DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0185
THE FOLK-LITERATURE OF THE GALLA
169
8 qondala, 4 rdba, 4 gula). However, the initiation taking place collectively by gadd, since
membership in a gada does not depend upon age but is hereditary, the cycle of initiation
may be more or less brief according to the relation between the gadd to which one belongs
and that which is in power in the year of birth. For example, if in the first year in which
Goda A is in power, a son is born to a member of Gadd G, the child belongs to Gadd B;
he will be, therefore, qondala (see Diagram II) and as such, eight years after his birth, will
become rdba, and after sixteen years, he will have completed his period of initiation.
If, on the other hand, in the fifth year of the period in which Gadd A is in the power, a
son is born to a member of Gadd G, the child belongs also to Gadd B, as in the first case,
but, since in the first four years of the period in which Gadd B is in power, the qondala
have completed the four necessary ceremonies, the child does not belong to the qondala of
his gada. For the time during which the Gadd B will be completing the period of qondala
and then of lubd (rdba and gula), he will remain outside the degrees of initiation (see note
to Diagram II).
At the close of the period in which Gadd B will be in power, the child will follow the lot
of this gadd of his and therefore will find himself again with Gadd B in power ninety-two 1
years after his birth. On the other hand, if during the period in which Gadd A is in power,
a son is born to a member of Gada E, the child will belong to Gadd L, and will complete,
therefore, his cycle of initiation in nine gada periods, that is, in seventy-two years, plus
the years which pass between his birth and the end of Gada Period A; that means in a mini-
mum of seventy-two years or in a maximum of seventy-nine years. Therefore, the period of
initiation in general has a minimum of fifteen years from birth and a maximum of ninety-two
years from birth, and there remains as the only fixed figure, the fact that this period of
initiation begins and ends for the sons forty years after the period of initiation of their
fathers has begun and ended.
I have not been able to get from Loransiyos the complete list of the names of the gada
of the M^Qca. Other sources, however, give more or less complete lists. The best of these,
d’Abbadie, Bahrey, de Salviac, and Werner, are represented by Diagram III. The cor-
responding arrows indicate the gada coupled together, i.e. if the fathers belong to one of
a pair, their sons belong to the other. Since the cycle of gada is continuous, it is naturally
immaterial with which gada one begins the enumeration. From a comparison of the lists,
it appears that the names of the gada differ according as the tribe belongs to the Borana
or the Baraytuma, the two great divisions of the Galla people. One should be warned not
to confuse the Borana, a branch of the Galla tribes in general, with the present confedera-
tions of the Borana, i.e. the Harar, the Ittu, and the Arussi. Thus, the Macca who certainly
do not belong to the confederation of the Borana are, on the other hand, of the Borana
branch. Furthermore, their nobles call themselves Borana in contradistinction to the
plebeian Gabaro. (See song 141, notes.)
1 80 + 8 + 4 = 92.
169
8 qondala, 4 rdba, 4 gula). However, the initiation taking place collectively by gadd, since
membership in a gada does not depend upon age but is hereditary, the cycle of initiation
may be more or less brief according to the relation between the gadd to which one belongs
and that which is in power in the year of birth. For example, if in the first year in which
Goda A is in power, a son is born to a member of Gadd G, the child belongs to Gadd B;
he will be, therefore, qondala (see Diagram II) and as such, eight years after his birth, will
become rdba, and after sixteen years, he will have completed his period of initiation.
If, on the other hand, in the fifth year of the period in which Gadd A is in the power, a
son is born to a member of Gadd G, the child belongs also to Gadd B, as in the first case,
but, since in the first four years of the period in which Gadd B is in power, the qondala
have completed the four necessary ceremonies, the child does not belong to the qondala of
his gada. For the time during which the Gadd B will be completing the period of qondala
and then of lubd (rdba and gula), he will remain outside the degrees of initiation (see note
to Diagram II).
At the close of the period in which Gadd B will be in power, the child will follow the lot
of this gadd of his and therefore will find himself again with Gadd B in power ninety-two 1
years after his birth. On the other hand, if during the period in which Gadd A is in power,
a son is born to a member of Gada E, the child will belong to Gadd L, and will complete,
therefore, his cycle of initiation in nine gada periods, that is, in seventy-two years, plus
the years which pass between his birth and the end of Gada Period A; that means in a mini-
mum of seventy-two years or in a maximum of seventy-nine years. Therefore, the period of
initiation in general has a minimum of fifteen years from birth and a maximum of ninety-two
years from birth, and there remains as the only fixed figure, the fact that this period of
initiation begins and ends for the sons forty years after the period of initiation of their
fathers has begun and ended.
I have not been able to get from Loransiyos the complete list of the names of the gada
of the M^Qca. Other sources, however, give more or less complete lists. The best of these,
d’Abbadie, Bahrey, de Salviac, and Werner, are represented by Diagram III. The cor-
responding arrows indicate the gada coupled together, i.e. if the fathers belong to one of
a pair, their sons belong to the other. Since the cycle of gada is continuous, it is naturally
immaterial with which gada one begins the enumeration. From a comparison of the lists,
it appears that the names of the gada differ according as the tribe belongs to the Borana
or the Baraytuma, the two great divisions of the Galla people. One should be warned not
to confuse the Borana, a branch of the Galla tribes in general, with the present confedera-
tions of the Borana, i.e. the Harar, the Ittu, and the Arussi. Thus, the Macca who certainly
do not belong to the confederation of the Borana are, on the other hand, of the Borana
branch. Furthermore, their nobles call themselves Borana in contradistinction to the
plebeian Gabaro. (See song 141, notes.)
1 80 + 8 + 4 = 92.