Oromo society was traditionally arranged in accordance with gadaa, a social stratification method partially based on an eight-year cycle of age sets; yet over the centuries the age sets grew out-of-alignment with the actual ages of their members, and some time in the 1800s another age set system was established.
Under gadaa, every eight years the Oromo would hold a popular gathering called the Gumi Gayo, at which laws were established for the following eight years.
A democratically elected leader, the Abba Gada, will be in charge of over the system for an eight-year term. Gadaa is no longer in wide practice but remains significant.
Keywords: gadaa, Gumi Gayo, Abba Gada,
17 responses so far ↓
1 Adane Asnake // Mar 3, 2008 at 11:10 am
I am studying the musical culture of Oromo people. Can I get enough information about this matter?
2 boss // Mar 6, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Hi Adane,
Have a look around and see if you can find enough information.
We will be adding more information soon.
If you like to write some articles about the musical culture of Oromo people. We will be happy to put it on this website.
3 Hewan // Mar 24, 2009 at 9:32 am
Hello everyone, first I want to tell you the respect I have developed for the Oromo people since I have started reading their history. I am doing a reaserch paper on women, animal and environmental jutice and want to take the Oromo society as a sample because of the whole Geda system. Can anyone please tell me where I can find details about the Geda system and about their culture as a whole.
Love you all.
On love!
4 oromo // Apr 19, 2009 at 3:59 am
google it up. its everywhere
5 Nazif Jemal // Jun 1, 2009 at 12:27 pm
Hi Hewan, how are you? am a radio journalist at Fana, so if you contact us we may try to provide you with some information you are looking for.
6 yomif worku // Aug 3, 2009 at 12:24 pm
i am too pruod to your job.for all are you fine if u need i can help u by information as i am historian and journalists.wish u best
7 Jery // Aug 25, 2009 at 10:51 am
hello, thanks for putting all the information abpout Oromo. The thing that I don’t understand is if Oromo was originaly from other country why are the called Habesha too.
8 omar // Sep 11, 2009 at 12:22 am
jerry@
oromos were in the south when they amaras aka habashas invaded them from arabia. they were native to that part of the horn only outsiders were the abbysinians aka habesha
9 NEGASA // Nov 23, 2009 at 6:53 pm
please delate the word galla please
10 solaan // Dec 21, 2009 at 8:00 am
You have to live your culture. Gada system must inform not only your intellect but also your daily practice. Your history must be a reminder of what had happened in the past as well as an informant of what could and must happen in the future. Your enemy will not allow this. The instrument you use to free yourselves must be consistent with one you would use to manage free Oromia. Otherwise you’ll end up with an illusion of free Oromia while in fact you remain a willing colonial subject. [By Abdisa
11 oftanenus // Jan 12, 2010 at 6:20 am
Hello every oromo please, give value for yours.
please follow your glory culture and religious.
you know what makes unique oromo:-
1,Gadaa
2,Waakeffanaa
3,DHahaa(oromo calander) please follow yours & know yours.
12 Ramato Amano // Jan 14, 2010 at 12:44 pm
Dear all oromo, thanks be to Waqa today is better than yesterday and I wonder tommorow will be better than to day. think about Rome city it took very long time to be like she is today. I hope We will see the changes we desere soon.
So don’t give up,don’t forget yesterday and our elders contribution for forthcoming freedom.
WAA WAAQA OROMOOTA TOKKO TAASISI
RAMATO
13 Gondol // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:38 am
Hi dear1
it is very intersting to see that you have some important issues here, but still only apprciating is not enough read,ask and put important point for researchers
14 Gondol // Jan 26, 2010 at 6:52 am
I am doing a research on some Oromo issues so that have some question for the researcher any body who can give a clue.
1. Does Oromo classified as a cushatic speaking language or a Cush family?
2. when you said Oromo is native to this region ,clarify which region is it?
3. When you talk about Oromo or Gada system why you limit to 1800AD? What was the Oromo political system at 3000BC? 750BC? 1AD? 350AD when the Axum becomes powerful? 1000AD? 1400AD?
4. What was the Oromo name in ancient time?
Thanks in advance
Gondol
15 Gondol // Jan 26, 2010 at 8:39 am
I want to add the following for your comment, Not to make bold my comment on 13 and my on 14 above. I am happy to receive constructive ideas to ward this.
My points are
1. We have to respect each other on this forum and show also those fat head people in this century what does respect each other mean. Unless other wise we can not discuss interesting issues raised in this forum to dig and find the true history of our people.
2. I really appreciate the researcher have started, But the point of your start should not be a place where the “the so called debetaras” started.
3. Any way it is interesting to trace the origin of the people belongs to the same group so that we can find a missing link of the history due to others pressure.
The origin of today’s ( Oromo, Tutsi,Dinka, Hima, Ankole, Borana and Hinjiran or Ajuran) were the same origin. They are Cushitic origin of Nile basin or down stream of Nile (Meroe) some 2000-3000BC. These people were the first people to claim a Kush civilization of ancient Nubia, or the Al –Sudan and Ethiopia. They refer their country of Origin was Mede walabu ( Mede-Waleba). We can say a paradise or a place where civilization was started “Nubia”. Later between 7-10 Ad when they reach today’s bale a dense forest with abundant water and green they also named to their original country as Mede welabu. This is the point of argument and it should not be the start of Oromo history.
4. The name of the oromo original was called Megalan ( Brawn face people) this was up the time between Nubia,Napata and Meroe. After the Meroe civilization was over ride by Axum the Megalan team were living in upper Blue Nile basin was reorganized in thier strong Gada to support Meroe. They were not successful to protect Meroe so that, they started to explore for fertile land and grass for their cattle in all direction with in small strong groups. Each group was given a task from a Gada system to get and hand over a plot of land to the second Gada team. The formulation and regulation of the Gada were formulated in such a way that any surrended enemy or captives were mixed up to “Megalan” with out any discrimination. The rules and regulation established in the Gada system were like (Mogassa, Harmehodha and Gudifacha) which were avoided discrimination, torching of all war captives. This helped the Megalan to be a large team and disperse in all direction of east and central Africa of today. Then they started to get different names like Oromo for those who are living in today’s Ethiopia. Similarly, the team remain traveled to Sudan called Dinka . The team moves dawn to ward south or North Kenya named as Borana which is the elder in Oromo family. The team pushed further to Uganda named as Hima means. The team further went to West Tenzania called Ankole ” and the team pushed dawn to Rwanda, Burundi and Zaire is called Ho-tusi or tutsi and a people inter to Somalia is called Wajiran .
Next time I will come up with some interesting history of our people
16 Gaddissa // Feb 21, 2010 at 2:47 am
Hi Respectiful Oromo
I am a high school student and I want to know & write some articles on the “Role of Geda Qalu institution in the social & poletical life Oromo people.” Can U send me some information.
17 Mootii // Feb 23, 2010 at 1:30 pm
hi
i just want to tell you that you don’t need group of Oromo people to practice the Gada System,
all you need is know who you are
flaw what your ant sisters flowed
talk the language as much as you could
if you do that you will have a dream what your G.father fight for and thank you
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