This is an Ethiopian saying, pertinent to the difference between what anthropologists call the ‘great tradition’ and the ‘little tradition’. I was studying its relevance to the Sermon on the Mount while on the way to a hospital.
‘Great’ refers to the ruling classes of agricultural empires and ‘little’ to the ordinary peasants. The ruling classes promote their understanding of reality, including their justifications for imposing taxes, using the available technology to make sure everybody assents.