Traditional Oromo Religion

As I am from the Oromo, this account is based on my personal experiences.

The Oromo people have practised their own religion. They believed in Waaqayoo, often called Waaqa, which approximate to the English word of God. Oromos never worshipped false god or carved statues as substitutes. The Oromo Waaqa is one and the same for all. He is the creator of everything and the source of all life, and is omnipresent and infinite. He can do and undo anything, he is pure, and intolerant of injustice, crime, sin and all falsehoods.

There are many saint-like divinities called Ayyaana, each seen as manifestation of the one Waaqa or of the same divine reality. An effective relationship is often maintained between Ayyaana and Oromo by Qaallu (male) and /or Qaalitti (female). A Qaallu is like a Bishop in the Christian world and an Imam in Muslim world. He is a religious and ritual expert who has a special relationship with one of the Ayyaana which possesses him at regular intervals. Although the office of Qaallu is hereditary, in principle it is open to anyone who can provide sufficient proof of the special direct personal contact with an Ayyaana. In the Oromo society a Qaallu is regarded as the most senior person in his lineage and clan as well as the most respected in the society. He is considered pure and clean. He must respect traditional taboos and ritual observances in all situations and in all his dealings as well as follow the truth and avoid sin.

The summit of Mt Wuchacha at the outskirt of Addis Ababa has a substancial area of scrub (dominated by species such as Erica arborea) and is a sacred site of the traditional Oromo religion. 
The large tree in the foreground is a Juniperus procera and is the only mature tree remaining of the former forest which once covered all the slopes of this ancient extinct volcano. This tree has been spared because it is a sacred tree.

The Oromo Qaallu Institution is one of the most important in the Oromo culture and society, and is believed to have existed since mythical times. It is the very preserver and protector of Oromo culture.

The Oromo Qaallu must not be confused with the Amhara Qaallicha who has a very different, much lower, social status. Amhara Qaallicha is a vagabond who resorts to conjuring and black magic for his own benefit. He is notorious for extracting remuneration by threats or other means. On the other hand, it is beneath the dignity of the Oromo Qaallu to ask his ritual clients for gifts or payments. Some people have confused the two persona, thus degrading the Qaallu both socially and religiously.

The place of worship of Qaallu ritual is a house called the Galma. Each Ayyaana has its own Galma and its own special ceremonies. The Galma is usually located on a hill-top, hillside, or in a grove of large 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. The believers visit the Galma for worship once or twice a week, usually on Thursday and Saturday nights; when they dance, sing and beat drums to perform a ritual of dalaga in order to achieve a state of ecstasy, which often culminates in possession. It is at the height of this performance that the possessing Ayyaana speaks through the Qaallu’s mouth and can answer prayers and predict the future.

Every year, just before the beginning of the harvesting season, the Oromo have a prayer ceremony (thanksgiving festival), called irreessa. It takes place in river meadows. The bring bundles of Bidens sp mixed with grasses which they plunge into the water and then hit their upper body with them.

The Oromos believe that after death individuals exist in the form of a spirit called the ekeraa. They do not believe in suffering after death as in Christianity and Islam. If one commits sin, he/she is punished while still alive. The ekerraa is believed to stay near the place where the person once lived. One is obliged to pray and give offerings to ones parent’s ekerraa by slaughtering an animal every so often. The offering takes place near the family or clan cemetery, which is usually in a village.