The Vitality of Indigenous Religious Institutions Maintaining Social Cohesion Among the Gurage People of South Central Ethiopia

Abstract

This paper is designed to examine the origin, development and dynamics of the traditional religious and social cohesion institutions of Bozhe, Og'yet, shana and bittar among the Gurage of South Western Ethiopia through following historical and contemporary approaches. Following the propagation of Islam and Christianity into the Gurage land, these indigenous institutions have been changed drastically through the processes of syncretization and accommodation. Despite many of the Gurage people were converted either to Christianity or Islam through the historic processes of religious syncretizm, they continued worshipping the Bozhe and Og'yet deities and make use of the indigenous institutions of shana and bittar to handle different dispute cases. At present, the Gurage people show their preference to the indigenous institutions of bittar and shana to handle ritually sanctioned cases that cannot be resolved by state institutions. Therefore, this study needs to examine the role of these indigenous religious and social cohesion institutions in maintaining peace and stability at individual and tribal levels among the Gurage.