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Gudit vs. Yekuno Amlak: Ethiopia's Axumite Twilight
Description
In this episode, Lucas and Luna trace the turbulent centuries between the decline of Aksum and the rise of the Solomonic dynasty. They start with the shadowy figure of Queen Gudit, whose 10th-century raids reportedly burned churches and toppled the last Aksumite kings. Then they follow the Zagwe interlude, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, and the quiet resurgence of the Solomonic claim under Yekuno Amlak, whose 1270 coup was justified by the Kebra Nagast. The conversation digs into the contested evidence—chronicles versus oral tradition—and the geopolitics of the Red Sea, where Aksum's fading navy left a vacuum filled by Islamic powers. Along the way, they touch on the Ge'ez inscriptions, the role of monastic leaders like Tekle Haymanot, and how a legendary queen's legacy became a tool for dynastic legitimacy. A nuanced look at how empires end and how memories are recast.