Emperor Gelawdewos: The Lion Who Outran the Elephant

Emperor Susenyos and the Catholic Schism That Split Ethiopia

In the early 17th century, Emperor Susenyos I made a decision that nearly tore the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church apart: he converted to Catholicism under the influence of Portuguese Jesuit missionaries. This episode explores the political and theological crisis that followed — the Council of Derssanie in 1626, the backlash from the clergy and nobility, the martyrdom of Abuna Amda Maryam, and Susenyos's eventual abdication in favor of his son Fasilides, who expelled the Jesuits and restored the traditional faith. We also look at the broader context: the arrival of the Jesuit mission under Pedro Páez, the construction of the first Catholic church in Gondar, and the legacy of this episode in Ethiopian religious identity. The story raises questions about sovereignty, cultural integrity, and the cost of religious change. #Ethiopia #Susenyos #Jesuits #CouncilOfDerssanie #PedroPaez #Fasilides #Gondar #Tewahedo #CatholicMission #EthiopianHistory #17thCentury #ReligiousConflict #AddisAbaba #History #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica #PortugueseEmpire #AfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Emperor Baeda Maryam: Ethiopia's Solomon of the 15th Century

In the shadow of his father Zara Yaqob, Emperor Baeda Maryam ruled Ethiopia from 1468 to 1478, a reign often overlooked but rich with diplomatic intrigue, artistic flourishing, and a surprising turn toward religious tolerance. This episode explores how Baeda Maryam reversed his father's harsh persecution of the Stephanites, welcomed back exiles, and patronized a golden age of Ge'ez manuscript illumination. We follow his embassies to the Mamluk Sultanate and Portugal, including a letter to the Pope that echoes the Prester John myth. Lucas and Luna dive into the Dabra Berhan Selassie church, the role of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church as a national unifier, and how Baeda Maryam's death from a horse kick set the stage for the instability that followed. A nuanced portrait of a ruler who chose mercy over orthodoxy in a time of change. #BaedaMaryam #EthiopianHistory #ZaraYaqob #Stephanites #Tewahedo #Ge'ez #ManuscriptIllumination #DabraBerhanSelassie #MamlukSultanate #PresterJohn #SolomonicDynasty #15thCentury #ReligiousTolerance #EastAfrica #History #FexingoHistory #EthiopianOrthodox #AfricanHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Emperor Gelawdewos: The Lion Who Outran the Elephant

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the remarkable reign of Emperor Gelawdewos, who ruled Ethiopia from 1540 to 1559. With the Solomonic dynasty nearly crushed by the Adal Sultanate and its leader Ahmed Gragn, Gelawdewos led a desperate resistance from the highlands. We follow his unlikely alliance with Portuguese musketeers under Cristóvão da Gama, the dramatic battle of Wayna Daga where Gragn fell, and Gelawdewos' subsequent diplomatic balancing act with the Jesuit missionary Andrés de Oviedo. We also delve into his theological defense of Ethiopian Tewahedo Christianity against Catholicism at the Council of Derssanie, and his tragic final battle against the Oromo expansion. This episode offers a fresh perspective on a pivotal yet often overlooked figure in Ethiopia's survival story. #Gelawdewos #Ethiopia #Adal #AhmedGragn #CristóvãoDaGama #WaynaDaga #PortugueseMusketeers #Tewahedo #Jesuits #AndrésDeOviedo #CouncilOfDerssanie #Oromo #SolomonicDynasty #Matchlock #16thCentury #HornOfAfrica #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

The Solomonic Restoration: Yekuno Amlak and Ethiopia's New Dynasty

In this episode of Ethiopia's Ancient Empire: Africa's Hidden Superpower, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic rise of Yekuno Amlak, the emperor who overthrew the Zagwe dynasty in 1270 and restored the Solomonic line. They delve into the political and religious landscape of 13th-century Ethiopia, the role of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and the powerful monk Takla Haymanot, and the legendary Kebra Nagast that justified the new dynasty. The conversation covers the Battle of Ansata, the forging of a new royal ideology, and how Yekuno Amlak's reign set the stage for Ethiopia's medieval golden age. Specific terms include Yekuno Amlak, Takla Haymanot, Debre Libanos, Lasta, Shewa, Amhara, and the Kebra Nagast. #YekunoAmlak #SolomonicDynasty #ZagweDynasty #EthiopianHistory #KebraNagast #TaklaHaymanot #DebreLibanos #Lasta #Shewa #Amhara #BattleOfAnsata #MedievalEthiopia #AfricanHistory #OrthodoxTewahedo #EthiopianEmpire #History #FexingoHistory #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]

Lalibela's Secret Underground: The Church of Beta Giyorgis

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the engineering and spiritual ambition behind Lalibela's rock-hewn churches, focusing on the iconic Beta Giyorgis (Church of Saint George) carved from a single block of volcanic tuff in the 12th–13th century. They discuss the Zagwe king Gebre Mesqel Lalibela, who ordered eleven monolithic churches built in Roha (now Lalibela) as a New Jerusalem after Muslim conquests blocked pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Lucas explains how builders excavated from the top down, using trenches and tunnels to shape the church's cruciform plan, and reveals the hydraulic system that still channels water through the site. The conversation touches on the legend of Lalibela's divine vision, the role of the Agaw people, and the controversy over whether foreign craftsmen from Alexandria or Jerusalem assisted. Luna asks about the church's orientation and the symbolism of the interconnected underground passages. The episode ends with Lucas reflecting on how Beta Giyorgis remains a living church, not just a monument, used daily by Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo worshippers. #Lalibela #BetaGiyorgis #RockHewnChurches #ZagweDynasty #GebreMesqelLalibela #EthiopianOrthodox #Tewahedo #MonolithicArchitecture #NewJerusalem #Agaw #Roha #Lasta #MedievalEthiopia #ChurchOfSaintGeorge #EthiopianHistory #FexingoHistory #History #EastAfrica Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo [https://buymeacoffee.com/fexingo]