DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0157
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
141
“ to work,” whence gabr, “ slave.” Such a root still exists today in Galla in the word garbicca,
garbitti, masculine and feminine singular forms of the less used garbd, “ slave.” A similar
development as to legal status has been attained by the Cawa, former military colonies
of the Emperor of Ethiopia, made up of corps of troops recruited among the Galla tribes
and the frontier populations, who afterwards acquired all the rights of their former chiefs,
also making legendary genealogies for themselves.1 The Waddibssa (v. 13) is a river of
Lfmmu. The singer invokes rain, which will bring everyone out upon the threshold of
the hut to see it and rejoice, even the old men and children (v. 10-12).
142
The greatest festival of the pagan Galla is that of the buttd, called gdra by the Borana
and the southern Galla. This festival is very important in connection with the social life of
the Galla, because it is the last ceremony of the second as well as the third degree of initia-
tion (see Prose, text 4); that is, it marks the acquisition of the right to be present and take
part in the deliberations of the assembly of the tribe. Every gdda (see Prose, text 4) after
the second period of initiation is called on to sacrifice an ox for the buttd. The buttd is
celebrated every eight years. Beside the sacrifice of the ox, at the buttd the account is
given of the victories obtained by the warriors of the tribe in wars and hunts, followed by
the assignment of decorations (see song 15, notes). The account is given by a widow chosen
from the tribe; the assignment of decorations is made by an elder of the tribe who puts
in his hair for the occasion some feathers of the little red bird called gucci (see song 68).
The warrior whose victims are to be reckoned up comes forward toward the elder and enum-
erates his deeds one by one, prefacing every statement with the cry, “ Sararard! ” which
has, perhaps, a magic force (see song 137). Here is one of these songs for the reckoning
up of victories recited during a buttd celebrated by the Gullallib a little after the victory
over Ras Waldie Baseyum (see song 38).
Sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan tumtu agqse
naggadze soma oltu
fuqurd mukarrdtti agqse
5 kdn si fakkdtu wdnni agqse
sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan cdno agqse
holqd ki'essa duftu
kdn si fakkdtu cdno at’jqse
10 sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan taddd agqse
dabdmtu dkka kzettu
kdn tobveddn farrd
kdn si fakkdtu tadde agqse
15 sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan dugdu aggse
hdttu mucd sd ’a
kdn si fakkdtu dugdu aggse
sararard! . . .
20 abba gucci nan ama "gqse
mukarrdtti kannisa fittu
kdn si fakkdtu amd^gqse
1 Cf. Carlo Conti Rossini, Principi di diritto consuetudinario delF Eritrea, Roma, 1916, p. 89-90.
141
“ to work,” whence gabr, “ slave.” Such a root still exists today in Galla in the word garbicca,
garbitti, masculine and feminine singular forms of the less used garbd, “ slave.” A similar
development as to legal status has been attained by the Cawa, former military colonies
of the Emperor of Ethiopia, made up of corps of troops recruited among the Galla tribes
and the frontier populations, who afterwards acquired all the rights of their former chiefs,
also making legendary genealogies for themselves.1 The Waddibssa (v. 13) is a river of
Lfmmu. The singer invokes rain, which will bring everyone out upon the threshold of
the hut to see it and rejoice, even the old men and children (v. 10-12).
142
The greatest festival of the pagan Galla is that of the buttd, called gdra by the Borana
and the southern Galla. This festival is very important in connection with the social life of
the Galla, because it is the last ceremony of the second as well as the third degree of initia-
tion (see Prose, text 4); that is, it marks the acquisition of the right to be present and take
part in the deliberations of the assembly of the tribe. Every gdda (see Prose, text 4) after
the second period of initiation is called on to sacrifice an ox for the buttd. The buttd is
celebrated every eight years. Beside the sacrifice of the ox, at the buttd the account is
given of the victories obtained by the warriors of the tribe in wars and hunts, followed by
the assignment of decorations (see song 15, notes). The account is given by a widow chosen
from the tribe; the assignment of decorations is made by an elder of the tribe who puts
in his hair for the occasion some feathers of the little red bird called gucci (see song 68).
The warrior whose victims are to be reckoned up comes forward toward the elder and enum-
erates his deeds one by one, prefacing every statement with the cry, “ Sararard! ” which
has, perhaps, a magic force (see song 137). Here is one of these songs for the reckoning
up of victories recited during a buttd celebrated by the Gullallib a little after the victory
over Ras Waldie Baseyum (see song 38).
Sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan tumtu agqse
naggadze soma oltu
fuqurd mukarrdtti agqse
5 kdn si fakkdtu wdnni agqse
sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan cdno agqse
holqd ki'essa duftu
kdn si fakkdtu cdno at’jqse
10 sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan taddd agqse
dabdmtu dkka kzettu
kdn tobveddn farrd
kdn si fakkdtu tadde agqse
15 sararard! . . .
abba gucci nan dugdu aggse
hdttu mucd sd ’a
kdn si fakkdtu dugdu aggse
sararard! . . .
20 abba gucci nan ama "gqse
mukarrdtti kannisa fittu
kdn si fakkdtu amd^gqse
1 Cf. Carlo Conti Rossini, Principi di diritto consuetudinario delF Eritrea, Roma, 1916, p. 89-90.