Marye, Hewan Semon
Jesting the Lion: Humour in Modern Ethiopia

This book presents spoken and written Amharic jokes from 1855 until 2019, enhanced with English translations and contextual references that make them accessible to non-Amharic speakers as well. The book shows how 'cäwata', the term that stands for ‚humour‘, has served as an indirect medium of communication between various Ethiopian rulers and the public, with a focus on Addis Abäba. The central idea of this book is to demonstrate the essential role of humour in Ethiopia, even under often strenuous economic and political conditions. 'Jesting the Lion' is therefore a record of public opinion, a cultural history of modern Ethiopia in general and of the years 1991-2019 in particular. XIII,235 Seiten mit 8 meist farbigen Abb. und einer Karte, gebunden (Aethiopistische Forschungen; Vol. 89/Harrassowitz 2024) leichte Lagerspuren/minor shelfwear