Life beyond the headlines
As the sun rises, one of the most diverse countries in the world wakes up. Many tragic events have taken place here. But when you take a closer look, an incredible life force becomes apparent. The beauty, spirit and variance of the country and the people is worth celebrating.
Ethiopia has an abundance of ecological niches with amazing diversity.
In the east you find one of the hottest places on earth. The Danakil depression is a vast dessert 100m below sea level with salt plains, colorful hot springs and several active volcanoes.
In the west, the rainforest is still filled with bountiful life. It is the only remaining rainforest in north eastern Africa and it’s decreasing in size every year.
The sof Omar cave In the southeast almost looks man made with it’s great sandstone entrance.
In the south the animals enjoy the rivers, lakes, and savannas.
In the center the great highlands rise up. Nicknamed the roof of Africa they reach altitudes exceeding 5,000m. They provide a unique habitat for many species of animals not found elsewhere.
It was in these mountains that the first capital was founded and the Christian civilization started. It is a land of many legends and mysteries. The rock hewn churches of Lalibela puzzle scientist still to this day.
People have adapted for millennia in their vastly different surroundings. This has resulted in a flora of cultures, languages and traditions.
The specialized skills and knowledge they have acquired over hundreds of years have kept many people isolated until the end of the 20th century.
We will visit some of the people, and the land they live in, in search of that powerful life force, in their lives beyond the headlines.
Lets start at the beginning. This is Axum, the first known capitol of Ethiopia, founded some 3,000 years ago.
Ethiopian history is much older than that.
Lucy - one of the oldest humanoid skeleton dating back 3,2 million years was found in the Danakil dessert.
Even though empires like the Greeks and Egyptians have 5000 year old records of contact with the Ethiopians, there is almost nothing written down in Ethiopian history about the time before Axum.
Axum is known for the obelisks standing some 27m tall and weighing over 500 tons.
They were carved out of one piece of granite at a quarry some distance from where they were erected. No one really knows how they were moved from the mountainside.
The largest obelisk is thought to have toppled over at the time of erection and is according to legend covering the grave of the Queen of Sheba.
Her legend is of greatest importance to the Ethiopians and has influenced numerous cultures around the world.
She is mentioned both in the Bible and the Koran
These are the ruins of Queen of Sheba’s palace and the artifacts left behind.
According to legend the queen impressed by king Salomon’s wisdom and power, traveled to visit him in Jerusalem.
Nine months after her visit, she gave birth to a son - Menelik, the founder of the Solomonic dynasty.
Menelik went back to visit his father in Jerusalem. Before he returned to Ethiopia, King Salomon summoned the tribe of Dan to accompany Menelik. On their return to Ethiopia they brought the Ark of covenant with them.
Today a replica is kept in all the major churches in Ethiopia to insure that it will not leave the country.
The Solomonic dynasty ended only thirty years ago with the death of Haile Selasse. The 225th emperor of the dynasty
Remains and many tombs of the old emperors are open to the public in Axum.
The Axumite empire went to its grave in the 9th century.
Some 300 years later, in Lalibela, another emperor had great impact on history.
In what appears to be a normal mountain top, you find great ancient mysteries.
Beta Ghiorgis - the house of St. George is one of hundreds of rock hewn churches in Ethiopia.
Each one cut straight out of the volcanic mountain.
Every detail carved out by hand produces a structure that is hard to imagine as one single piece of rock.
This historical site is as living as the old Christian faith you find in the people coming here to worship.
They make their pilgrimage here in the thousands to witness the mystical rituals during pre-dawn mass.
The passage to the church entrance leads down through narrow paths and tunnels.
Along the way people are gathered to celebrate mass and to receive their blessings.
Christianity was introduced to the Ethiopians in the 4th century. Since then, music has been crucial to the survival of the church through times of hardship. It still plays a central role in the ceremonies and creates an atmosphere from a different time.
In the caves chiseled out in the rock around the churches priests and monks practice the ancient songs.
Many of the monks live in the walls around the churches. Small caves and chambers have been cut out to provide sleeping quarters.
Connected by tunnels and narrow passages Lalibela has 11 of the greatest rock churches in Ethiopia. It is still a mystery how these churches were created , but most Ethiopians agree. The myth of king Lalibela holds the answer.
In the 12th century A Prince was born in Roha, the old name for Lalibela.
The reigning monarch grew jealous and poisoned him.
In his struggle with death, the prince was brought to heaven where his true purpose was revealed. He was to live and become king. In return he was to build 11 churches unlike any built before.
As soon as he was crowned king, he set out to fulfill his task. The work was carried out side by side by men and angels.
Others say that the king visited Jerusalem and that the angels of the legend were crusaders helping to build a second Jerusalem.
Just like in Axum, it is claimed that the lost ark is kept here. In the holiest of each church there is a priest who has devoted his life to protect it.
It is hard to know what is fact and what is legend but one thing is certain, incredible skill and knowledge were needed to create these magnificent churches.
Another place where the ark is claimed to be guarded is in lake Tana - the source of the blue Nile.
Some say that the Jews who followed Menelik from Jerusalem stayed on the 37 islands in the lake. There they have guarded it ever since and that is how the Falasha Jews came to Ethiopia. The Falasha Jews are yet another mystery. They still practice the old Jewish traditions dating back 2000 years.
Some say that they are pagans who converted to Judaism and others say that they are the lost Israeli tribe of Dan.
The water from Lake Tana makes its way down the mountains passing the largest water falls of Ethiopia.
It is named Tis Issat - water that smokes, At the Blue Nile falls the water drops 50m on its way down through Ethiopia and Sudan to Egypt.
The river cuts a winding path through the highlands, as deep as the Grand Canyon, on its journey to the Mediterranean sea 5,000 km away.
Not far from Lake Tana is Gondar. This was the capital from the middle of the 17th century. It was founded by Emperor Fascileados He built a palace for himself and every successor followed in his footsteps and constructed castles in the same compound.
The castles are said to have been covered in ivory and gold at their prime.
Gondar remained the capital to the end of the 19th century.
The reason for moving from both Axum and Gondar was the shortage of fire wood.
The emperor Menelik and his wife Taitu Spent some time in a military camp on the Entoto mountain where they felt it was ideal to live. They called it the "New flower" Addis Ababa.
At this time the fast-growing eucalyptus tree was imported from Australia and firewood was produced on a greater scale.
Addis Ababa is a increasingly westernized city with extreme contrasts. New is mixed with old and poverty is side by side with abundance.
This is where the last emperor in the Solomonic dynasty ended his life. Haile Selassie was not only an emperor, to many he is still a god.
RasTaferi Mekonnen was born in 1892.
When he was crowned emperor in 1930 he was given the name Haile selassie
According to he Rastafarians the prophesy from the old testament was fulfilled. They had found their god.
When the Italians invaded Ethiopia in1936 Rastafarians all around the world protested. As thanks for their support Haile Selassie gave them some land in Ethiopia to call their own.
Rastafarians from different parts of the world have moved to their new homeland to create a new world with their faith as a cornerstone in society.
But the Rastafarians are a very small part of the population. Most of the people live in the highlands.
The majestic highlands cover the majority of the Ethiopian countryside.
Two thirds of the country is situated on altitudes above 2000 m.
The altitude has one big advantage. Malaria is not a problem in many areas. But farming this land is no easy task.
The population has exploded the last 50 years and there are now more than 80 million people in the country.
Every fertile piece of land is used.
The mountains look like a three dimensional patchwork of fields climbing up the slopes.
In the horn of Africa Cushitic, Semitic, and Nilotic people have intertwined creating an amazing diversity of people. There are more than 70 different ethnicities with their own languages and cultures only in Ethiopia
The Amharas and Tigrai people live in the highlands. Together with the Oromos they make up three quarters of the population in the country. Since almost half of the population is under the age of fifteen the children start working in the fields at an early age.
The Amharas are farmers and still work their land the old style. They plow with the help of oxen and harvesting is done by hand.
A common crop is the local grain teff which grows well at these altitudes.
Livestock is used to thresh the harvest before the seeds are separated and ready to use or to be sold.
Another big source of income for the highland people is raising livestock. There are more livestock here than anywhere else in Africa.
Further up in the highlands there are some 25 peaks reaching altitudes over 4000m.
There are times when snow falls up here.
This area has been nicknamed the alps of Africa.
It is not hard to understand why the Italians felt at home in the alpine surroundings.
But it is not only people who like the unique African climate.
The Galeda baboon is also fond of the area.
There are more than 20 species of animals not found anywhere else than in Ethiopia.
Most of them are birds but one of the endemic species is the Galeda baboon.
They live in larger groups than most other primates and feed primarily on grass.
You can find groups with up to 600 animals.
Their long fur keeps them warm in the cold nights they spend on cliffs far from predators.
They are very social animals and they seem to know how to enjoy life as they graze away.
The Galedas always feed as a group. In the drier part of the year they dig for roots and eat herbs.
It does look a little bit dry at the moment but the dry season is coming to an end.
Suddenly one day, they come blowing in.
Life, in the form of clouds.
If they fail to come it will be a disaster for many.
The rainy season varies tremendously in different parts of the country.
Some areas in the west have eight months of rain a year
In the east you might just have a couple of days of rainfall.
The clouds roll in. Like a blanket they cover the mountains and the whole landscape changes as the tropical storms build.
Just some weeks after the rains have started the highlands turn green.
It looks like spring has arrived.
But in the east there is still no rain.
In the Danakil desert it hardly ever rains.
This is not just another dry dessert. This is where three continental plates of earths crust meet.
It is known to geologists as the Afar triple junction.
The continental breakup produces a valley caused by the sinking of the ground when the earth pulls apart.
The ground is more than 100m below sea level.
The movement also creates cracks, faults, hot springs and volcanoes in the region.
The sulfur and potassium salts spraying up in the hot springs create this multicolored landscape.
Together with the acid lime green ponds it looks like a different planet.
The active springs are usually white yellow, while older springs turn rust-colored from oxidation
The rock on top of the hot springs is filled with holes like a sponge which makes it a dangerous place to travel.
When a pond dries up it leaves beautiful shapes of salt and minerals.
There are even lakes formed from the springs with decorative salt deposits along the edges.
With the geyser and yellow upwelling the lake almost looks like a cauldron filled with a bubbling witches’ brew.
But this is not the only storybook location around here.
Just 150 km away there is a black mountain standing some 600m above the desert floor.
You might expect Bilbo Baggins to come climbing the mountain at any second.
The name Erta Ale translates in to the mountain that smokes.
As the sun sets it is clear where the name comes from.
This is one of the most active volcanoes with the longest existing lava lake in the world
The surface can reach temperatures of 1000C when the lava explodes.
The lake goes through cycles. The surface can smolder for hours before the next burst of activity.
The last major eruption was in 2005 when thousands of people were evacuated.
No one knows when the next eruption is coming.
The water from the highland rain is approaching the Danakil.
Billions of gallons of water rush down to the desert.
Here, below sea level it will vanish into thin air, leaving a sea of salt.
With constant winds reaching temperatures of 50 degrees Celsius, One might not expect to find people here.
But this is where the Afars work.
In blazing sun they break up the salt from the ground.
It is cut up and shaped into blocks that can be sold in the highlands.
The blocks are loaded on camels and transported 150 km up the 2,000m high mountains to the salt market.
The Danakil has been Afar land for thousands of years.
They are nomadic people with an amazing aptitude for heat and drought.
Their huts are dome shaped, made from thin branches covered with animal hide or palm mats.
The settlements are enclosed with acacia thorns to keep predators out.
The huts can be packed up, and moved in less than a day.
Since the ground gets boiling hot from the sun they have beds raised from the ground to keep cool at night.
The women spend the hot hours of the day in the hut preparing meals and looking after the small children.
This is often the only place to find relief from the scorching sun.
The women are in charge of the family since the men are away for long periods of time looking after livestock.
The Camels represent freedom to the afars and are never ridden but rather used as pack animals. They are crucial for survival in this harsh terrain to carry huts, firewood or anything else that is needed.
One camel can be worth 50 - 60 goats. A large camel herd will provide great wealth and esteem.
Afars are commonly known as violent people. Every boy gets armed at an early age and is raised to handle weapons. They are known as the warrior people. But behind that image most Afars are actually quite peaceful people living from their livestock.
They are very close to their animals. At birth each newborn child is given a female animal from each species. This is the start of the herd that they will need to provide for themselves.
The animals live in the settlement and some come into the huts. They are part of the family, even though they don’t seem to like it all the time.
The men milk the cows. To get the cows to come and be still during milking the Afars pour some milk on a calf skin. The cows follow the scent of the skin which makes them calm and easier to milk.
A rope is tied around the legs just in case.
Now and then a little milk is added to the skin
If there are no skins available the cows will settle for some milk straight up.
The Afars love milk. Not just a little glass, but a lot of milk. Everybody drinks it.
You have to start early to get used to cow’s milk, but mommy’s milk is still better.
As the temperatures drop to a more humane level the women start preparing the other staple food, cornbread.
To bake the bread they use a clay pit which they heat up with a fire.
The corn is pounded and ground. They mix it with some water and ground it some more into a dough.
The dough is shaped into the right size and gently patted to the sides of the clay oven.
The oven is covered, to keep the heat in, and left to bake. In forty minutes hot cornbread can be enjoyed with some fresh milk.
After a days work the desert fills with drum beats and singing as the Afars enjoy the somewhat cooler nights.
The extreme variations in nature have shaped many cultures in Ethiopia.
The hot springs of the desert have become part of the Afar identity.
Most springs are poisonous but in this oasis there are fresh water springs large enough to create a small river.
It looks cool and refreshing but the water is well above 45 degrees Celsius.
Since water is a valuable commodity in the desert, the Afars protect the springs as if they were holy.
They have become part of the local culture.
Further south in the Bale mountains the nature has had an impact on religions as well.
This is the Webbe river.
A long time ago, some of the water found a new path through the sandstone.
As time passed, it carved out a cave system big enough to capture the whole flow of the river.
The Sof Omar caves were formed.
It is one of the largest natural cave systems in Africa.
The polished rock walls and sandstone pillars reflecting in the surface of the river create a serene atmosphere.
Locals believe that something so beautiful must have been shaped by God himself.
The beauty of this natural wonder has influenced several religions. In some local religions the caves are used as a place of worship and sacrifice.
The caves were named Sof Omar after a Muslim holy man.
About half of the population of Ethiopia is Muslim. They consider these caves sacred as well.
Another sacred place for the Muslims is Harar.
Harar was a major trading center with the Arabian peninsula and the far east for centuries .
Islam came to Ethiopia in the 7th century from the middle-east and Harar became one of the first Muslim cities of Africa.
A wall was built around the town to keep enemies out.
Within the wall there is said to be 99 mosques.
The colorful people and architecture make it a city, different from any other in the country.
Christians and Muslims have been living side by side for over a millennia in Ethiopia.
Many feel that having faith is more important than what religion you belong to.
In Harar the hyena man is perceived as a religious man with a God given gift of talking to the hyenas.
This gift has been passed down to him through generations.
For many, it is yet another testimony of how powerful strong faith can be.
There are quite a few wild hyenas left in Ethiopia but many other large animals are hard to find.
The wild hogs are safer since the lions and other large predators have become so scarce.
The growing number of people are farming more land and the animals lose their habitats
In less than a hundred years most elephants, giraffes and zebras have disappeared.
The numbers of Oryx and other antelopes are declining even within the national parks since grazing land is needed for livestock..
The animals you still find in abundance are birds.
In the whole of Africa there are some 2,000 species of birds. The unique variation in climate and habitats has made Ethiopia into a bird haven and home to about 900 of those species.
More than 20 of them can not be found anywhere else in the world.
In the southern part of the Ethiopian Rift Valley there are a number of lakes . Some lakes are deep, others are shallow.
There are salt lakes and soda water lakes. Each one providing their own unique habitat for the birds.
The surrounding nature varies from desert and savannah to lush areas around the water.
Wherever you look there are more birds.
Lake Abiata is home to both the lesser and the greater flamingoes. They come here in the thousands to feed in the shallow waters.
The majority of the worlds flamingo population is found in east Africa.
Lake Awasa has a large population of the Marabou stork. They are probably some of the ugliest birds around but they are impressive standing 1,5m tall with a wingspan of almost 3m.
Among all the different birds there is one that stands out by its characteristic sound. The African fish eagle. With its powerful wings reaching 1,5m they can catch fish as heavy as themselves.
lake Shamo looks peaceful at a distance.
But when you get out on the lake the nickname azzo gabaya - the crocodile market - makes sense.
There are more crocodiles here than anywhere else in Ethiopia.
That does not scare the birds away. The lake is filled with life.
People here are more scared of hippos than crocodiles since they are strong enough to tip over a boat.
The Pelicans can be found in great numbers.
Their favorite feeding ground is where the river enters the lake.
It turns into a feeding frenzy when the pelicans work together to catch the fish .
But they always have to keep a watchful eye out for the crocodiles.
When they move, they move fast.
In the mountains not far from lake Shamo there is a different kind of market. It looks like most other markets in Ethiopia but there is one big difference.
Mostly cotton and fabrics are sold here. This is were the Dorse people do business.
The word Dorse means weavers. It is not clear if the people are named after the word or if the craft is named after the people, but it fits.
The boys are taught at an early age how to weave. At the age of eight or nine they are ready to start making their own fabrics.
By the time they are men they have mastered the art and are known as the best weavers you can find.
The looms are very simple but with skilled hands and feet they work incredibly well.
The women are responsible for turning the cotton into the thread that is used to create the beautiful fabrics.
They have the reputation of having the best quality and are sought after all over the country.
When the women are not busy spinning thread they also provide the food.
The staple food is bread made from the false banana plant - called Inset.
The edible part of the stem is removed from the fibers and left to ferment.
There are still plenty of fibers left which have to be cut into small pieces before it can be digested.
They make flat cakes which are wrapped in the inset leaves and ready to bake in the fire.
The prominent part weaving plays in the Dorse culture can even be seen in their huts.
They actually weave the Elephant-shape out of bamboo.
The eyes are designed to let the smoke out and the trunk ends in a doorway.
It takes two men several months to weave the three layers of the hut.
The Inner structure is made from split bamboo woven around the thicker bamboo skeleton.
The whole hut is covered with a layer of bamboo leaves to keep the rain out.
The smoke from the fire will keep most parasites away but termites will still damage the part along the ground. That is why the Dorse build their huts more than 30 feet high. It allows them to, every 3-5 years, cut away termite damage. They can repeat this procedure many times before the hut gets too low to live in.
The Dorse people say that a well built hut can last you a lifetime.
Before the Dorse farmed enough cotton on their own they bought it from the neighboring Konso people. Even with the short distance and the working relationship between them, it is amazing to see the differences in their cultures.
The Konso live in the mountains as well but their villages look worlds apart. They build them on mountaintops with stone and wood fencing to keep enemies out.
The characteristic villages are well protected and beautiful at the same time.
Each family has a smaller settlement within the village.
A well crafted grass roof is a trademark for a proper konso hut. They decorate it with clay pots and berries.
They are hardworking people but that does not stop them from enjoying home made beer together. It is pretty common in a konso village to see a group of people discussing important issues while drinking the gray goopy beer. They consider it to be good nourishment and the Konso way to relax before working hard in the fields again.
All around the villages, stone terraces have been built to prevent erosion. The konso were the first to farm the mountain slopes like this centuries ago.
You only find the Konso in the highlands. When you reach the Omo valley the settlements end.
Over 20 different groups of people have coexisted here for centuries. This valley was closed to the rest of the world, just a couple of decades ago.
When anthropologists came here in the 1970s many people had never heard of a land called Ethiopia.
These are the Mursi. They stay in primitive settlements and live from herding cattle and growing crops.
The women get their lower lip pierced at an early age and over a period of years it is stretched to produce this characteristic look.
There are several theories to why this was adopted. It may have been to discourage slave traders from taking them, or to prevent evil to enter the body.
Today the size of the lip decides the number of cattle you have to offer the woman’s family to ask for her hand in marriage.
The different groups in the Omo valley like the Hamer, Surma, Bodi and Mursi, have been in conflict with each other as long as anyone here can remember.
They are known as fierce warriors and display their scars with pride.
The valley has been turned in to a national park and tourists come here to view the different people. It has created an eerie atmosphere in the valley.
The trips that are arranged are almost like the typical safaris with the difference that the cameras are aimed at humans.
The great interest in these fascinating people is very understandable. But in some of their eyes you find a sad but angry look of defeat. Omo Valley is not as wild as it once was.
There are some areas left that have not been tamed, yet.
It is estimated that about 50% of Ethiopia was covered by forest a century ago. Today that number is down to 3.
Most of that forest is found in the west.
This is where you find the last unchartered wilderness in Ethiopia - and the only remaining rainforest.
There are no extensive studies made on the plants and animals you find here. It is still a land of unknown discoveries.
It is home to the Majang, They had almost no contact with outside people until the end of the 20th century. This is the first time they have ever been portrayed in a documentary.
No one knows just how long they have been isolated in the forest. They lived spread out in small settlements not bothering their neighbors.
The reason for their isolation is that neighboring people did not have the knowledge to survive here.
The only livestock that could last in the forest was chicken and hunting is hard in the thick undergrowth.
It is like a natural maze only majangs know how to navigate, which made it a perfect place for hiding.
The only way to survive was the shifting cultivation that the majangs practice.
The Majangs are known as the honey people. Bee keeping is, after shifting cultivation, considered to be the most important activity to them.
Logs are hollowed out to create bee hives which are then tied together high up in the trees.
The area around the hive is claimed by the owner and called 'Jang Nat' - My wilderness.
The actual bee colony on the other hand can never be owned. Majangs only claim ownership over things found or which have required labor to produce.
Boys start bee keeping at an early age. By the time they grow up the number of hives can be over a 100.
This is not the season for harvesting but the men are willing to show how it is done. Normally they climb the trees after sunset when, as the Majangs say, The bees do not sting so badly.
Climbing 20-30m in the dark with angry bees swarming around is risky. Many get injured and some falls are fatal. But the Majangs show no fear.
Sticks are tied together and set on fire to produce smoke to calm the bees.
A calebass for the honey and a new leaf plug is brought to replace the old one.
The old leaf plug is removed slightly and smoke is blown into the hive to stun the bees. Many bee stings are expected and considered comical by on looking Majangs. Especially if they are in funny places like the tongue or armpit.
The leaf plug is removed and the honey can be harvested.
Some men harvest over 600kg of honey a year but the average is about a third of that.
About half the honey is sold. The rest is consumed either as food or as honey wine. Honey wine is prepared by the men. The best time to enjoy it, according to the Majangs, is at dawn when uninvited guests are few.
It is only shared with close friends and relatives in the settlement.
Each settlement consists of at least one male and one female, usually a couple but it can also be friends or relatives.
There is a female hut a male hut and a cooking hut. There are also smaller huts for children since they move from their mothers at the age of seven. Now they are almost adult and expected to help with work and taking care of the babies.
Marriage does not exist here as it does in most cultures. Their view of marriage is simple. The man prepares fields for the woman and the woman prepares hot meals for the man. If either one stops, there is no reason for them to stay together. The woman is only expected to cook one hot meal a day so if a man wants more he is free to prepare fields for another woman.
Their word for family is Tajan among which means "same wine" . Family consists of the people you share wine with.
The existence that Majangs have enjoyed for centuries was threatened by a plant that grows wild in the forest - Coffee. Well not the actual coffee but people interested in growing coffee on their land. Luckily, for the Majangs and the forest, the altitude is too low to produce high quality coffee beans here.
The majangs use a different part of the plant for a traditional drink. They roast the leaves to make a drink called Kari. They say that it cleans your mouth of bad taste and is good in the mornings.
This drink is only shared by neighbors. The word neighborhood is in Majang "Kari among" translating into - same coffee
The neighbors share everything they have in order to survive. They are more important than relatives living far away and almost considered family.
The forest is filled with everything the Majangs need. They say that the only thing required to survive is a machete. The skills needed, and knowledge about their environment, is already passed down to each Majang.
This is a Tangi tree. It is not found outside the forest and is one of the many plants with a specific purpose. It is the blanket tree.
Wooden sticks shaped with the essential machete are used to peel the bark off like a sock.
Today a baby blanket is going to be made.
When the blanket is peeled to the required length, they removed the outer bark and the acidic sap needs to be rinsed out before the blanket can be dried and used .
On most occasions the Majangs seem to really enjoy life and today is no different. Even while working they sing and laugh on their way down to the river.
When the work is done it is time to relax.
Even the monkeys get some free entertainment before it is their time to say good night - the monkey way.
Another day is coming to an end and the sun spreads some last light on the majestic landscapes.
These simple stories of people living their normal lives are just a fragment in a continent bursting with a multitude.
They might not have the easiest, happiest or longest lives. But is hard not to be touched by the faith and life force that runs through them.
It is easy to see all the misery that makes it to the headlines but hopefully we can remember the beautiful lives that do exist beyond them and even in them.