The Exaltation of Holy Cross and the Deposition of the Emperor of Ethiopia: Lej Iyasu a Masqal Drama

On September 27, 1916 (17 Maskaram 1909 E.C.), the Ethiopian ruler Iyasu was excommunicated and deposed. Although there is a great deal of literature concerned with the local and international political forces behind this coup, its timing has been considered only in passing. This article focuses on the fact that this event coincided with the major Christian festival of Masqal (the Festival of the Cross), an early Christian celebration, which was elevated to the de facto status of a major feast by the Ethiopian Church in the fifteenth century. The article analyzes the coup in the light of three key Masqal themes: (1) Christianity's superiority over Islam; (2) imperial presence (or absence) and power; and (3) appointment and dismissal. Using both historical accounts and ethnographic reports each of these themes is explored in an attempt to deepen our understanding of the religious-cultural aspects of what at first glance may appear to be an exclusively political episode.