By Afendi Muteki
The town of Galamso has historical significance in the
tradition of the Oromo of Harerghe. Yet its name is very odd; it has no exact
meaning in Afan Oromo and other languages. No town or village in Ethiopia and
elsewhere in the world is called by this name except the single town which is
situated at the heart of Carcar province. So what does “Galamso” mean? The
answer to this question takes us to some interrelated topics which can show us the
impressiveness of the ancient tradition of the Oromo people.
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The Ittu Oromos, who are native to “Carcar” province, say
that the name “Galamso” came from a compound noun “Galma Usso” which was to
mean “Usso’s hall” or “Usso’s worship house”. The name refers to a small mosque
built by a man called “Usso”. Basically “galma” refers to a worship house of
the ancient “Waqqffannaa” religion of the Oromo people. However, the Oromos
used to call a worship house of any religion by this name. An interesting point
here is not the way the name was derived but how the mosque could be built on
the Oromo land where the law of the time didn’t allow it.
The Ittu Oromos say the man who built the mosque at Galamso
was actually “Aw-Seid”, a saintly figure who tried to Islamize the Oromos of
Carcar province in ancient times. His given name was “Seid Ali”. Latter on the public
added a prefix “Aw” to his name to indicate his sainthood (this is done in the
manner of the Somalis and the Hararis who call their saints and national heroes
so).
The elders say when the Oromos were reformulating their
constitution and workings laws (“Heera” and “Seera”) at “Odaa Bultum” in early
13th century, they asked “Sheikh Abadir” of Harar to send with them a
scholar who would assist them by giving legal advices. So Sheikh Abadir send
“Aw Seid” to Oda Bultum up on certain agreements; that “Aw Seid” would live and
act according to the law of the Oromo land, that he would assist the Oromos in drafting
the laws; that he would remain as a legal adviser of the people, that the
Oromos take care of him and his family; that he would practice his religion
freely and build his mosque at his place of residence, that he can work and own
properties.
Based on the aforementioned agreement reached between the
Oromos and Sheikh Abadir of Harar, elders say, “Aw Seid” came to the Oromo land
and built his residential house at Galamso. He was officially adopted to the
Oromo citizen and made “ilma gosaa” (adopted son) of the Warra Qallu clan (one
of the ten clans that make up the Ittu Oromo). On the adoption ceremony, the
Oromos gave him the name “Usso”.
When “Aw Seid” built his mosque short time later, the Oromos
started to call it “Galma Usso” just to mean “mosque of Usso”. The newly built structure
became a sign that would indicate the place and its surroundings. And in the
long period of time, the Ittu elders say, the name “Galma Usso” evolved to
“Galamso”.
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The Oromo elders say “Aw Seid” became a chief legal adviser
of the “Caffe Gadaa” assembly of “Oda Bultum and the “Mana Bokku” of the Ittu
Oromo and he lived on this service for many years. He also became a chief
traditional healer of the era since he had wide knowledge of Arabian and
African medicines. Because of his preaching efforts, few people accepted
Islamic faith.
As time passed, dispute rose between the Oromos and “Aw
Seid”. The origin of the dispute is narrated in different ways; some elders say
“Aw Seid” has changed many of the traditional working laws of the Oromos and
thus the land of Oromos was attacked by serious drought that persisted for
three consecutive years. The people felt that they became sinful for altering
the traditional law of their forefathers. The leaders of those dissatisfied people
gathered and asked for the return of the ancient Oromo laws. The Caffee
Assembly called an extra-ordinary congress and reformulated the laws according
to the ancient tradition of the Oromo people. And at the end, they sent back
“Aw Seid” to Harar where he passed the rest of his life and died.
Contrary to the above, other elders say that a son of “Aw
Seid” was killed by certain Ittu man but the Oromos paid the blood money of the
dead as though the he was “amba” (non-citizen). “Aw Seid” asked for higher
payment arguing that his dead son was already a “lammi” (citizen) because he
was born in the Oromo land. He couldn’t reach an agreement with the Oromos so
that he became frustrated and returned back to Harar where he came from.
These two views are widely narrated in different story
lines. But the writer of this essay observed that the latter view has many
supporters. An act that strengthens this view happened in 1991 when the renaissance
of “Caffee Gadaa” assembly was celebrated at Oda Bultum after its disappearance
for more than hundred years. At that time, thousands (and this writer as well) attended
a ceremony on which the Oromos gave many cattle to the family (clan) of Aw Seid
as unpaid blood money of his dead son. The Oromos say when their land was
conquered by Emperor Minilink’s army, their forefathers told them that the
trouble was happened to them because they annoyed a big saint which contrary to
the Oromo ethical code (the ancient Oromos used to pay a respect to saints of
any faith and they wouldn’t attack the shrines and worship houses of those religious
figures) and that they established a tradition urging the future generations to
pay the blood money of Aw-Seid’s son whenever they will get their freedom.
On the other hand, the interrelation between “Aw Seid” and
“Oda Bultum” can be expressed by one vital fact; throughout the life experience
of the writer of this article, “Oda Bultum” is also called “Aw Seid” and many
people continue to call it by this name.
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The history of the mission of “Aw Seid” partly appears in scholarly
written records, many hagiographic documents as well discuss it. On the other
hand, the name of “Aw Seid” appears many times in the list of the saints of
Harar (in his full name “Aw Seid Ali”). Accordingly, the validity of the above Oromo
oral traditions is unquestionable. However, the time is disputed. Many scholars
including Professor Ulrich Braukamper say that the mission of Aw-Seid was
probably a phenomenon of 16th Century. This view makes good
historical sense on two grounds. First, many written sources agree that the
Eastern Oromos established their separate Caffee Assembly at Oda Bultum only
after the second half of 16th Century. Second, the Ittu elders say that
it’s 69 Gadaas (i.e. 552 years) since
the Oda Bultum assembly was founded separately to serve the eastern Oromos; prior
to that the Oromos of Harerghe held their Caffee Assembly at Oda Walabu (found
in Bale) together with Arsi and Karrayu Oromos.
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“Aw Seid” is a saint associated with Galamso town. An
establishment of permanent settlement on the current site of the town is
ascribed to him although its urbanization process took many years (few centuries).
On the other hand, a perennial river that rises from the western side of the
town is called in the name of “Aw Seid” which can show the strong bond existing
between the saint and the town. In the last century, a small “galma” (prayer
house) and a shrine was built at a place thought to be a sight of the ancient
“Galma Usso”.
Why “Aw Seid” selected the site of Galamso town and built
his mosque there is still unclear. Some say Galamso was the seat of “Mana
Bokku” (President’s Office) in ancient times and Aw-Seid settled there in order
to be close to the administrators of the time; others say he’s residence was
decided by the Warra Qallu clan who adopted him as their son. As the town is
surrounded by two places called “Caffee” which are regarded as the remnants of ancient
local “Caffee”s, as a place like “Halaya Buchoro” where the Oromos used to
execute criminals by throwing to a chasm is located in its vicinity, and as the
town was the only one which had seven “karra” (gates) in the Oromo tradition
(five “karra” according some sources consulted recently), then it seems to the
writer of this essay that the former story can tell us the most likely reason.
That is, Galamso might had been the seat of “Mana Bokku” of the ancient Ittu
Oromo tribal administration and that could be a reason for which “Aw Seid” settled
there and built his mosque (“Galma Usso”).
Written by Afendi Muteki
February 8, 2013
Harar, East Ethiopia
February 8, 2013
Harar, East Ethiopia
Consulted Works
- አፈንዲ ሙተቂ፡ ፉጉግና የሀረርጌ ኦሮሞ ፣ በአዲስ አድማስ ጋዜጣ፣ አዲስ አበባ፣ ሰኔ 20/2001
- አፈንዲ ሙተ: ኦዳ ቡልቱም በሀረርጌ፣ በአዲስ አድማስ ጋዜጣ፣ አዲስ አበባ፣ ሰኔ 27/2001
- Bahru Zewde: A History of Modern Ethiopia 1855-1991, Addis Ababa University Press, Addis Ababa, 2007
- Mohammed Hassan: The City of Harar and the Spread of Islam Among the Oromo in Hararghe, A Paper Presented on African Studies Association Annual Meeting, Philadelphia, November 11–14, 1999
- Mohammed Hassan: Minilik's Conquest of Harar and its Effect on the Political Organization of the Surrounding Oromos, in D.L. Donham and W. James , Working Papers of Society and History in Imperial Ethiopia, The Southern periphery up to 1900s, School of African Studies, London, 1980
- Richard F. Burton፡ First Footsteps in East Africa or The Exploration of Harar, Longman, Green, Brown and Longman, London, 1856
- Ulrich Braukamper: Islamic History and Culture in Southern Ethiopia: Collected Essays: Lit Verlag Münster, Munster, 2004
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