Saba: Under the Hyena’s Foot

Then and Now: Ethiopia

Discusses life in Ethiopia in the 1840s for both the poor, and the royalty. Topics include:

• Descriptions of what it was like growing up in the northern highlands, where Saba and Mesfin’s story begins
• Descriptions of the heavy taxation, raiding soldiers, and dangers
• Descriptions of the royal palaces of Gondar, what clothes and jewelry they wore
• Descriptions of the ethnic groups of Gondar, which included the Amhara, Tigray, and Oromoo
• Explanations that orthodox Christianity was embraced by Ethiopian emperors in the fourth century, and was the official religion of Ethiopia for more than fifteen hundred years
• Descriptions of what activities and education a girl in Ethiopia would’ve had
• Explanations that Saba’s royal blood put her at the center of a murderous battle for power
  • In 1855, a Robin-Hood style warrior named Kassa became Emperor Tewodros II
  • Ethiopia’s last emperor, Haile Selassie, was overthrown by the military in 1974
  • Today, Ethiopia is governed by elected officials
• Descriptions of the ethnic groups and languages in Ethiopia today
• Descriptions of what Ethiopian girls may experience today