
- Revelation and divination
- cultureCulture name from the Outline of World Cultures (OWC)
- Amhara
- HRAF PubDateThe date HRAF published the document
- 1998
- RegionThe area the document pertains to
- Africa
- Sub RegionThe more specific area the document pertains to, which is located within the Region
- Eastern Africa
- Document TypeMay include journal articles, essays, collections of essays, monographs, or chapters/parts of monographs
- article
- Evaluation
- Creator TypeThe type of person writing the document, e.g. Ethnographer, Missionary, Archaeologist, Folklorist, Linguist, Indigenous Person, and so on.
- Unknown
- AnalystThe HRAF anthropologist who subject indexed the document and prepared other materials for the eHRAF culture/tradition collection
- Ian Skoggard ; 1996
- Field DateThe date the researcher conducted the fieldwork or archival research that produced the document
- unknown
- Coverage DateThe date or dates that the information in the document pertains to
- 1932-1981
- Coverage PlaceLocation of the research culture or tradition (often a smaller unit such as a band, community, or archaeological site)
- Ethiopia
- NotesAdditional notes
- Taye Assefa
- Includes bibliographical references (p. 180-183)
- LCCNLibrary of Congress Control Number
- 67094041
- LCSHLibrary of Congress Subject Headings
- Amhara (African people)