An Investigation into the Manifestation of Oromo Culture in Folklore: Focus on the Oromo Cultural Elements Reflected in Some Selected Afan Oromo Proverbs (Mammaaksa)
Keywords:
Afan Oromo, Folklore, Mammaaksa, Norms, Oromo Culture, Proverbs, ValuesAbstract
Oromo people have a well-developed in oral literature such as myths, tales, proverbs, riddles, folk songs, etc. which have been socially transmitted from one generation to the other. Particularly, proverb (mammaaksa) is used by Oromo people as means of transmitting the culture, values and norms of the society. Despite these, there was little study conducted on the cultural elements of Oromo people reflected in proverbs. So, the main purpose of this study was to describe the cultural elements of Oromo people that are reflected in proverbs. To achieve this objective, descriptive research design was employed. Afan Oromo mammaaksa were collected from elders and documents using interview and document analysis respectively. Then, the collected proverbs were assessed for their relevance and appropriateness to the purpose of this study. Thus, only Afan Oromo proverbs that reflect Oromo cultural elements were selected and translated to English for analysis. Next, the selected proverbs were grouped according to related themes. Finally, the contents of the categorized proverbs were analyzed and interpreted thematically. The analysis revealed that different Oromo people cultural elements are reflected in Afan Oromo mammaaksa. For example, the analysis divulged that trust and friendship, truthfulness, self-respect and value, kinship and background, tolerance, advice, discussion, solidarity, sharing, etc. are reflected as some of the cultural elements of Oromo people. This shows that Afan Oromo makmmaaksa reflects the diverse Oromo people cultural norms and values. Thus, it is recommended that proverbs should be collected together and documented in written form. It should be also included in the curriculum of the regional state so that the younger generation can learn proverbs in formal educational setting.
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