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Oromo Association in Victoria Australia

Strengthen and sustain a vibrant, inclusive community that enriches lives through Oromo Australian
values ABN:49 803 847 965

Oromo Storytelling

The Oromo storytelling is a traditional oral art in which a teller conveys a message, truths, information,
knowledge, or wisdom to an audience – often subliminally – in an entertaining way, using whatever
skills, (musical, artistic, creative) or props he chooses, to enhance the audience’s enjoyment, retention
and understanding of the message conveyed.

It is a measure of wisdom shared between the elder storyteller and audience. It is a meeting of minds
where visions, values, feelings and memories are passed on in words. Storytellers send out words
showing their vision and receive feedback from their listeners in the form of body language. When this
connection works, a special form of energy is present – I call it wisdom.

What is received is different for each listener and the feedback from the audience is different with every
telling. Some times the wisdom of stories can transport us back to more innocent times or project us
forward into the unknown future, in fact, it can take us to any place we could possibly go.

In that way Oromo storytelling is a journey of exploration of Oromo traditions and values of the past.
What the listeners see depends upon the skill of the teller and their perception of the journey – some
see all the scenery while others just see the technical things.

Oromo storytelling can rekindle memories in the minds of the listeners and teach us in subtle ways. It is
a vehicle which can be used to heal, break down barriers, and build bridges in communities without the
listener being aware of its purpose – it’s a community activity.

As a teaching tool Oromo oral storytelling is a process of creating words spontaneously, rather than the
more tortuous process of developing written language, with all its stylistic limitations.
It is possible to say that Oromo oral storytelling is a precursor to written stories and is an important
process for those who find reading and writing difficult.

By telling their stories people are experimenting with language, structure and form in an easy way.
Oromo storytelling is one of the ways to develop creativity in children – it develops the skills of
language, listening, and literacy and may be extended right across the curriculum.

Oromo storytelling is like taking medicine – if it’s the bitter truth, you hate it, but when it’s sugar-coated
it becomes more palatable. Story is the sugar and has a very important place in today’s sick society.

Oromo storytelling is indeed a measure of wisdom in a many ways.

Some Teaching Methods of Traditional Children

To herd cattle they have to be ready to walk for a long distance and away from home for weeks if not
months. There they had to be armed with skills for protecting the herd from raiders and wild animals.
There are always elders accompanying them for guidance. Whether they were around home or away
from home they will make fire in the evening. They sit around it and play game of word or listening
history as told by elders.

It is not known when the Oromo stopped writing. What is known is that they have no scripts though
their oral tradition is so strong that each child knows what has come and passed in the life of its nation.
In all corners of Oromiya it is told that once upon a time the Oromoo had qubee (letters). But it so
happened that cattle became unruly and attacked home materials. It was then that they devoured all
written materials.

This incident it was said to have been prophesied by ancient raagaas and so was the order of Waaq. As
such no body could have stopped it. Therefore instead of people writing on parchments, Waaq would
write on the suet of the cattle and experts will read the messages of providence from there, in matters
concerning the future. Records will be kept in mind and past events passed to children through word of
mouth.
Since then experts read the mooraa (suet) of slain animals to foretell the future and elders tell history by
word of mouth to their children who will pass it down generations. The mooraa readers are called
moora dubbistuu (mooraa readers). That is why the name “moor” is adopted by some to mean book
rather than the Arabic “kitaabaa” or Amharic “macaafaa”. Stories are called “dur durii”, what the English
start with “once upon a time” the Oromo starts with “dur, dur”.

Here it would be helpful to cite some efforts made by Oromo individuals to write in their language.
Gooshuu Zawudee of Goojjam and Sana Ibsaa of Limmuu used strange letters in their correspondence
around 1880; Alaqaa Zeyinaba (1860s) translated and taught the Gospel in his mother tongue, Afaan
Oromo. Hiikaa Awaajii and Aster Gannoo in the same century translated the bible to Afaan Oromo.
Those were so far known examples of efforts made. When was writing in qubee started? It is
unfortunate we cannot conclusively tell. But the OLF should be credited to implement it in the present
official standard form. The remaining Oromoo literary history needs more effort from future
researchers.

Some of the games played by traditional children and story telling were also part of the teaching
process.

Field Activity

Geengoo/Korboo (wheel): a wheel usually made from vine is thrown across a field in any direction. All
children had sharpened spear like sticks. They will try to stop the wheel by spearing through its center.
This besides helping as athletic competition teaches children to target running object. This art helps in
later life hunting expedition. It is also an introduction to the art of war.

Kollee/qillee (hokey): kollee is similar to ice hokey. A butt cut from tree branch and a ball made from
joints of branches are made. There are houses (goals) of opposing teams on opposite sides of the field.
Two teams play against each other

Utaalchoo (Jumping): two poles are put in the ground and another tender stick is put across at different
levels. The one who jumps the highest level is the winner. Poll volt was also a known practice

Utaalchoo lafaa (long jump): lines are made on the ground. One who jumps beyond the furthest line is
the winner

Furguggee: swings made of vines naturally hanging from branches of trees are used to play swinging.

Waldhaansoo/ waldhaantoo (wrestling) kids and addle play it

Garmaamsa (horse race) the Oromo are renowned horse men. Children learn about horses and how to
use them at early age

Saddeeqa: parallel rows of eight holes are made on the ground. Each person will be given equal
numbers of pebbles. The game is played by putting the pebbles in each others whole and getting the
pebbles of the other. It is capturing the others whole like in checkers.

Waantaphee (Toys): Waantaphees are made from wooden objects or mud. Each child creates its own
toy. Utensils, guns and airplanes and cars were made. Flat bars of wood tied on tip of long string was
also rotated to make a buzzing sound

Sigigoo (slide): steep grounds are wetted with water if it was not already muddy and children slide on
their buttocks or on their feet. Sometimes they also use banana branches to sit on and slide

Shekkelloo (hoping): parallel lines are drawn on dusty ground. A pebble is put at one and hopping on
one leg and pushing the pebble from one end to the other the game was played

Walee (yodeling): children from across a river or from a distance call each other and call names by yodel.
They put their index finger on their wind pipe and harp on it as they utter a word and saying “walee” in
between (changing frequently from low to high pitch)

Dancing and dating: Dancing is performed during holidays and ceremonies. There are romantic dances,
war dances, religious dances and work dances. To mension some names of dances, ragada, dhiichisa,
gelloo, sirba mormaa, shaggooyyee, goondaa, kukummee, iyyaasee, shubbisa, gajjafa, dalaga etc.
Romantic dances are held mostly during weddings. They start days before wedding ceremonies near the
brides and bride grooms houses during moony nights. Dancing during such occasions is only for young
unmarried men and women. Married men can participate in dhiichisa or war dances but this may vary
from community to community. Youngsters sit with girls there. It is called qabdoo sitting (date sitting).
They fondle and kiss each other under their linen or toga and no hanky panky before marriage. Young
people date each other at river sides or when they go for collecting wood. There they sit qabdoo. They
sit on leaves as cushion prepared by the boy. In some areas they can be naked above the waist. They
are called michuu (sweat hearts). In many communities a girl introduces her michuu to her parents. He
wouldn’t be the future husband but a protector until her marriage.

The above and more are all field performances and part of the informal education.

Religious dances are performed at the temple or Galmaa of Warra Ayyaanaa (Qaalluu) also at child birth
it is called faga, gajjafa or dalaga.

Home Activities

Each evening fire will be made in the living room or the same fire for cooking is used for warming. All
residents of a house except the ones cooking sit around the fire place. Then elders tell history as well as
stories they inherited from the past and those they went through. Children attentively listen to what
they were told.

Especially they should be well versed in their family tree otherwise they will be shamed by strangers
who ask them to identify themselves. Each child must count at least seven generations. If it can’t do
that, it will be suspecting for being from unknown origin. In addition children had games they play with
each other. In most of them, the children start by making statement or question or posing a problem. In
the following we shall use Q for problem and A for Response.

Hibboo: hibboo is puzzle in which statements are made symbolically and guessing is requested. One who
puts forward the puzzle begins by saying “hibboo” the replier says “hiph or hibbakka” then the puzzle is
stated. Example:

We are eating together why are you emaciated?

The answer is spoon

Q. The red man is shouting standing in a stream.

A. The reply is tongue

Q. corpse when asleep lion when awake.

A. the reply is gun

Hibboon ten (Hibboon xar): this requires awareness of the neighborhood. One of the children says
hibboon teen. The others say teen, teen. In the question heifer means girl, bull means boys. Example:

Hibboon ten

Ten, ten

Husband; wife; heifer, heifer, heifer; bull, bull; dependent, dependent (birtaa’o), whose house is that?
(guest and visitors are all birtaa’o)

Mr. Jaarsoo’s

No

Lie on your back and drink spiced butter

You prepared I drunk, yours is by the lid mine is by madaala (big milk utensil). Pass under bent stub and
fart for ever. Lean on cactus lose you psyche. I will not insult you more than this let hyena devour you
down so and so stream. It was embarrassing for the loser to be ridiculed in front of peers.

Bino: one child starts the game by saying binoo (animal)! The others say bineensa (wild animal)! The one
who started asks what? Then one of the children starts naming animals it knows fast, with the other
saying what after each animal, after some time it says what do you eat? If he mentions animals which
are not clean at that juncture, he will be laughed at and loses the game. Example:

Q. animal?

A. beast

Q. which ones?

Q&A. lion, which? tiger, which? Leopard, which? Gazelle, which? Pig, which do you eat? Dog (laughter)

Jimmaa jimmitoo (jimmiitee): this is a test for being capable of keeping quite. One begin the game by
saying jimmaa jimmitoo or jimmiitee, all the children say jijim (hush). It names rotten of animals by
mentioning the name of animals and offensive rots of other things one by one. Then he says any one
who utters or made to utter until my hen reaches the seas and comes back and crows shall eat all said
rots and the rotten ciimmaa (rheum) and pus of the back of Haadha Baqqoo and all her girls. Unless the
beginner crows no one can utter a word or laughter. It is difficult to keep quite for a long time, some one
usually bursts with laughter and eats every thing and the hen crows and saves the strong.

Q. Jimmaa jimmitoo

A. jijim

Q. rot of donkey

A. jijim

Q. rot of dog

A. jijim

Q. rot of garbage etc.

Uummoon maal baattee dabarte (carrying what did the hornbill passed)? The response is “haamtuu
dhaa fi cidii” (sickle and straw). Then the questioner says with it her neck? The responder says “cut” fast
after her neck. Questioner continues “her neck?” Then suddenly says “your neck?” If the responder says
cut, he will be laughed at, and gives up his turn. Example:
Ummoon maal baattee dabarte

sickle and straw

Q. with it her neck?

A. cut

Q. her neck?

A. cut

Q. your neck

A. cut! he loses

Count down

The questioner asks what is a unit. The responder says unit is finger; then what is two? Two is tit of goat,
one is unit. What is three? Three is tripod, two is tit of goat, and unit is finger. What is four? Four is tit of
cow, three is tripods, two is tit of goat, and unit is finger. What is five? Five is fingers of the hand, four is
tit of cow, three is tripods, two is tit of goat, and one is unit. In this manner it goes up to possible
relations. The usual is up to ten:

1= tokkeen qubaa

2= lamaan mucha reettii

3= sadan sunsummanii

4= arfan mucha saayyaa

5= shaman qubaa harkaa

6= ja’an jabbii qaraxa (dowry calves)

7= turban torbee sanbataa (7 week of Sabbath)

8= saddeettan dhala leencaa (eight cubs of lion)

9= salgan yaa’ii Booranaa (nine assemblies of Boorana)

10= kurnan kurnii Waaqayyoo (ten tithe of God)

Story telling

Most stories revolve around animals and human like creatures like Bulguu, Hilluu, Adii, Haadha
Sharraxee (sorts of boggy man), imaginary figures, human relations like children and step mothers,
strong persons. Stories could be constructed by story tellers. Examples are found in gubirmans. com

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