A Day in Bishoftu:Errechaa a Quest for Identity?
Sunday morning is when the official ceremony starts. The multitude begins to move towards the lake and the tree, following a group of gray-haired ladies who clasp a handful of fresh cut grass in one hand and a long, thin ceremonial cane in the other. They sing together with a smooth and sweet sound–“Oh mareo mareo”–in a repeating chorus, (meaning, “we have come back again after a year”). They kneel down by the side of the water and touch the water with the grass in their hands, then sprinkle it on their bodies and on the people behind them. The people follow in their steps and the sprinkling continues. Fulfilling their vows by offering their gifts and prayers, people leave the side of the lake to make room for the newcomers.
From our Archive: The Amharic version of this piece was originally published on Addis Neger News paper. The settings and the interviews were taken in the previous year’s Errecha festival.
Bishoftu, a town known for its natural beauty, is once again preparing herself for an enormous number of visitors. The town’s administration expects four million people to visit the town on this day; some on pilgrimages and others visiting the yearly traditional Oromo festivities.
All of the town’s hotel rooms have been booked weeks ago. The roads are filled with people colorfully dressed in traditional Oromo clothing, transforming them into large cultural pageant stages. The roadsides and stadium host bazaars of different kinds. Thousands gather to take part in the music shows here and there. Some run in a group of 40-strong, holding their rifles on their shoulders and singing cultural songs. The heavily armed anti-riot police squad is everywhere; their shields, helmets and masks indicate what they are prepared for. Everyone appears to be focused in one direction–Hora Arsede, the lakeside venue of annual Oromo worship.
“Being a Waqefeta is being oneself”
The multitudes waving national and regional flags lend additional color to the festivities. T-shirts, scarves, banners and other articles of clothing printed in the colors of the flag add to the vibrancy. One can easily see the emotions behind the banners: “Erecha is our culture!” and, more frequently, “Waaqeffetaa Ta’uun of tauudha!” (literally meaning, “being a Waqefeta is being oneself!”). The end of the march is on the side of the lake sometimes called “Oda Buluqa” to indicate its nature as a shrine.
The eastern side of the lake hosts another cultural centre –the massive, old tree that appears to have been standing there from time immemorial. The area surrounding the shrine sends messages to each of the sensory organs. The calmness and the natural beauty of the lake, the birds of different species–in the air and on the water–and the surrounding lush, green hills are all to be venerated. The pilgrims have more to offer their god than the songs they sing. Some offer incense now and then, while women offer butter by smearing it on the trunk of the tree; others pour bottles of homemade beers or drop hidden things into the lake. Each of these offerings take place in the natural worship place that Abba Gadda, Negesse Negewo calls galma (a house or hall).
Circling the Oda tree, different groups of people sit creating their own smaller circles still. In the middle of each small circle there is a person sitting on a special mat and covering their head. They chant, bless and pray in the typical way of Ethiopian balewuqabi’s (spirit hosts). Small drums are beaten and people around them clap and ululate in veneration of their chants. Ceremonial coffee is also brewed and offered to these specialists who, it is believed, host the spirits that their followers pray to. These small ceremonies continue for days, beginning on the eve of the main Errecha festivity. The chants, songs, prayers and blessings are multi lingual–Oromiffa, Amharic, and Arabic are interchanged as necessary.
Sunday morning is when the official ceremony starts. The multitude begins to move towards the lake and the tree, following a group of gray-haired ladies who clasp a handful of fresh cut grass in one hand and a long, thin ceremonial cane in the other. They sing together with a smooth and sweet sound–“Oh mareo mareo”–in a repeating chorus, (meaning, “we have come back again after a year”). They kneel down by the side of the water and touch the water with the grass in their hands, then sprinkle it on their bodies and on the people behind them. The people follow in their steps and the sprinkling continues. Fulfilling their vows by offering their gifts and prayers, people leave the side of the lake to make room for the newcomers. But no one leaves the place until the Abba Gaddas (ceremony leaders) give their blessings and prayers.
The singing and dancing abates once the Abba Gaddas begin their prayers. The pilgrims receive their blessings, dutifully reciting “Amen” after every sentence of the Abba Gaddas’ prayers. The prayers encompass regional and national concerns–national peace, prosperous harvests and good health for the people and their animals. According to the Abba Gaddas, the usual animal sacrifice cannot be performed on this day due to the vast number of the pilgrims, and so it is postponed to the following Sunday when the second phase of the ceremonies will be held. After the traditional ceremony, the Abba Gaddas make an appearance on a televised program in which the president of the regional government and other dignitaries participate.
The song and dance continues once again. Chants and blessings flow in all directions, while the incoming pilgrims continue to fulfill their vows and the police try to decrease the number of people in the shrine. The newcomers come with new songs; some sing war-like songs while others fall into a trance-like state and shout frighteningly. Still others stand by, observing these things with fear and, in some cases, disgust. Some of the observers discuss the appropriateness of such acts in this place.
Abba Gadda Negesse Negewo suggests, in his brief interview with Addis Neger, that the scene is “inappropriate”. “Qalichas are not to come and chant in the shrine. They should do it in their own galmas, where it is appropriate for them,” says the Abba Gadda. Yet he has more compassion on those who fall into trances. “Some people’s zar (spirit) can stir up in such festivities,” he explains, though he indicates that, “they should be treated in their own houses.”
Thanks-giving Day
Erressa, or Erecha, is one of the main festivals celebrated within the traditional Oromo religion. The Abba Gadda from the Tulema clan, Negesse Negewo, explains the reason for the festival to Addis Neger, saying, “Erressa, or Errecha, is a thanks-giving day”. He continues, “The meaning of the word itself is thanks-giving or offering.” Another Abba Gadda from the Guji clan, Dambobe Agga, adds, “During this festival we thank Waqa (Oromo traditiona deity), for he has taken us out of the darkness, which is the winter.” Getachew Amente, who studies the Oromo traditional religion, explains why the winter is referenced as “darkness” within the religion. Particularly for Oromo farmers, he says, the season is “so harsh. Animals and people die because of flooding and storms and people cannot meet each other because the rivers are full. Moreover, the farmer’s barn is empty because they spill their grain in the belief of getting more harvest.”
According to Getachew, the struggle against the natural elements causes the people to seek a divine shield from Waqa. He draws his argument from the manner in which the festival is being celebrated. Getachew explains that Errecha is a biannual celebration; the first one will be celebrated at the beginning of the winter. He reveals that there is no need to celebrate this festival together, so each family instead seeks the face of Waqa by climbing a nearby hill. “This celebration is a celebration of prayers,” explains Getachew. “The prayers are prayers of supplication for Waqa’s gift of a proper rain and the removal of winter diseases.” According to Getachew, the second Errecha is a day for giving thanks, which differs in purpose from the first celebration.
Worship or Nationalism?
For followers like Getachew, the reason behind this splendid celebration is “the reestablishment of the Waqefena religion”. Getachew says that Waqefena (the traditional Oromo religion) was suppressed by former regimes. “In the era of the kings in Ethiopia,” explains Getachew, “the religion nearly died out because it was considered idol worship.” He also says that the Communist era was also not a good era for the religion, since all religions were discouraged by the regime. Getachew believes that now the religion is “given due respect”. He mentions some examples, noting, “the festival has become a national holiday on a regional basis, and the presence of the regional president and other dignitaries at the festival makes the people return to their fathers’ religion.”
Yet Tesfaye Fufa, Parliamentary Representative of the Oromo Federalist Congress, has another argument. “Yes, many Oromos show the inclination to follow their traditional religion. But,” he says, “what is expressed in these festivals is a quest for identity.” Tesfaye cites his reason, remarking, “most people who participate in the festival are followers of different religions. Most of the people who go to the festival go just to visit their fathers’ religion–no more than that.” In Tesfaye’s opinion, the festival coordinators share this motivation.
Abba Gadda Negesse has also observed that most people in the festival are not true followers of the religion. He too recognizes the contradictions between the visitor’s religion and Waqefenna. He notes, “There are some people who throw out their ceremonial beads.” But he says that there are also signs of the reestablishment of the Oromo traditional religion. He says, “Even if there are people who come for another purpose, the new generation is in search of their fathers’ religion.”
Is Ereech only for Oromos?
During the Sunday morning celebration and throughout the roadside music and dancing, the Oromo ethno-nationalist feelings are evidently high. The slogans, banners and songs are all expressions of this. Before and after the Sunday morning televised festival, one can easily see the multi-ethnic nature of Errecha. The worshippers after the ceremony seem to communicate with each other irrespective of ethnic differences. They sing, chant, and dance together in different languages and cultures. They pass their own blessings according to their own background, with the expected vigorous response “Amen!”
“Oh, coming to you, swimming unto you, I hope the boat breaks and I am eaten by a fish”
“Praise be to him, He took my sickness and made me worthy of befriending others”
These are Amharic phrases, sung by a young farmer named Debele Seyoum. He came to the festival from the area called Ajere, around Minjar. His earnest faith is expressed in his tone and willingness to sing to the spirit. He sings in Oromiffa and Arabic. Asked why he uses different languages, he answers, “As there are many saints in Christianity, there are many spirits.” He also says that he needs to use different languages in order to speak to the different spirits who speak in different languages.
The people in attendance are followers of different religions, as Tesfaye confirmed. “Today the day is Teklehaymanot’s! May Teklehaymanot fulfill your wishes!” says an old man giving his blessings. A lady standing in the middle of the water sprinkling ceremony prays in a broken, confessional tone, “Oh, Lord Jesus, this is my culture!” While others chant “Aselam aleyka” to the “Arabic speaking” spirits.
Abba Gadda Negesse indicates some inappropriate acts during the festival. One of the things he mentions is the ceremonial staff carried by many young participants. He says this staff, called boku, is not appropriate for every person to hold, since it is a sign of the power of the Abba Gaddas. All of the Abba Geddas that Addis Neger spoke to are similarly angry about this issue. “This is our scepter, the sign of our power,” say the Abba Gaddas.
Abba Gadda Negesse also wants to clarify the issue of the sacrifices and offerings made in the shrine, recognizing that this may be a questionable practice for many people of other religions. He explains that the reason behind the sacrifices and offerings in the lake and the tree is because “we cannot reach God. Had he been reachable, we could have given him the animals and other gifts. Because this is not possible, we make offerings to the things that he has created.” He wished to emphasize this point, saying, “we in the Oromo traditional religion, do not worship trees and lakes, but we worship Waqa tokich–one God who created them all.”
The festival will continue throughout the month. The Abba Gaddas say the animal sacrifice will be offered on the following Sunday in the same place. For some, these festivities are about returning to the religion they once left but, for others, it is a pursuit of their Oromo identity. Religion and identity converged?
Ambasel,
I do not understand what makes it more primitive than your religion. It is just a belief. there is no proof that yours is modern. The Oromo people went near lake and tree and thanked god for what he did for them in previous years. Do you think if they cut the tree and shape it into square and believe in it like their god would that make them modern?
i’m really sadf at AN. Is a ‘free comment’ not part of ‘free speech’?. Any way I will keep on writing my comment until you let it go.
Errechaa is a backward culture.
ባህል ጎጂና ጠቃሚ ተብሎ ሊፈረጅ ይችላል። ጎጂ ባህል ህብረተሰቡን የሚጎዳ ለምሳሌ የሴት ልጅ መገረዝ፣ ሰውነት ላይ የሚደረጉ ጠባሳዎች፣ከንፈር መተልተል ፣ ጆሮ መተልተል፣ ንብረት ላይ ውድመትን የሚያስከትሉና የመሳሰሉት ጎጂ ሲባሉ ህብረተሰቡን የሚያሰብስብ፣የሚያደራጅ፣ ማንነቱን የሚገልጽበት ፣የሚደሰትበት፣ በሰውነት ላይ ወይም በሌላ ግለሰብ ላይ ጉዳትና ሞት የማያደርስ ባህል ጠቃሚ ነው። ከዚህ በተረፈ የኔ የተሻለ ነው ሌላው ሁሉ ኋላቀር ነው ማለት አንችልም። እሬቻ ኋላቀር ከሆነ መስቀል ተብሎ የሚከበረው ተሰብስቦ እንጨት ማንደድም መጥፎና ኋላቀር ባህል ነው። በጥምቀትም ልቅ የሆነ ግብረስጋ በየዛፍ ስሩ ስለሚፈፀም መጥፎና ኋላቀር ባህል ነው።
አጉል ግልጸኝነት ከጓደኛ ጋር ያጣላል። የጓደኛህን ባህልና ሃይማኖት ካልወደድክለት ዝም ማለቱ ይመረጣል። ምናልባት ጓደኛህ እንድትወድለት ባይጠይቅህም እንድታጥላላበት አይፈልግም። የወፍ ቋንቋ ነው፤ ሬድዮ ይሰብራል የተባሉ ቋንቋዎች የወፍ ሳይሆኑ የሰው መሆናቸው ታውቆ ሬዲዮ ወይም ቲቪ ሲሰብሩ አላየንም። ስለዚህ ወንድሜ ያንተው ላንተ ነው፤ ለራስህ አኑረው።የሌላ የሆነ ደግሞ ለባለቤቱ ሃብቱ ስለሆነ ቋንቋውን ባህሉን በፈለገው መልኩ ቢያሳድግ ሊቆጭህ አይገባም።
Lal, pls, tell us specifically what u think is ‘backward’ in ereecha, and how it is different form one of the Abrahamic religions u seem to following. (Only those Christian and Muslim bigots think that followers of every other religion are pagans). All u seem to come up wit is a vague statement about women’s position in ereecha.
Until u can come up with something concrete, shut the hell up and keep ur stupid thoughts to urself.
Lal you are reading it backwords. abselutely you are not reasoning correctly,
hope you go to the place and see what happens and understand the people and their spritual traditions. I say the following and want you to read on different religions and spritual orientations. But I will say this so that you can reflect on the background of religious history. The following is what I had written as a comment on Jimma Times.
It is simply astounding; it is gripping; it is ground breaking for our cultural and spiritual resurrection and it is an Oromo future . I am elated and very jubilant and happy. I wish I had been there with my great Oromo people while they were celebrating their traditional Erressa and Praising All Mighty Waaqaa. This day attests that the Oromo people have been Praising one Waaqaa way back before the Greeks and Romans. I hope this is a historical redemption for Oromo people and the whole of humanity and Africans. Jupiter and Venus and other gods and goddesses must be envying our Waaqaa- an Oromo omniscient omnipotent and Alfa Omega
My Waaqaa bless our Oromia.
Sabataa Dubbii
Hey,
When the journalists AN were forced to exile by Woyane, I felt too bad – thinking that these guys are a people of integrity.
After reading many of their garbage articles, specially their hateful articles against the Oromoo people and their culture, I started thinking and feeling that I was wrong. These guys are not willing to spell even a single Oromoo word correctly – as it is written in Afaan Oromoo, but always try hard to baptize it to Amharic – as usual.
Just learn or accept how people spell their own language. It is not Errechaa, but it is Irreecha or Irreessa.
Freedom to all Oppressed people!
By hook or crook, Oromia shall be FREE!!!!
This is an affront against civilization. Ethiopia is a christian and muslim country. This superstition in true sense. Meles Zenawi uses this occasion to make the Oromos ridiculous and make a show that the Ormos are inferior and primitive. This is a showcase against the negroid race.
Stop wasting our money on such absurdities. We want to promote a scientific and progressive culture. Even Christianity and Islam are not good enough. But we have no other alternative at present.
Why are not posting my messages? You should allow all people to express their views. Otherwise you are pretenders, psedodemocrats. Animisn is not a religion. Religion an abstract principle. Islam and christianity are religions. Because they base their principles on experience which is documented. Irreecha is superstition and not thanksgiving day. Tis should not be encouraged by the government or community. People are free to hbe animists but should we actively support this? Definitely no.
Lal bro. No religion or culture is backward in its nature. If people believe in it, they are free to practice. There is no absolute criteria’s to judge a culture or religion as such backward or modern. Is scientology modern? Is Halloween a modern culture? It is all about being yourself then people tend to value your culture or religion, no matter they believe in it or not. I used to be an orthodox Christian and now I am almost an atheist. I just believe there is God but don’t believe any one of the religions that exist in this world are the only way to God. I am not against any religion but as for me, no offence for the believers pls, religion in general is politics, and leaders have used to silence their people. But everyone still should be free to worship whatever they want.
Peace
Freespirit,
I think you should change your name as it is against your expressed thoughts. Coming to the point, I am not against any religion just like you, but I have the right to my opinion on any subject including religions. As far as Errechaa goes, I believe it is backward as promotes unfavorable cult like practices (do you remember the recent media frenzy about the infamous witch doctor ‘Tamrat’) and justifies a multitude of unwanted harmful cultural tendencies like women’s rights.
By women’s right I am referring to negative issues demoting women. Sorry for the confusion, if any.
Lal,
No surprise in your position. You are resurrecting the same position of your forefathers in the name of Orthodox Christianity when they imposed their religion by force of gun and banned the celebration of Irrechaa as they consolidated their occupation. You will soon learn the determination of the Oromo people to reclaqim all that was lost through conquest. As some one said it is arrogance of extreme magnitude to describe a culture of thousands of years as backward. All religions hae a commonality of faith and yours is no better than mine.
boona I think you have the right to comment back but lal didn’t mention he is ortodox or protestant or islam … u simply guessed and insulted someones relegion…there is an old say…if u want to earn respect then respect others first…this is 21 century … any one can believe any thing … and in the past one offended other … but this does not mean offend back when you get the chance…rather show mercy so that they could learn from their mistake…lets not talk about history rather lets make one and if you are in the making then show mercy rather than hate…b/c am sure what ever you are believing it say the same … happy holyday bro enjoy your time
Boona,
Please try to understand my stand. I am not saying you don’t have the right to celebrate Errechaa, but I am not a fan of the religion and its practices, and if you have a problem with that….suite yourself. But let me tell you this. All the ‘reclaiming what’s lost’ talk is only a political view, not a bread and butter issue.
Lal( It is freesprit again, I changed my name as per your suggestion:))
I see your point, but even on your analogy with Tamrat’s case, still you can’t tell people not to belive in his “magical” power.Our stupid media was dead wrong to make public the names of his visitors. He has commited crime and for that he was taken to jail, period!. But his visitors exercised their own right, they didn’t commit any crime.unless they want to go public themselves and claim they were cheated or abused, no one can belittle them for worshiping his trick. you can only change such kind of people through awareness, education, not by imposing any sort of restriction. For a country like Ethiopia with lots and lots of ethinicity, culture, religion etc… tolerance and mutual understanding is very crucial for unity. otherwise it becomes too dangerous.
Hi Lal,
you are so imbecile to recognize that you are the worst backward to call this knowlegde-cummulation of the Cushites for more than 12,000 years! May be you are misled by the reporter, who seem to have shallow knowldge about Waaqeffanna. He wrote that Oromo worship a god, not God = Waaqayyo. He also mixed up Qaaluu = Bishop of Oromo religion with qaallichaa, the idolatry from Habesha culture. Just for you and the reporter, enjoy the following two articles, which may enlighten your mini-brain, which is so fast to villify the sacred belief system of about 1 billion people in the world:
http://gadaa.com/oduu/?p=5895
http://gadaa.com/oduu/?p=797
Lal you have not been reading elementary Sociology and Anthropology books. I happen to read some books and attended a first year sociology class given at AAU in early seventies. It had given me a great understanding of the people of the Empire. Professor Leslaw of UCLA had done wonderful studies of the Ethiopian people. I want you to read that book and just get the understandings that you may need for your general comprehension of our people in the Empire. I recommend to anybody who wants to really see what is out there hidden by glittering city lights and neon flashing night lives in few limited towns and cities. Sometimes modern is not social and very alienating. That is what you are telling us. In addition I want you to read on Alienation of Man and see how modern form of living had forced a man like you not to appreciate what nature has given him- his basic character being a social animal. I think you have been alienated yourself from the people of the empire without your knowledge and comprehension. Try to come out of those dangerous traps. Those traps are coming to the new generations in many forms. Such as modern Hollywood movies and the likes.
I want you to understand that “No religion or culture is superior or inferior than any other culture or religion.” by implication no man or woman is superior inferior than any man or women. Of course no system is better than another system. It is not you who enjoys it or lives it; it is the Oromo people who are enjoying their culture and traditions- of course our Erressa.
I have been reading on books written about different people in Ethiopia comparing them and saying some are better than others. It was completely wrong and should not be accepted. It was a false assumption and wrong conclusion. Our people had been targeted by such people from outside and inside and we will fight them back to protect our identity and respectability in world community. When you talk about people please think a little bit deeper and clearer. Clean up the biases and mirage. I just read an Ethiopian Anthropologist from the AAU found something new in the Awash Valley that existed 5.2 millions years ago. Most probably a young child or an instrument of feeding. This finding tells me that peoples are a little bit superficial when they think and write about our people let alone pick up hoes and axes and spade to run to Afar region for years before talking about our people in realistic and concrete manner. Most probably Lala is an Oromo man or women who happens never thinking about his ancestral background and cultural traditions. Anthropologists from Sidst Killo will laugh at you and may think you have a misleading idea behind your writing.
What would you say about Buddhism? What would say about Hinduism? What would comment on the Conficisim and other modern and ancient religions? Go, lala, do your homework before you blurt out your uneducated, backward, insensitive and despotic comments.
Please teach your self on basics of some proclamations of the UN; you may get it then.
Finally I would like to say this, whoever wants harmony amongst our people must refrain from aggravating things. It long overdue time to stop fighting or belittling each other. You are giving a chance for someone to come in and disrupt our future harmony and peace. Erreecha is peace, love, freedom, democracy and harmonious life with nature and humans. I pray for you so that Our Waaqaa bless you with an internal harmony and peace of mind.
If you are an intellectual, which I wish you are, I want to say to you read in depth on Gad systems and Ereechaa then come back we will talk about this subject. I am sometimes get frustrated when I come across such people like lala who have not got any idea about the Empire, and on the other hand, I meet intellectuals that come from America, Europe, Australia and other countries to learn and master our culture to use it for their own purposes. They are playing on our own ignorance about our people and ourselves. The new generation like you should, must, could avoid this major mistakes. How can we create harmony and peace and reconciliation unless we stop our abrasive comments that are hurtful and offensive. Be careful written words strike more than bullets from assault guns. You are assaulting me when you are battering my culture and Erreecha.
Sabata Dubbii.
Sabata,
You have not even tried to specifically address the reasons I mentioned as to why I think Errechaa is backward. I agree all religions are equal in the sense that any individual has the right to worship whatever they please. However, like I said above, one also owns the right to his/her opinion no matter how imperfect. Simply try changing this opinion of mine in your favour through productive dialogue….I am here.
And as a foot note, I will look for the suggested books.
Lal,
Tell us your religion and we can continue discussing. I hope you have one. I do not believe that you have a good intention of learning. It is hard for bigots to learn manners.
I do not know what your reasons are; I just read what you had written. If I had clearly known your reasons I may refrain from commenting on your statements. I absolutely believe you have the right to say what you think but you have to carefully digest about the effects of your words on other human beings or your audiences. That is why it is necessary to know what to say and what not to say. Your words and statements my come back and hurt you forever. What we are writing and saying about your comments may not as important as your own personal monologue and introspections about whether you are right or wrong about you comments. It may, I believe, hurt you so much when you truly speak to yourself. Examine yourself and talk to yourself and get a resolution. That is the most important thing about a character and I believe you are a good human being who might have experienced such condescending and derogatory comments about your personality, your abilities, or any thing that you have been respecting. So do not do to others, what you do not want other do to you. That is if not mistaken a very correct way of seeing other as equal human beings.
I think you seem to understand me and hope we all come to some kind of dialogues where we do not need to
tot guns to convince and live harmoniously with another human kind. I know you have a very powerful mind; use it for the good and betterment of our people so that the coming future generations may have a good legacy from our current generations. Learn from Birtukan Makedsaa an Oromo Heroine ; she would have come to Bishoftu to celebrate with our people if she was not incarcerated in Kalitit few miles away from beautiful and scenic Bishoftu for close to two years. Is not she a character? She came out of that culture you have been denigrating. Birtukan is a good indication of the beautify of the Oromo people and culture. She is pulling us together while people like you are pulling and pushing their sledge hammers to keep us apart. I do not respect hypocrites and arrogant and pompous commentators. I hope you are not such a person; pomposity and pretentiousness are enemies of great thinking and dialogue. I wish others will follow the good foot steps of a great woman. Burtukan is a bombshell against the whole unfair establishments including persons like you.
Sabata Dubbii
Some of the comments above scare me to death. Especially the following piece frustrates me and forces me to run away in light speed from so called “our inteligentia”: “… Erreecha is peace, love, freedom, democracy and harmonious life with nature and humans…”
At least from pragmatic point of view I can say that I know errecha..I have seen the ritual while I was a school boy. I don’t know how this writer equate it with democracy? What I remember is those who perform the ritual were overwhelmed with fear. If they don’t perform the ritual properly the god/s will be angry and punish them. Democracy and errecha same??? What a fallacy!
I don’t know where some of us got the illusion that some of us came to this planet with certain religion/s while others are still beliving in god/s.
Man is still searching for the source of his being (atleast as I understand it).
Going back to past traditions doesn’t look like the right thing . We’re living in the nuclear age.Politicians can do whatever they think might benefit them. Going back to errecha won’t do the oromos any good. Yes…they can write,even do movies to pass to the future generation the culture of the oromos.
I hope the writer might take this opportunity and correct me if I have misunderstood him …given the language problem.
I am talking about Errecha not Qualicha. I think we are thinking about entirely two different things. Most probably you had seen a qaalicha not Erreecha ceremonies.Please do not equate Erreecha with qaalicha. Erreecha has been most probably celebrated continuously in public in southern Oromia in Borana. If there were Errecha ceremonies in some places they were very hidden and were underground. The doctrine of Errecha does not impose any hierarchy within its belief. Therefore it emanates from a very democratic religious doctrine. The Ayyaantuu who practices the doctrine does not impose his ideas onto the people he tells them what is not right and inappropriate. The moral issues are well discussed and taught but there are not punishment and sin and sinners. There is not division amongst the will be mortals. The basics that Errecha emanates from state that God creates but God and Ayyaana are not the same. The Ayyantuu may advise you to go to Errecha but he does not threaten you with any punishment if you do not show up at Errecha. Ayyantuu does not promise that if you get the blessing at the places of Erreecha ceremonies your sin will be washed away in an overnight. There will not be anybody who will toss away your neck with a sharp sword or eternal fire that will burn you for eternity after death. As you will see in the future if you go to Bishoftu, there are not body gaurds or military personnel or armed men and women, therefore the ceremony is very peaceful as it is enacted. Erreecha does not show of its hierarchical despots with rich financial and massive bank accounts in the banks nor it dominates the spiritual lives of its followers. Therefore I absolutely say Erreecha and its religious doctrine is very democratic and egalitarian.
Erreecha has harmony with nature and our environment. People have good relation with The Earth and her environment. On the occasions of Erreecha women will show case their place in our society and they are the ones who bless the day with their well oiled Sinqqee. Sinqqee is symbolically a very respected object that signifies the respect, adoration and admirations of our women in our society. They bless the day and the community. This fact proves that it is a very participatory ceremony that do not alienated the other sex by men of spiritual power as doctrines.
You seem to think that Erreecha is irrelevant at our age. Please read and reread what I said few days ago. I am very disappointed that I keep hearing such comments from fellows like you for a very long time. Do not think our society is very primitive. It may seem so but it is deep, complex, far reaching in its importance to us and whole of humanity. You may consult with prominent Anthropologists from Italian Universities and Harvard or Georgia State University. They will give you a wonderful explanation more that what I have tried to scribble today. Do not run away ; Oromia and Oromo people have tremendous and beautiful culture
That may help us to become wonderful human beings. What is Nuclear at all? It is violence. Our society does not condone it nor we appreciate mutual annihilation with such abhorrent ammunition of war and conquest.
Sabata Dubbii
The writer tried to describe the scenario well but one comment. On some of the expression the writer mis-used (twice or more) ‘the tree’ as ‘Odaa’ which is completely wrong. You may use your statements for describing the noun but you can’t change the name! In my opinion one should refer all cultural or religious asset by its name.
After I read the article “Errechaa a Quest for Identity?”,and the 22 comments posted I realized that,the writer of the article himself has a bias about Errechaa of the Oromos,for instance, “Waqa (Oromo traditional deity)”…Religion and identity converged?”
Just,two questions for the writer Q.1,what does Oromos traditional deity mean? Is there really deity out of tradition? Can you mention or name any diety who is out of tradition?.You have tried to indicate some issues as Zar,as typical to Errecha cultic rituals,suppose you are writing an article about “Timket”(an Orthodox christain cermony you can see the green yellow and red flags all around the tents?or flying with the so called “the arc of the covenent” during the period of the cermony Do you really ask the the same question “Religion and identity converged?” I have attended for many years, since my child hood on the observance of “Timket” for example,I had observed many people with the so-called Zar(ADO KEBRE),and the songs and dances were not spiritual and no one had commented it’s observance in the way that it assumes “idoltry” or using your own term “traditional Oromo deity” Waqa,.
Have you ever used the term “traditional Israelite deity” “Yahwe” to express the gods worshiped in Judaism and christianity?First of all ,I would like to remind the writer and those who posted thier comments,
1)All religious views are traditions, including the Abrahamic religious views(Judaism,Christianity and Islam)
2)there are cultic and riuals,how some sort of cermony is supposed to to be performed ),there are procedures of thanks giving,purity,offering sacrifice,tablet works,building an altar,the central altar like Jerusalem,speaking by toungs ,babtism etc (Judaism,Christianity),,Salat,going to Mecca once in life time,animal sacrifice(ED-AlAdaha)etc…(Islam)
3)All religious views , traditions and practices have a name for their diety(Yahwe,(God ,Lord) Allah..)
4)All are meant for Nation building,i.e identity building… Refer to Abraham,the story of the Patriarchs in the book of the Pentateuch,(the covenenat between Abraham and his deity to make him a nation)i.e Isreal.
The same is true for Islam,the difference is the maternal line,(Hajar for Ismael)i.e for the Arabs.
5)All religious traditions and views are human thoughts about the conception of the universe.There fore,unless and otherwise some body wants to argue by saying “ours is better than yours”,in fact,based on his own faith and obidience to his own deity,no body has the right to decidely impose his/her religious views on others.in other words,No one faith has ‘Monopoly of truth” over others.
So,for the followers of Waqqa Tokkicha,Waqqa,is “out side of and above nature,transcended nature,and known through nature and natural phenomenon”,the cultic ritual cermony is “Errechaa”
Needless to question about it’s importance as a riveting saga for the Oromos national idenity.
Gentelemen,
In as much as we need to learn to be tolernt to differing political views, we should also need learn to respect people’s beliefs and value systems. Far above that, we must respect everyone’s religion and religious practices. Each creature has its own way of expressing piety and reverence to its Creator and nobody should ever demean that simply because nobody can demean that. It is an intrinsic factor that nobody can strip one from one’s system of belief.
If one things Orthodox and other Christianity are the only ones that practice proper worship, as most of the views expressed herein implicitly state, then we face myriad problems gentlemen. Where is our civility and respect for each other? What do we pass on to the next generation of ours? The same enmity we received, should we pass it on with our blessings? Or should we learn to value each other with our differences. Hard to believe that some of us refuse to even deliberately distort the names of inividuals or events just because we cannot accept diversity. Unless we “unlearn” this practices of looking down on others and unless we stop degrading others, we will never change our situation. Never!
Some of us want to drag us back to the past, but the past is gone and it will never come back. Let us not cry about the lost status-quo because it was lost and a “spilt milk can never be redeemed”, can it?