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Waaqeffannaa’ Religion of the Oromo People

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Waaqeffannaa’ Religion of the Oromo People International Journal of Academic Research and Development International Journal of Academic Research and Development ISSN: 2455-4197 Impact Factor: RJIF 5.22 www.academicsjournal.com Volume 3; Issue 2; March 2018; Page No. 566-574 Indigenous religion and being human: The case of ‘Waaqeffannaa’ religion of the Oromo people Addisalem Bekele Gemeda1, Professor KR Rajani2 1Research Scholar, Department of Philosophy, College of Arts and Commerce, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India 2 Chairperson, Board of Studies and Director, KS Murty Centre for Religious Studies, Department of Philosophy, Andhra University, Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, India Abstract Religion is a philosophy that the people accepts, believe in and governed by. Every society has their own philosophy of understanding the world, creator and creatures which they accept and believe and pass over to generations. Waaqeffannaa religion of the Oromo people of East Africa is one of the oldest indigenous and monotheistic religions exercised by African peoples since time immemorial. ‘Waqeffannaa’ literary means believe in one Waaqa - the supreme being. The followers of ‘Waaqeffannaa’ do believe in only one Supreme Being called Waaqa (literary translated as God). Moreover, the philosophy and religion of the people depicts the identity of that people. Thus, Waaqeffannaa religion depicts Oromummaa (Oromoness) and Afrikummaa (Africaness). Keywords: ayyaana, indigenous religion, oromo, safuu, waaqa, waaqeffannaa 1. Introduction Moreover, before discussing Waaqeffannaa religion we would This article primarily deals with Indigenous/ traditional like to discuss important concepts associated with religion. The words indigenous and traditional may be used Waaqeffannaa such as Waaqa, ayyaana, cubbuu and safuu for interchangeably in this article. For the purpose of this article clear understanding of the topic. Therefore, the article tried to the words “indigenous/ tradition” are used to mean indigenous address religious epistemological questions about knowledge that can be handed down from generation to Waaqeffannaa as a unifying and all-encompassing factor for generation mainly based on oral transmissions with no written the Oromo political and social life. papers. It is the heritage from the past, but treated not as a thing of the past but as that which connects the past with the 2. Religion and indigenous religion present and the present with eternity. So, when we say Religion and traditional religion are defined by different traditional religion is the heritage from the past, it does not scholars. Bokku, for instance, defined religion as “anything mean it is a thing of the past or dead religion [1]. Like any other through which people understand the creator and His traditional knowledge and religions, African traditional creatures. It is how they perceive their lives and the system religions, beliefs and practices are oral than scriptural. through which they realize their dream and live up on it [3].” Many traditional African religions have elaborate stories that Religion is a means where by an individual or the people explain how the world and humans was created, how culture understand their creator and believe in Him. It is the attitude and civilization come about or what happen when a person and the faith the people have for the creator and the creatures. dies. However, they have faced prosecution from the It is what the people wholeheartedly accepts and believes as proponents of different ideologies to the extent that the true. It also reflects the civilization and understanding of adherents of these religions are demonized and marginalized, specific people in their life. The culture, history, politics and and have been forcefully converted to one of the modern philosophy of a given society indicates the level of civilization religions (such as Islam and Christianity). of that specific people which is closely related to the religion Some Oromo nationals prefer the name amantii Oromoo of that specific people [4]. (Oromo religion) or amantii Afrikaa (African religion) to Religion is the way through which one can see and understand Waaqeffannaa [2] which is the sign of its existence before all the creator and creatures and live his/her hope [5]. Religion is a other religions presently dominating the region and that all means through which we can observe our environment. The Oromo were waaqeffataa before they are converted to either practice of religion has significant effect on happiness and Christianity or Islam. overall sense of personal well-being. Happiness is greater and The article would like to discuss the Oromo indigenous psychological stress is lower for those who attend religious religion called Waaqeffannaa and Oromo world views. 3 Bokku, D. D. Oromo wisdom in black civilization, 2011: 383-384 1 Awolalu, J. O. 1976. What is African Traditional Religion? Studies in 4 Unguree,T. Waaqeffannaa: Amantii Duudhaa Ganamaa, 2015:14-15 Comparative Religion, Vol. 10, No. 2, World Wisdom, Inc. 5 Oromia Culture and Tourism Bureau. History of the Oromo to the Sixteenth 2 Fayyis, 2011 Century. Third Edition (Second Impression), Finfinne, 2006/2014. 566 International Journal of Academic Research and Development services regularly [6]. Oromo elders, the Oromo people believe that the original religion from which all other religions are derived is the Religion is a theological philosophy that deals with a religion of the Cush who were used to belief in one Supreme code of worship and lifestyle of humanity. It has often Being. This Cushitic religion is maintained by the Oromo till cleverly manipulated to be rooted in ideas, symbols, today which is known as ‘Waaqeffannaa’ – believe in one myth, and secrecy to satisfy the initiated people and Waaqa (God). One of the evidences is that the Oromo were generate its power through scare tactics within the worshipping one God (Waaqa) long before the introduction of [7] psychic of man . Christianity and Islam. Therefore, Waaqeffannaa is believed to be as old as the age of the first created Oromo. Religion is a natural aspect of human race which grows out of Cush is believed to be the source of human race, religion and human’s desire for meaning and belonging. Even if we try to civilization of the world. The place where Cush inhabits is get rid of one religion, we create another religion. Best or also believed to be the source of human race. Accordingly, the worst, humans seem to be motivated by religion. It represents Cush was the first people who start to believe in one Waaqa a cultural and national identity. The core moral value of all (God). This implies that the original religion of the world was religions is that they are universal and humanitarian. Religion the religion which was practiced by the Cush – i.e. also strives to promote morality and mediate reconciliation [8]. Waaqeffannaa religion [13]. Dirribi supports the above point “It seeks to call us out of our self-centeredness to more noble, and further elaborates it as follows. meaningful, and compassionate life.” [9] Religion is broad and the base or foundation of many things. History is telling us that the horn of Africa is the birth Religion, according to Unguree, is the source of kindness and place of mankind. At the same time history is telling us shapes the behaviors of individuals. It is accepting and that the Horn of Africa is the cradle land of civilization, believing in the supremacy of one God, acting according to and that all forms of knowledge, such as Science, God’s law and loving his creatures. It limits the needs and Philosophy, Mathematics and engineering … etc wants, and selfishness of human being. This helps humans as including sophisticated religions are originated from per the law of God thereby leading humans to the right pass this cradle of Egyptian civilization [14]. [10]. Traditional religion, on the other hand, is an indigenous 3. Oromo world-views religion originated within a certain people/community and 3.1 Waaqa exercised by themselves. It is not the religion that comes from There are controversies on the equivalent English translation outside and adopted by (sometimes imposed on) the of the word ‘Waaqa’, which is usually approximately communities; rather it is born within the community. translated as God. Different authors suggest different meaning of the term, which they believe better explain the character Most indigenous people have strong bond to their and attribute of the meaning of the original term ‘Waaqa’. traditional lands and culture. Traditional religion is There are two types of Waaqa: with the capital “W” (Waaqa) therefore among the cultural markers that could dub a and the small “w” (waaqa). The former is used to mean certain community as an indigenous. Indigenous “God”, “Supreme being”, “Divinity” or “Undifferentiated- peoples are also minorities in terms of ethnic, religion, Being” while the latter is used to mean the vault of the “sky”. national or linguistic in their state [11] However, some scholars mistakenly understood Waaqa (with capital “W”) as having two meanings – the sky and God. Unlike modern scriptural religions, traditional religions are Gragg and Tilahun Gemta and Desta Alemayo Kenea, for written in people’s heart, mind, oral history, rituals, shrines example, stated that Waaqa (with capital “W”) refers to “the and religious functions. Traditional religion also has neither sky as a physical object on the one hand and God on the founder/ reformer like Gautama the Buddha, Asoka, Christ or other”. [15] Bartels also argued that Waaqa had double Muhammad nor missionaries and the desire to propagate the meanings. It means either the sky (the vault of the sky as we religion [12]. However, the adherents are loyal worshippers. see it) or God. However, with regards to the later meaning of Now days, there are several religions in the world. Evidences Waaqa he argued that Waaqa comprises more than God, show that the numbers of religions are growing because, Supreme Being, Creator and ruler of the universe in western through time, one religion is segmented in to another more sense.
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