Ethiopia is considered one of the most historically rich countries in the world. Formerly known as Abyssinia, it is one of the first kingdoms to practice Christianity, incorporating it with its preceding Judaic and Animist beliefs. The country's 3,000 years of history have been passed down through the generations orally and with the written language Geez. Ethiopia's geographical location, being the origin of mankind, has not only contributed to its unique ethnic diversity, but it has also enriched its culture. Most of the documented history, however, has been lost or destroyed over time. In Ethiopia today, one finds a network of oral tradition intertwined with the country's history and traditional lifestyle.

In the spring of 2004, we (Ezra Wube, and Jolie Ruelle) received the Dondis A. Dondis Travel Fellowship, from Massachusetts College of Art, to collect folklore throughout the country of Ethiopia. We believed that the the collection of these stories would serve both as cultural preservation and as personal artistic inspiration.