Elizabeth Laird: The Lure of the Honey Bird – The Storytellers of Ethiopia
Elizabeth Laird was no stranger to Ethiopia when she embarked on a journey around the different regions to gather the stories which, with the passing of time, the influences of technology and education and the disappearance of some minority languages, risk being lost forever. She first went out to Ethiopia as a teacher in the time of Haile Selassie I and returned thirty years later to witness the changes that had taken place.
Each journey she made, however difficult it was at times, uncovered a wealth of rich tales from the men and women that she was introduced to: teachers, soldiers and farmers, young and old. She compares some of the stories to those she read in the Bible or found in the Koran. Their content sometimes teaches a lesson in morality cloaked in humour or suspense.
Elizabeth weaves among the stories her own life experiences: memories from her past and introductions to the people who influenced her. She also tells the history of Ethiopia’s people and the turbulent times the country has witnessed. She describes not only the oral traditions of the many people she met, but also their lives and the history of their forefathers. This is told through the tales or explained in the context of the telling of those tales The themes include romance and adultery sometimes coupled with death and destruction. Some leave you laughing, others may leave you questioning and all are entertaining.
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