Browsing by Author "Gebeyehu, Berhanu"

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    Islamic Oral Poetry in Wallo: A Preliminary Descriptnfe Analysis
    (Addis Ababa University, 1998-06) Gebeyehu, Berhanu; Azeze, Fekade (PhD)
    Wallo is the home of Awlaya and Muslim Poets. There are numerous Shrines of Aw/ayo. most of which serve as seats of higher Islamic learning, loci of pilgrimage, and centers of poetic composition. This thesis attempts to discuss Islamic Oral Poetry in its Social context. In considering the literary and social aspects of this popular oral tradi tion, this thesis aims to identifY the various poetic genres of Islamic Oral Poetry, their occasion of recital , their contents, functions and stylistic quality. To discuss the tradition and practice of co mposition, performance and transmission of Islamic Oral Poetry is also another objective of this thesis. Data were collected from six waradas in Wallo through three successive field trips that are carried out from July 1997 to January 1998. The methods of collecting data include participant observa ti ons, interviews and case histories. These three methods enable the researcher to record songs and poem recitals from their actual performance, to elicit information from poets, rel igious leaders and other believers. Instruments employed to collect data are of three kinds, namely, tape recording, note taking and photographing. The Wallo Muslims designate their poems collectively as ajam. Ajam is poetry primarily composed to be performed in religious ceremonies. Ajam is composed by speciali st and expen poets. Specialist poets have good knowledge of the Qur'an, and other Islamic texts and familiar with the miracles of certain Awalya. This class of poets bear a title called iv/adih and compose their poems in written forms. The other group of poets is locally known as hayya bay The hayya bay is an unlettered poet. He practice cenain genres like the qissa and the hayya which do not necessarily require knowledge of Qur'an or involve many Arabic words like other genres. Women poets belong to this class of poets.The Wallo Muslims grouped thei r poems in four genres. These are: tawhiid, matk (Ma lh), qissa and hayya. Tawhiid is a didactic genre aiming at straightforward religious instructions and moral lessons. Ma lk is a descriptive poetry, a verbal portrait of the prophets and certain Awlaya. Qissa is a dramatic narrative dealing with miracles and myth, where hayya is a poetry of self-expression. The perlo rmance of aj am takes place in occasions and ceremonies which are agreed to be Islamic. Therefore, Islamic holidays such as, Eid-al-Fatir, Eid-al-Adahaa (Arafa), ivhiwlid and the Ramadall nights Du 'aa are events that bring large audience at one place and time. However, ceremonies like the Wa dajja, and the weekly hadrat at the various shrines are the most common occasions and ceremonies of ajam recital