The Begena - Ancient Instrument With a Modern Voice

The begena is a chordophone (stringed instrument) that resemble a large lyre or a simple rustic harp. With a length of at least a yard and sometimes close to two yards the begena is a large instrument. It has ten strings that in the past were made of cow or ox gut but nylon is normally used today. Of the ten strings only six are actually plucked when playing.

The strings stretch across a sound box normally made of eucalyptus or juniper wood which is covered with stretched animal hide. The instrument is traditionally played while sitting with the begena resting on a knee and one hand plucking the strings.

The begena, even in its modern form, is a very simple instrument. It is likely that it closely resembles the first stringed instruments but tracking the instrument through history is challenging. The problem is that going back thousands of years people did not distinguish between specific instruments like we do today. Any similar stringed instrument might be called a begena, a harp or lyre. Instruments were not mass produced based on specific plans and could change greatly from region to region or even town to town.

We do know that in Ethiopian it is believed that the begena was first introduce to that region around 1,000 BC when Menelik I (the son of King Solomon and Makeda, Queen of Sheba) brought it with him from Israel. Called the "Harp of King David", the Ethiopians believe it was actually a begena and not a harp that David played to sooth King Saul of his insomnia.

Whichever version of history you believe, it is safe to say that the begena has been around for at least 3,000 years in a form almost identical to the modern version.

Interest in the begena is on the rise. For years even in Ethiopia the begena was rarely heard publicly since traditionally the begena was used to accompany religious chants that could last for hours and these songs where frequently sung in isolation.

Now the Abune Gorgorioys School in Ethiopia is training a new generation in the art of plucking this ancient instrument. Courses of three and six months are offered and recently a class of 53 was graduated. Public performances are more common and this has led to increased international interest in the begena. Alèmu Aga, the acknowledged living master of the instrument has performed with his begena throughout Europe.