Info For Y'all Gurage People: Ethiopia`S Afro-Asiatic People Amongst Rich Civilization Too Diversity

Gurage people are agriculturalist Afro-Asiatic ethnolinguistic grouping inhabiting the fertile as well as semi-mountainous part some 150 miles (240 kilometres) southward as well as W of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, bounded past times the Awash River on the north, the Gilgel Gibe River (a tributary of the Omo River) on the southwest, as well as Lake Ziway on the east.

Gurage immature adult woman from Ethiopia. Courtesy johangerrits

They were originally from the Tigray part of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia equally the descendants of military machine conquerors during the Aksumite empire. Gurage brand upwards an estimated 1,867,377 people (or 2.53% of the full population of Ethiopia) according to the 2007 national census. This is 2.53% of the full population of Ethiopia, or 7.52% of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, as well as People’s Region (SNNPR).

                            Gurage girls engaged inward their traditional dance. www.one.org

Gurage people are divided into several sub-groups, but the iii primary sub-groups are the Sebat-bet Gurage industrial plant life inward the western purpose of Gurageland – the 2 other sub-groups existence the Northern Kistane cluster as well as the Eastern Silte-speaking cluster. The Silte lead maintain of late asserted their ain non-Gurage identity inward a plebiscite held inward the yr 2000 as well as set-up a novel politico-administrative unit of measurement at equal condition amongst the

Gurage Zone inward the Southern Region

                                Gurage adult woman from Ethiopia

The Gurages are by as well as large liked inward Ethiopia. People similar their nutrient as well as dancing, equally good equally the fact that they are construct clean as well as hard-working. There are many examples of Gurages who started out amongst almost nothing, as well as today are rich. They are equally good known to for helping each-other, existence a chip clannish. It is really an interesting people, from a province rich inward civilisation as well as diversity!

Location

The Gurage zone, which is purpose of the Southern Nation, Nationalities as well as People Region, Is located inward the

western purpose of fundamental Ethiopia; as well as at the same fourth dimension it is the northern tip of the region. it is bounded amongst Hadiya zone as well as Yem special wore inward the southward as well as southwest respectively. The northern, western as well as eastern portions are sharing boarder amongst Oromia state.

Topography

The mountainous highland represented past times the Gurage mount chain, dividing the zone E to west, having an elevation of 3600 m. The plateau apartment lands, the expanse covered past times “amora as well as Ambusa meda”. The depression stretching area, the western fringe of the rift valley as well as the Wabegive valley having an elevation of thou m.

The Gurage people occupy the southernmost areas of the fundamental plateau, most 150 miles southwest of Addis Ababa; mainly semi-mountainous country, amongst highland woods as well as light-green valleys as well as plains where the Chibieand Gogeb rivers flow. They alive inward little densely-settled villages.

Straw huts as well as plantations of Deber Tabor, Ethiopia. 

Climate

The climate inward the zone is of iii divisions. These are dega weinadega as well as kolla. The dega department is connected amongst the distribution of the Gurage chain mountains. The give valley mainly represents kolla climate. Most of the zone lines inward the winedega division

The distribution of rainfall as well as temperature mainly flows this pattern. The highest rainfall tape is 1600 mm/year, patch the lowest was recorded equally 700 mm/year. The highest as well as lowest temperature tape is 32 as well as xv degrees Celcius respectively.

Settlement

Gurage houses are circular structures held together with- out the utilisation of nails amongst wooden spokes protruding from a take in pole to back upwards the thatched roof. Locally-made pottery hangs around the within wall inward neat rows. Near the take in is a ! supersede used for cooking as well as heating the house. 

                                           Typical Gurage house

Often a little department on i side of the solid is equipped for livestock (cows, sheep or goats, as well as peradventure a horse), which are kept inward the solid during the night.

Gurage immature adult woman from Deber Tabor village, Ethiopia. Courtesy http://www.efratnakash.com/

Language

Gurage people speak Guraginya or  Gurage languages which belongs to the larger Afro-Asiatic, Semitic linguistic communication phylum. Guraginya is related to Geez (and afterward Amharic as well as Tigrinya). Some 6 dissimilar languages are spoken past times Gurage people forms Guraginya or Gurage languages. They are Soddo, Inor,

Mesqan, Mesmes, Zay as well as Sebat Bet. Their languages are non e'er mutually intelligible. One group, called the Sebat Bet which way 7 houses as well as refer to a grouping of 7 Gurage tribes, which inward plough lead maintain their specific dialects! Sebat Bet speakers are over i million.

Gurage elderberry at Haro village, Ethiopia

Their linguistic communication is Semitic, similar Hebrew as well as Amharic (thenational linguistic communication of Ethiopia), but due to the influence of surrounding Cushitic languages, it has 10 vowels instead of the usual. For this reason, the term Gurage is used inward a cultural sense to a greater extent than than inward a linguistic.

  Beautiful Gurage immature adult woman from Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia standing on her door-way. Courtesy Johan Gerrits

History

There seems to live on scanty data most the origins of Gurage people. However, according to the historian Paul B. Henze, their origins are explained past times traditions of a military machine expedition to the southward during the final years of the Aksumite Empire, which left military machine colonies that eventually became isolated from both northern Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as well as each other. This assertion way the Gurage people originated from the Tigray part of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia as well as were the descendants of military machine conquerors during the Aksumite empire.

                           Gurage people of Ethiopia

Economy

The Gurage alive a sedentary life based on agriculture, involving a complex scheme of crop rotation as well as transplanting. Ensete is their primary staple crop, but other cash crops are grown, which include java as well as chat. Animal husbandry is practiced, but mainly for milk render as well as dung. Other foods consumed include light-green cabbage, cheese, butter, as well as roasted grains, amongst meat consumption existence rattling express (also used inward rituals or ceremonies).

 The Gurage heighten Zebu cattle. These cattle give rattling footling milk, which is seldom drunk. Instead, it is churned into butter, as well as a typical Gurage household has a large quantity of spiced butter aging inward clay pots hung from the walls of their huts. Butter is believed to live on medicinal, as well as the Gurage oftentimes accept it internally or utilisation it a lotion or poultice. H5N1 Gurage saying states that "A sickness that has the upperhand over butter is destined for death." Different species of ensete are equally good eaten to alleviate illness. 

The Gurage regard overeating equally coarse as well as vulgar, as well as regard it equally misfortunate etiquette to eat all of the ensete that a host passes around to guests. It is considered polite to larn out at to the lowest degree some ensete staff of life fifty-fifty after a rattling little portion is passed around

It is typically expected that a Gurage volition extend hospitality to their neighbors as well as kinfolk inward dispensing ensete freely to them. However, Gurage oftentimes hoard extra nutrient as well as eat it secretly to avoid having to part it.

 Girl from the Gurage minority - Ethiopia.Courtesy Johan Gerrits

Ensete Tree:

The Gurage are known for their extensive tillage of the ensete, or “fake” banana plant, known equally asat,

although this is a practise they part amongst other southern as well as southwestern Ethiopians.

The industrial plant life plays a vital role inward the economical as well as social life of the Gurage. they utilisation it for a variety of domestic

as well as medicinal purposes, but its role inward ritual appraisal to live on small. It is equally good used inward other aspects of life. For

example, they roll a corpse after expiry amongst it, or after birth, the umbilical cord is tied off amongst an enset fiber.

The tree has a rattling large stalk that grows nether the ground. Its intensive tillage allows the concentration of large communities inward compact as well as permanent villages. well-planned techniques of tillage (in overlapping two-year cycles) as well as systematic storage of ensete nutrient larn inward possible for the Gurage to alive good higher upwards subsistence level. To this, they lead maintain added a variety of cash crops which are grown betwixt ensete plants, without significantly changing the traditional designing of gardening.

'Kocho"

'Kocho is made past times shaping the Ensete glue to a thick circle as well as wrapping it inward a sparse layer of ensete leaves. Its baked inward a little pit amongst coals. Sometimes the glue is only cooked over a griddle. In episode 8 inward bizarre foods, Andrew Zimmern tasted the 'Kocho as well as said it tasted similar cipher as well as it made his oral fissure dry.

Trade

The Gurage, the author Nega Mezlekia notes, "have earned a reputation equally skilled traders". One representative of an enterprising Gurage is i Tekke, whom Nathaniel T. Kenney described equally "an Ethiopian Horatio Alger, Jr.": He began his career selling onetime bottles as well as tin cans; the Emperor [Haile Selassie] of late rewarded his achievement inward creating his plantation past times calling him to Addis Ababa as well as decorating him.

Gurage Saleswoman inward the marketplace of Hawariyat Wereda village,Ethiopia. johangerrits

Throughout the Gurage cultural part a periodic marketing scheme operates, amongst most markets operating alone on a unique twenty-four hr catamenia of the week. H5N1 few of the larger markets similar the i inward Emdeber operated inward a express fashion every twenty-four hr catamenia of the calendar week but expanded greatly on the “market day.” There were few permanent stalls or shelters but each class of goods had its item expanse of the market-place.

Items traded included agricultural products, livestock, pottery, cloth, basketwork, cash crops such equally java as well as chat, amongst a few exotic items from the exterior world.

Family structure

The basic menage unit of measurement construction is much larger than the typical Western nuclear unit. The oldest manly soul is commonly the caput of the household as well as is inward accuse of determination making.

Men, commonly having the primary income, command the menage unit of measurement economically as well as distribute money. Women are

inward accuse of domestic life as well as lead maintain significantly to a greater extent than contact amongst the children. The begetter is seen equally an ascendency figure.

Gurage Woman amongst colorful headdress inward the marketplace of Hawariyat Wereda village, Ethiopia. johangerrits

Children are socially required to tending for their parents, as well as hence in that location are oftentimes iii to 4 generations inward a

household. With the advent of urban living, however, this designing is changing, as well as children oftentimes alive far from their families as well as lead maintain a much harder fourth dimension supporting them.

Urbanites lead maintain a responsibleness to ship coin to their families inward rural areas as well as oftentimes attempt their best to relocate their families to the cities.

 

Gurage community elderberry of Deber Tabor village, Ethiopia. johangerrits

Traditional institutions

The traditional institutions accept organisational forms based mainly on councils of elders develop at different

levels from neighbourhood/village to clan/tribal levels. Their role is to laid as well as enforce norms as well as rules governing aspects of life ranging from uncomplicated socio-economic relations betwixt individuals to wider community, local as well as regional.

 Furthermore, they are responsible for Settlement of disputes as well as administration of conflict aimed at obtaining jurist as well as social.

Children

Children are raised past times the extended menage unit of measurement as well as community. It is the primary duty of the woman parent to tending for the

children equally purpose of her domestic duties. If the woman parent is non available, the responsibleness falls to the older woman soul children equally good equally the grandmothers.

                     Gurage human as well as his immature adult woman at Deber Tabor village, Ethiopia. johangerrits

During early on childhood, children lead maintain the greatest exposure to their mothers as well as woman soul relatives. At around

the historic catamenia of five, peculiarly inward urban areas, children commencement attending schoolhouse if their families tin afford the fees. In

rural areas, schools are few as well as children create farm work. This way a rattling depression pct of rural youth attend school. The regime is trying to alleviate this work past times edifice accessible schools inward rural areas.

The patriarchal construction of social club is reflected inward the stress on pedagogy for boys over girls. Women human face upwards discrimination problems equally good equally physical abuse inward school.

Also, the belief silent exists that females are less competent as well as hence males as well as that pedagogy is wasted on them.

                                 Gurage children from Ethiopia

Religion

The Gurage lead maintain belief inward Supreme existence as well as a Creator god called "Waq" (Sky God). They participate inward traditional religious practices such equally offerings to Waq,their supreme deity. They hang effigies of ancestral gods inward their houses to ward off evil spirit.

 Earth shrines to Waq are mutual exterior of villages. The Fuga people, a class of hunters as well as artisans, are considered to concur the key to traditional rituals. Their reputed mightiness of magic as well as sorcery are greatly feared. The Fuga are barred from working the soil because they are believed.

The Gurage sometimes sense spirit possession. William A. Shack postulated that spirit possession is caused past times Gurange cultural attitudes most nutrient as well as hunger, because patch they lead maintain a plentiful nutrient supply, cultural pressures that forcefulness the Gurange to either part it to run into social obligations, or hoard it as well as eat it secretly crusade them anxiety. Distinctions are drawn betwixt spirits that alone possess men, spirits that alone possess women, as well as spirits that possess victims of either sex. H5N1 ritual affliction that alone affects men believed to because past times a spirit called awre. This affliction presents itself past times loss of appetite, nausea, as well as attacks from severe tum pains. If it persists the victim may larn into a trancelike stupor, inward which he sometimes regains consciousness long plenty to accept nutrient as well as water. Breathing is oftentimes labored. Seizures as well as trembling overcome the patient, as well as inward extreme cases, fifty-fifty partial paralysis of the extremities. 

Gurage adult woman from Ethiopia. Courtesy  foto_morgana

If the victim does non recover naturally, a traditional healer, or sagwara, is summoned. Once the sagwara has determined the spirit's bring upwards through the utilisation of divinitation, he prescribes a routine formula to exorcise the spirit. This is non a permanent cure, however, it is believed to permit the victim to shape a human relationship amongst the spirit. Nevertheless, the victim is dependent area to chronic repossession, which is treated past times repeating the formula. This formula involves the training as well as consumption of a dish of ensente, butter, as well as scarlet pepper. During this ritual, the victim's caput is covered amongst a drape, as well as he eats the ensente ravenously patch other ritual participants chant. The ritual ends when the possessing spirit announces that it is satisfied. Shack notes that the victims are overwhelmingly misfortunate men, as well as that women are non equally food-deprived equally men are due to ritual activities that involve nutrient redistribution as well as consumption. Shack postulates that the awre serves to convey the possessed human to the take in of social attention, as well as to salvage his anxieties over his inability to gain prestige from redistributing food, which is the primary way inward which Gurange men gain condition inward their society. 

The burning of the Meskel large bonfire (Demera) on top of Mount Tabor,Ethiopia. 

In recent times, the Gurage are mostly Ethiopian Orthodox Christians, but equally good practise Islam, Roman Catholicism as well as traditional religious beliefs. Both Christianity as well as Islam were exterior religions imposed on the Gurage past times Invasion. Over 50% claim allegiance to Christianity as well as some other 40% to Islam.

                               Gurage Muslims. www.one.org

Source: http://www.lifepaths360.com/index.php/the-gurage-people-of-ethiopia-4264/
            http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurage_people

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