Tyson "Many Ethiopian Kings became monks, this subject matter is something that I would encourage you to explore on your own, its very interesting and there is information out there you can find to help you get some insights into this tradition
Ethiopian Kings could be described as ascetic-kings or monastic-kings and the line between being a king and a monk was very thin.
A typical royal compound of the monarchs consisted of a royal court and the nobility, along with a monastary and its monks
Some kings began their lives in monastic communities and developed such a reputation for rightousness that they became Emperor, others, combined their role as kings with monastic rituals and practices as there was no seperation between Church and State. Fasting, long term prayer, silence, isolation and seclusion were practiced by the Kings while they sat on the throne, it was not only normal but it was expected of them to be disciples of the ascetic life
Some kings were warriors, others ascended to the throne via the monastaries, all of them knew of the extreme importance of the ascetic life and many of them become monks at some time their life
The source of this information is the 'heirographies' or the Geez manuscripts that describe the Lives of Saints, these works are detailed stories of the holy men who have come throughout Ethiopias long history. Some of them were monks, some were kings, others were both, but all were considered Saints because of their profound spirituality and closeness to Christ
It hard to compare the monarchy of England to the monarchy of Ethiopia, the Solomonic line of Kings and its monastic tradition is so well developed and so ancient in comparison to little old England
also, I had actually completed the book before I found that image of the monk, I never knew about it until a few months ago"
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This is great information that you have posted. I have studied information on the topic of ancient Ethiopian kings and the traditions as well. I am your sister in the faith.
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