Raya: People, Culture, and Traditions
The name "Raya" refers both to the ethnic identity of the Rayans and their ancestral homeland—Raya-Rayuma. This traditional territory stretches from Ala Wuha (አላ ውኋ) in the south to Aebo (ኤቦ) in the north, with borders defined by Enderta in the north, Yejju in the south, Afar in the east, and Wag in the west.
Historical Origins
Historically, the People of Doba (ዶባ/ዶብዓ) and the People of Qeda (ቀዳ) were the original inhabitants. The Dobas were pastoralists in the Azebo area, while the Qedas lived in the plains of Raya-Qobo.
Customary Legal System
Rayans had a rich tradition of customary law, which included:
Gereb (ገረብ) – a community assembly structure, also meaning "river."
Yewenz Shimagle (የወንዝ ሽማግሌ) – "elders of the river" among Amharic-speaking Rayans.
Dubartti/Dibarte (ዲባርቲ/ድባርተ) – a respected group of elderly women who mediated conflicts and led community prayers during crises.
These practices emphasized reconciliation, fairness, and unity, helping maintain peace and social cohesion.
Spiritual and Ritual Beliefs
Traditional beliefs include:
Zar (ዛር) – malevolent spirit possession
Socery (ጥንቆላ) – magic via dark forces
Exorcism (አጋንንት ማስወጣት) – expelling evil spirits like demons (አጋንንት) and Jinns (ጂኒ/ግኒ)
Cultural Practices and Community Life
Rayans practiced:
Wadaja (ዋዳጃ), Tufta (ቱፍታ) – ritual gatherings
Gaz (ጋዝ) – heroic cattle raids, especially with the Afar
Ofera (ኦፈራ) and Lifna (ልፍና) – cooperative labor systems
Demer (ደመር) – public forums for discussion
Traditional Games and Sports
Popular activities included:
Qarsha (ቓርሻ/ቀርሳ), Gebetta (ገበጣ), Gidle/Tigle (ግድል/ትግል), and Haria (ሓርያ)
Horse racing: Feres Shuga/Gugus (ፈረስ ሹጋ/ጉግስ)
Folk songs and dances: Gumaye (ጉማየ), Gedaymamaye (ገዳይማማዬ), Munay-Munay (ሙናይ-ሙናይ), Hura (ሀራ), Ashenda (አሸንዳ), Timket (ጥምቀት), and Gurmagafo (ጉርማጋፎ)
Traditional Clothing and Beauty
Men typically wear:
Gildim/Ettak (ግልድም/ዒጣቅ/ጎምብሶ)
Gabbi (ጋቢ) and Mekanet (መቓነት)
Shifay Saeeni (ሽፋይ ሳእኒ) shoes and carry long sticks
Women wear:
Qamish/Qemis (ቓምሽ/ቀምስ) with Netsella/Netella (ነፀላ) shawls
Adorn with Qorre (ቆሬ) decorated with beads like Sindid, Dibba, and Zaegol
Beauty accessories: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and gum tattoos
Use of Quehli (ኩሕሊ) – traditional eye makeup from antimony
Sasila/Ensosila (ሳስላ) – natural dye for palms and soles
Traditional Wellness: Weyba Tis (ወይባ ጥስ)
Weyba Tis is a steam treatment using herbal smoke from plants like Weira, Gunda, and Shawa. It is believed to:
Strengthen the back (especially postpartum)
Soften the skin
Relieve pain
Detox the body
Prevent uterine health issues
