Fwd: Oromo (Galla) history
IZell...@aol.com
From: IZell...@aol.com
To: IZell...@aol.com
Sent: 8/19/2010 12:47:48 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Oromo (Galla) history
Ethiopiawinet.net
The historical context of the term "Gala"
I will be proud of the following points about the great Oromo people, as all Ethiopians should be:
As I explained earlier, the historical context of the term "Gala" originally didn't have any negative connotation. On the contrary, it was a designation of honor denoting wisdom, knowledge and philosophy. It meant wise, knowledgeable and philosopher. Why? Because, as I indicated in my note, the people who were called by that name were such. Words, like Seb'a-Segel, Gelan, Negele, Megal, etc emanate from it. I will only take Seb'a-Segel and Megal. "Seb" is a Geez word for "men" or "human". "Segel", besides being number, is indicative of "wisdom". When the Bible says the "Seb'a-Segel" went to Bethlehem following a star to present gifts to Jesus, it is referring to the Oromo and other Ethiopian wise men who presented gifts to Jesus.The Gospel of Mathew calls them "Wise Men from the East". These were 12 Ethiopian kings from the Ethiopian Empire. They were all the children of Ethiop even though they were representing different tribes including the Amara, Oromo, Afar, Hamassien and even Somali. (I will give the details if anyone asks me to do so.) Since the issue is Oromo, I will deal only with it for now. Now the man representing the Oromo (and at that time he was also representing the Galla, as this word didn't have then any negative connotation whatsoever), was King Megal, the King of Maji, (Westerners call the "Wise Men From The East", "The Maji" for this reason), Derdina and Armen (not to be confused with Armenia). These were all Ethiopian regions. King Megal was great not only because he was among the wise men who knew about the birth of the Savior of The World being as far as Ethiopia, when His own (The Savior's) people, the Israelites themselves, knew nothing about His birth, but also because he had sailed from Ethiopia to Portugal and Spain together with the Medebay tribe (a name the Oromo were known by before they were called "Oromo" and "Gala" priests, philosophers and prophets, and administered Portugal and Spain. This is a historical fact which occurred more than 2000 years ago. We shouldn't, therefore, be surprised, if the word Portugal means, "Port Gala", meaning the port of Gala, since the Gala had anchored their ships at that port and developed it further. When I visited Spain many years ago, I entered a city called "Tolossa". Unaware of the earlier presence of the Oromo in Spain and Portugal then, I joked to my girlfriend who was driving with me saying, "Wow! I didn't know I am such a famous writer after whose name a city exists! The Spanish have already dedicated to me a city." Considering that Portugal and Spain had later on colonized Africa, I would be lying if I say that I don't feel proud that my people, who are also the people of all the members of this Forum, had ventured to go that far.
The following will also address the concern of both Dr. Tadele and Ato Fraol Darara. You said that no Oromo would call himself "Galla", it is only the Ahara and Tigre who call them so. You are wrong on that account as well. His Excellency Ato Yilma Deressa, a full-fledged Oromo from Wellega, wrote a book entitled, Ye Galloch Tarik. He was just telling a chapter of their amazing history. He wouldn't have used the word "Gala", if he was negative about it.
Furthermore, not everyone used to be called Oromo. Those who were called Oromo predominantly were those from Wellega, Inaria, a part of Gojam, Jima, Genete, Arerti, etc. Those from Borena, Shewa Robit, Sidamo, Kereyu, Denkel, Tiltal, Raya and Kobo were identified as "Gala". If you called people from these regions during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie, they would get angry at you. They often asserted proudly saying, "I am Galla, descendant of philosophers, prophets and wise men. Don't call me Oromo!" That was then. However, when the Revolution of the Derg broke out, they were told, you are no more "Gala". You are Oromo. Never call yourself "Gala" again. Ato Haile Fida, a key member of the Me'sone Party, a man from Welega, whose mother was an Amara and other Oromo Mei'son members, made sure that the word Galla went out of existence. Mainly they pressured the Derg to decree a law nullifying this word. Subsequently EPRDF reinforced it.
Why were Ato Haile Fida and his group against this word. We all know why. Some arrogant, ignorant and rude non-Oromo chauvinistic people had abused the good meaning of the word to connote curse. Therefore, instead of reeducating those rude and crude individuals and punishing them severely if they used the word "Galla" as a curse, our "far-sighted" politicians abolished altogether this wonderful historical word which reflected and implied the wisdom of the children of Deshet the prophet, the father of both the Amara and the Oromo. The word in and of itself was not bad. It was only those who badmouthed with it who were bad.
The above is a historical explanation of the origin and fate of the word "Gala". We should not make it a taboo, that shouldn't be mentioned, just because some ignorant and arrogant people abused it. However, if anyone prefers to be called "Oromo" to "Gala", the right of this person should be respected. You can't call a person by a name if he/she doesn't want to be called, for this is tantamount to violating the inalienable right of that person. As Jesus said, "You shall seek the truth, and the truth shall set you free."
Thank you for your attention.
descendant of prophets Ethiop and Deshet, the fathers of Oromo, Amara and millions of Ethiopians