“E”asy Thursday!!!

 Why is it “e”asy Thursday? Because I only have one topic for the day and it’s Ethiopia!

Did you know that according to tradition (or legend) Ethiopia was ruled at one time by a dog? Pliny the Elder, a Roman statesman during the first century CE (Common Era) wrote that certain peoples of Ethiopia had chosen a dog for their king. The Tonobari and Ptoenphae peoples built a palace for their dog-king and had his own personal attendants, officers and guards. The dog-king ruled by action: if he scratched himself, he was chill; if he barked, he was angry; if he wagged his tail he was pleased and if he licked someone’s hand, he was honoring that person. However, if he growled, the dog-king was displeased and the person he growled at would be punished by captivity or even put to death. Pliny didn’t tell us the dog-king’s name and I couldn’t find any information on the two peoples of Ethiopia he wrote about.

 This is an illustration of a dog from an ancient manuscript. I thought since this dog-king lived so long ago, it was appropriate.And this noble gentleman is Pliny the elder.

 

This book, by the way, is what started me on my A to Z journey on Awesome and Spectacular Animals!!

 

See how E-asy that was!!! Tomorrow is “F” and I have another horse for you. It’s also Friday Fill-in day, so I may do that as well. You’ll just have to wait and see!

Love and Joy, Toby