What was the Oromo traditional religion?

Waaqeffanna
The annals of the Oromo reveal that the Oromo religion was neither Christianity nor Islam but was an indigenous religion known as Waaqeffanna. The Oromo Waaqa is similar to the God of the Christians and Allah of the Muslims. The Oromo never substitute other gods or curved statues for their Waaqa.

Table of Contents

Do Oromos worship trees?

Places of worship may also be located below big trees, beside large bodies of water, by the side of big mountains, hills, large rocks, etc. This has often been misrepresented by outsiders who have claimed that the Oromo worship trees, rivers, etc.

How do Oromo call their God?

The word Waaqeffanna derives from the word Waaqa, is the ancient name for the Creator in the Cushitic languages of both the Oromo people and Somali people in the Horn of Africa. The followers of the Waaqeffanna religion are called Waaqeffataa and they believe in the supreme being Waaqa Tokkicha (the one God).

What is Ayyaana?

Ayyaana is believed to be the angel of Waaqa. It is the intermediary between human beings and Waaqa. Ayyaana is created by Waaqa and cannot create anything. Ayyaana can only communicate the problems of humans to Waaqa. During possession the Ayyaana speaks in the mouth of the Ayyaantuu (Qaalluu) with the people.

What is the difference between Amhara and Oromo?

The Oromo are less well-educated than the Amhara, because the Amhara controlled the schools in the Ethiopian Empire. Traditionally, Oromo women have received little education. Furthermore, none of the refugees in Washington came to the US with children.

Are Oromos Muslims?

The Chair of the Oromia Support Group quotes sources that state that 55% – 60% of the Oromo are Muslim, 40% – 45% are Christian, and up to 15% Animist. Most rural Oromo, 80% of Oromo population, retain Animist Oromo beliefs.

What is ODAA tree?

Odaa is customarily believed to be the most respected and the most sacred tree, the shade of which was believed as the source of tranquility. Shade of the Odaa was both the central office of Gadaa government where the Gadaa assembly met and was a sacred place for ritual practices.

What is Oromo Ethiopia?

Oromo, the largest ethnolinguistic group of Ethiopia, constituting more than one-third of the population and speaking a language of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic family. Originally confined to the southeast of the country, the Oromo migrated in waves of invasions in the 16th century ce.

What is Irreecha Oromo culture?

Irreecha is chiefly a thanksgiving festival celebrating the end of the winter and monsoon months in Oromia region in the south-central area of the country. During the months preceding there is cold weather and heavy rains.

What is Waaqeffanna religion?

Who is waaqeffattuu (pl waaqeffatoota)?

WAAQEFFATAA or WAAQEFFATTUU (Pl Waaqeffatoota) is a person, he or she, who follows Waaqeffannaa as an earnest faith, and believes in Waaqa; prays to Him and worships Him in the light of the religious doctrine of Waaqeffannaa. Waaqeffataa believes in the philosophical doctrine of Waaqeffannaa’s altruism for the benefit of mankind.

Is Waaqeffannaa an older version of monotheism and humanism?

It means the new acceptance of both Chrisitianity and Islam by Africans is the coming back of the same belief in Waaqa tokkicha to Africa in different forms. This historical relation between Amantii Oromo and the two big religions of the world suggests that Waaqeffannaa is the older version of monotheism and humanism.

Is Waaqeffannaa a part of Oromo culture?

The very important aspect of Waaqeffannaa as part of Oromo/African culture is its principle of argaa-dhaggeetti (it is relatively an evidence based faith system, possibly trying to be free from superstition). This principle is about reading the real situations at hand and finding the appropriate solutions for the situations.