Jesting the Lion: Humour in Modern Ethiopia 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 ‚č̣äwata’, 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. Among others, it includes 19th century Ethiopian humourous writings, prominent parliamentarians, the traditional theatric art of litigation, jokes told at battles and political rallies, fables narrated in Ethiopian socialisation, and the Amharic craft of the late Prime Minister Mälläs Zenawi. In addition, the interaction between humour and the aspirations of the Ethiopian people on their journey to modernisation in the 19th century is examined as well as the reality of Ethiopian society a century later. 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.