The Zagwe Dynasty ruled Ethiopia during the 12th century, continuing the country's Christian literary traditions in Ge'ez language. Religious texts, hagiographies, and liturgical poetry were composed and copied in monasteries, maintaining continuity with earlier Aksumite literary culture while developing distinctively Ethiopian Christian expressions.

Ge'ez religious poetry and hymnography developed distinctive Ethiopian characteristics while maintaining connections to broader Christian literary traditions. The Zagwe period's rock-hewn churches at Lalibela, though architectural rather than literary monuments, inspired devotional poetry celebrating these sacred spaces. Manuscript production during this period preserved earlier texts and established scribal traditions that would continue through subsequent Ethiopian dynasties.