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 westward 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 fille from Ethiopia. Courtesy johangerrits
They were originally from the Tigray part of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia equally the descendants of armed forces 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 inwards their traditional dance. www.one.org
Gurage people are divided into several sub-groups, but the 3 principal sub-groups are the Sebat-bet Gurage constitute inwards the western business office of Gurageland – the 2 other sub-groups beingness the Northern Kistane cluster as well as the Eastern Silte-speaking cluster. The Silte conduct maintain of late asserted their ain non-Gurage identity inwards a plebiscite held inwards the twelvemonth 2000 as well as set-up a novel politico-administrative unit of measurement at equal condition amongst the
Gurage Zone inwards the Southern Region
Gurage adult woman from Ethiopia
The Gurages are mostly liked inwards Ethiopia. People similar their nutrient as well as dancing, equally good equally the fact that they are build 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 too known to for helping each-other, beingness a flake clannish. It is genuinely an interesting people, from a province rich inwards civilisation as well as diversity!
Location
The Gurage zone, which is business office of the Southern Nation, Nationalities as well as People Region, Is located inwards the
western business office 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 inwards 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 due east to west, having an elevation of 3600 m. The plateau apartment lands, the surface area 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 one thousand m.
The Gurage people occupy the southernmost areas of the fundamental plateau, nearly 150 miles southwest of Addis Ababa; mainly semi-mountainous country, amongst highland wood as well as greenish valleys as well as plains where the Chibieand Gogeb rivers flow. They alive inwards little densely-settled villages.
Straw huts as well as plantations of Deber Tabor, Ethiopia.
Climate
The climate inwards the zone is of 3 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 inwards 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 fifteen degrees Celcius respectively.
Settlement
Gurage houses are circular structures held together with- out the work of nails amongst wooden spokes protruding from a centre pole to back upwards the thatched roof. Locally-made pottery hangs only about the within wall inwards neat rows. Near the centre is a ! supercede used for cooking as well as heating the house.
Typical Gurage house
Often a little department on ane side of the occupation solid is equipped for livestock (cows, sheep or goats, as well as mayhap a horse), which are kept inwards the occupation solid during the night.
Gurage fille 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 later 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 ever mutually intelligible. One group, called the Sebat Bet which way vii houses as well as refer to a grouping of vii Gurage tribes, which inwards plow conduct maintain their specific dialects! Sebat Bet speakers are over ane 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 inwards a cultural sense to a greater extent than than inwards a linguistic.
Beautiful Gurage fille from Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia standing on her door-way. Courtesy Johan Gerrits
History
There seems to live on scanty data nearly the origins of Gurage people. However, according to the historian Paul B. Henze, their origins are explained past times traditions of a armed forces expedition to the southward during the final years of the Aksumite Empire, which left armed forces 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 armed forces 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 principal staple crop, but other cash crops are grown, which include java as well as chat. Animal husbandry is practiced, but mainly for milk furnish as well as dung. Other foods consumed include greenish cabbage, cheese, butter, as well as roasted grains, amongst meat consumption beingness real express (also used inwards rituals or ceremonies).
The Gurage heighten Zebu cattle. These cattle give real niggling 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 inwards clay pots hung from the walls of their huts. Butter is believed to live on medicinal, as well as the Gurage oft accept it internally or work it a lotion or poultice. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Gurage saying states that "A sickness that has the upperhand over butter is destined for death." Different species of ensete are too eaten to alleviate illness.
The Gurage regard overeating equally coarse as well as vulgar, as well as regard it equally pathetic etiquette to eat all of the ensete that a host passes only about to guests. It is considered polite to move out at to the lowest degree some ensete breadstuff fifty-fifty after a real little portion is passed around
It is typically expected that a Gurage volition extend hospitality to their neighbors as well as kinfolk inwards dispensing ensete freely to them. However, Gurage oft hoard extra nutrient as well as eat it secretly to avoid having to portion 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 exercise they portion amongst other southern as well as southwestern Ethiopians.
The flora plays a vital role inwards the economical as well as social life of the Gurage. they work it for a variety of domestic
as well as medicinal purposes, but its role inwards ritual appraisal to live on small. It is too used inwards other aspects of life. For
example, they roll a corpse after buy the farm amongst it, or after birth, the umbilical cord is tied off amongst an enset fiber.
The tree has a real large stalk that grows nether the ground. Its intensive tillage allows the concentration of large communities inwards 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 far possible for the Gurage to alive good inwards a higher identify subsistence level. To this, they conduct 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 inwards a sparse layer of ensete leaves. Its baked inwards a little pit amongst coals. Sometimes the glue is only cooked over a griddle. In episode 8 inwards bizarre foods, Andrew Zimmern tasted the 'Kocho as well as said it tasted similar aught as well as it made his rima oris dry.
Trade
The Gurage, the author Nega Mezlekia notes, "have earned a reputation equally skilled traders". One illustration of an enterprising Gurage is ane Tekke, whom Nathaniel T. Kenney described equally "an Ethiopian Horatio Alger, Jr.": He began his career selling erstwhile bottles as well as tin cans; the Emperor [Haile Selassie] of late rewarded his achievement inwards creating his plantation past times calling him to Addis Ababa as well as decorating him.
Gurage Saleswoman inwards the marketplace of Hawariyat Wereda village,Ethiopia. johangerrits
Throughout the Gurage cultural part a periodic marketing scheme operates, amongst most markets operating entirely on a unique twenty-four hours of the week. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 few of the larger markets similar the ane inwards Emdeber operated inwards a express fashion every twenty-four hours of the calendar week but expanded greatly on the “market day.” There were few permanent stalls or shelters but each cast of goods had its item surface area 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 identify unit of measurement construction is much larger than the typical Western nuclear unit. The oldest manly someone is normally the caput of the household as well as is inwards accuse of determination making.
Men, normally having the primary income, command the identify unit of measurement economically as well as distribute money. Women are
inwards accuse of domestic life as well as conduct maintain significantly to a greater extent than contact amongst the children. The manly someone parent is seen equally an authorisation figure.
Gurage Woman amongst colorful headdress inwards the marketplace of Hawariyat Wereda village, Ethiopia. johangerrits
Children are socially required to aid for their parents, as well as thence in that location are oft 3 to 4 generations inwards a
household. With the advent of urban living, however, this designing is changing, as well as children oft alive far from their families as well as conduct maintain a much harder fourth dimension supporting them.
Urbanites conduct maintain a responsibleness to shipping coin to their families inwards rural areas as well as oft effort 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 ready 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 unproblematic socio-economic relations betwixt individuals to wider community, local as well as regional.
Furthermore, they are responsible for Settlement of disputes as well as management of conflict aimed at obtaining judge as well as social.
Children
Children are raised past times the extended identify unit of measurement as well as community. It is the primary duty of the woman parent to aid for the
children equally business office of her domestic duties. If the woman parent is non available, the responsibleness falls to the older woman someone children equally good equally the grandmothers.
Gurage human being as well as his fille at Deber Tabor village, Ethiopia. johangerrits
During early on childhood, children conduct maintain the greatest exposure to their mothers as well as woman someone relatives. At around
the historic menses of five, peculiarly inwards urban areas, children showtime attending schoolhouse if their families tin toilet afford the fees. In
rural areas, schools are few as well as children create farm work. This way a real depression per centum of rural youth attend school. The authorities is trying to alleviate this job past times edifice accessible schools inwards rural areas.
The patriarchal construction of social club is reflected inwards the stress on didactics for boys over girls. Women human face upwards discrimination problems equally good equally physical abuse inwards school.
Also, the belief soundless exists that females are less competent thence males as well as that didactics is wasted on them.
Gurage children from Ethiopia
Religion
The Gurage conduct maintain belief inwards Supreme beingness as well as a Creator god called "Waq" (Sky God). They participate inwards traditional religious practices such equally offerings to Waq,their supreme deity. They hang effigies of ancestral gods inwards their houses to ward off evil spirit.
Earth shrines to Waq are mutual exterior of villages. The Fuga people, a cast of hunters as well as artisans, are considered to concur the key to traditional rituals. Their reputed might 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 nearly nutrient as well as hunger, because patch they conduct maintain a plentiful nutrient supply, cultural pressures that strength the Gurange to either portion it to encounter social obligations, or hoard it as well as eat it secretly drive them anxiety. Distinctions are drawn betwixt spirits that entirely possess men, spirits that entirely possess women, as well as spirits that possess victims of either sex. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 ritual disease that entirely 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 breadbasket pains. If it persists the victim may larn into a trancelike stupor, inwards which he sometimes regains consciousness long plenty to accept nutrient as well as water. Breathing is oft labored. Seizures as well as trembling overcome the patient, as well as inwards 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 refer through the work of divinitation, he prescribes a routine formula to exorcise the spirit. This is non a permanent cure, however, it is believed to let the victim to cast 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 grooming as well as consumption of a dish of ensente, butter, as well as ruby 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 pathetic 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 being to the centre of social attention, as well as to preserve his anxieties over his inability to gain prestige from redistributing food, which is the primary way inwards which Gurange men gain condition inwards 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 too exercise 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
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gurage_people
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