DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.49272#0222
206 HARVARD AFRICAN STUDIES
pass under their shoulders a large leather band which they use as a sort of basket for carry-
ing their children. The boys wear a skin which is knotted on one shoulder, leaving the
other shoulder and the rear of the body uncovered.” Massaja also says that they wear on
their heads a hat of monkey fur, pyramidal in form. Among the Wdyto of the northern
group who were photographed by Rosen, one has wrapped about him a band, perhaps of
cotton cloth, which is knotted on one shoulder in the manner Cecchi describes. The other,
however, wears the Abyssinian toga.
The arms of the Wdtta in addition to the javelin later described, consist among the
central group of a bow and arrows. According to Cecchi,1 they also use crooked knives
and spears, but it is probable that by the word “ spear ” he means javelin.
As to their habitations, Bottego, with regard to the southern group, simply tells us
that they live in villages along the banks of rivers in spots considered unhealthy by the
Bbrana or, I think, shunned because of the Galla belief that genii live in rivers, (see songs
50 and 117). He also adds that the Wdtta huts are covered with the leaves of the palm
tree. The Wdtta of the central group, according to the unanimous opinion of travellers and
also of my native informant, live on the outskirts of the Galla, Kaffa, and even Suro vil-
lages. Cecchi2 states that in Giera, they live in the woods and build themselves hiding
places in the trees. The Wdyto of the northern group, according to Heuglin, inhabit port-
able huts of cane, shaped like an oven. Rosen also writes that the huts are constructed of
cane, perhaps of cyperus papyrus. Rava noticed on two Wdyto huts climbing plants in
bloom. Massaja met a family which had taken refuge in a cave.
Their chief occupation, naturally, is hunting, especially the hunting of the hippopota-
mus. For the Monophysite as for the Mussulman, the flesh of the hippopotamus is im-
pure, but before this religious motive, there certainly existed a more ancient taboo, because
even the pagan Kushites consider the hippopotamus unclean. It is a question very diffi-
cult to decide whether these ideas are derived from the oldest beliefs of the Semito-Hamites3
or from the common superstitions about rivers, on account of which the Kushites do not
eat fish, and some tribes believe that the crocodile is the embodiment of a spirit. Certainly
at present all over Ethiopia the hunting of the hippopotamus is inglorious.4
The manner of hunting is the same in all three groups of Wdtta', when the beast comes
up to the surface to breathe, they strike it with javelins, the poisoned heads of which are
detachable. According to Riippel, the poison causes the death of the animal within
twelve hours. Heuglin says this poison is extracted from a plant with sharp thorns, called
in Amharic ya-gomari soh, “ the thorn of the hippopotamus,” a plant of the genus aster-
achantus. Heuglin also states that the iron point of the javelin has a special mark to dis-
1 Op. cit., p. 368. 2 Ibid., p. 369.
3 Bible, Old Testament, Job, ch. 41.
4 There are only a few groups, perhaps mixed with Wdyto elements, who boast of killing the hippopotamus, e. g.,
the child whom Rava met near the Tana (op. cit., p. 84), and the poet of an Amharic song collected by me, who
after enumerating the noble hunting enterprises (lion, elephant), closes: “ And are the spoils of the hippopotamus fit
only for Way tot When it (the hippopotamus) appears breathing, does it not frighten? ”
pass under their shoulders a large leather band which they use as a sort of basket for carry-
ing their children. The boys wear a skin which is knotted on one shoulder, leaving the
other shoulder and the rear of the body uncovered.” Massaja also says that they wear on
their heads a hat of monkey fur, pyramidal in form. Among the Wdyto of the northern
group who were photographed by Rosen, one has wrapped about him a band, perhaps of
cotton cloth, which is knotted on one shoulder in the manner Cecchi describes. The other,
however, wears the Abyssinian toga.
The arms of the Wdtta in addition to the javelin later described, consist among the
central group of a bow and arrows. According to Cecchi,1 they also use crooked knives
and spears, but it is probable that by the word “ spear ” he means javelin.
As to their habitations, Bottego, with regard to the southern group, simply tells us
that they live in villages along the banks of rivers in spots considered unhealthy by the
Bbrana or, I think, shunned because of the Galla belief that genii live in rivers, (see songs
50 and 117). He also adds that the Wdtta huts are covered with the leaves of the palm
tree. The Wdtta of the central group, according to the unanimous opinion of travellers and
also of my native informant, live on the outskirts of the Galla, Kaffa, and even Suro vil-
lages. Cecchi2 states that in Giera, they live in the woods and build themselves hiding
places in the trees. The Wdyto of the northern group, according to Heuglin, inhabit port-
able huts of cane, shaped like an oven. Rosen also writes that the huts are constructed of
cane, perhaps of cyperus papyrus. Rava noticed on two Wdyto huts climbing plants in
bloom. Massaja met a family which had taken refuge in a cave.
Their chief occupation, naturally, is hunting, especially the hunting of the hippopota-
mus. For the Monophysite as for the Mussulman, the flesh of the hippopotamus is im-
pure, but before this religious motive, there certainly existed a more ancient taboo, because
even the pagan Kushites consider the hippopotamus unclean. It is a question very diffi-
cult to decide whether these ideas are derived from the oldest beliefs of the Semito-Hamites3
or from the common superstitions about rivers, on account of which the Kushites do not
eat fish, and some tribes believe that the crocodile is the embodiment of a spirit. Certainly
at present all over Ethiopia the hunting of the hippopotamus is inglorious.4
The manner of hunting is the same in all three groups of Wdtta', when the beast comes
up to the surface to breathe, they strike it with javelins, the poisoned heads of which are
detachable. According to Riippel, the poison causes the death of the animal within
twelve hours. Heuglin says this poison is extracted from a plant with sharp thorns, called
in Amharic ya-gomari soh, “ the thorn of the hippopotamus,” a plant of the genus aster-
achantus. Heuglin also states that the iron point of the javelin has a special mark to dis-
1 Op. cit., p. 368. 2 Ibid., p. 369.
3 Bible, Old Testament, Job, ch. 41.
4 There are only a few groups, perhaps mixed with Wdyto elements, who boast of killing the hippopotamus, e. g.,
the child whom Rava met near the Tana (op. cit., p. 84), and the poet of an Amharic song collected by me, who
after enumerating the noble hunting enterprises (lion, elephant), closes: “ And are the spoils of the hippopotamus fit
only for Way tot When it (the hippopotamus) appears breathing, does it not frighten? ”