Furra facts for kids

Furra or Fura was a powerful queen from the Sidama region in southern Ethiopia. She lived a long time ago, around the 14th or 15th century. People say she ruled for about seven years. During her time, she was known for supporting women and being very strict with men. Her rule ended in a dramatic way when men tricked her with a wild animal. Even today, some places in Sidama are named after parts of her body, remembering her last ride.

Early Life and Rise to Power

We don't have old written records about Queen Furra. Her story comes from oral tradition, which means it has been passed down by people telling it over many generations. People believe she was born in the Sidama region sometime in the 1300s or 1400s. She was a member of the Sidama people.

There are different ideas about which family group she belonged to. Some say she was from Hawella Gadire, Yanassie, Kusaye, or Sawolla. As the first child of her father's first wife, she had a special position and many advantages.

Some stories say that Furra married a very strong leader named Dingama Koyya. He was famous for building large stone monuments and statues that you can still see today. Their son also became very powerful. People were so afraid of them that both her husband and son were killed. After this, Furra took over as queen. Other stories mention she had a daughter named Laango.

Queen Furra's Reign

Queen Furra led a government where women held most of the power. This is called a matriarchy. She was even called the "Queen of the Women" (mentu biilo) instead of "Queen of Sidama." This shows how much she favored women.

She was seen as a very wise leader. She taught women to be strong and not to always agree with men. She also advised women to take care of their appearance and keep men guessing. After seeing that men were not very brave in battles, she gave them simple jobs. She organized the women to be the fighters instead. She even gave men impossible tasks, like trying to collect water using a sieve.

How Queen Furra Treated Men

Queen Furra was very harsh towards men. She especially targeted those who were bald, old, or short. She chose old men because elders are usually respected in Sidama society. She thought they might try to stop her.

One wise old man asked other men for help. They hid him in a cave near a river or in a well. He secretly became their advisor. When the queen demanded that a castle be built in the air, the wise old man told the men what to do. He advised them to ask the queen to lay the foundations first. Since she had to do this on the ground, a normal house could then be built.

The End of Her Rule

Queen Furra ruled for about seven years, continuing to treat men very strictly. Eventually, she demanded a very fast horse to carry her across her land and into battles. The hidden old man gave the other men an idea. He told them to catch a wild animal, like a giraffe, and tie her to it.

The men did this. The powerful animal galloped away, and Queen Furra was severely injured, leading to her death. According to the legend, her body parts fell in different places. These places are now named after them: Anga (meaning "hand"), Leka (meaning "leg"), and Oun (meaning "head"). In these places, men still beat the ground to show their anger, while women pour milk to honor her.

Queen Furra's Legacy

Queen Furra is still a very popular legend among the Sidama people. Her story continues to be told through generations. Men and women even have different songs about her.

The men sing about their anger:

The women sing with sympathy for her:

The Sidama Cultural Centre in Awasa, built in 1984, has a painting of Queen Fura. A college started in 1996 in Irgalem was named Fura after the queen. In 2016, Teshome Birhanu wrote a book in Amharic called Nigist Fura (meaning "Queen Fura"). This book celebrates her as a leader with great ideas. The author and traveler Elizabeth Laird also heard the Fura legend from a storyteller near Lake Awassa. She wrote about it in her book The Lure of the Honey Bird. She compared Queen Furra to another famous queen, Gudit.