214:
30:
184:
Their arrival in
Ethiopia was marked by strong territorial conflict among the diverse Shangul communities. For this reason, and for protecting themselves from slave raids coming from Sudan, the Shangul communities decided to establish their villages in naturally-defended hills and mountains, amidst
229:-the local name for "bat", meaning that they were a mix of two very different groups. However, they still have traditional customs that are similar to those of their Nilo-Saharan neighbors. For example, there still exist ritual specialists called
196:
After conflicts and raids receded during the 20th century, the
Shangul people moved to the valleys, where their villages are located today. During the 19th century, the area of Benishangul was divided in several sheikhdoms
248:(throwing stick) in his hand. After the wedding, the husband has to build a hut and live in his wife's village for a year or more, tilling his father-in-law's land. Divorce is accepted. The Berta practice
357:
423:
271:. Working parties play an important role in Berta society. When somebody wants to build a house or cultivate a field, he calls his neighbors for help and provides beer and food.
501:
252:, usually three vertical lines on each cheek, which they consider to be symbols of God (each line is interpreted as the initial letter of Allah, the Arabic
533:
202:
847:
263:, with which they make porridge in ceramic vessels. They also make beer with sorghum. Beer is prepared in large ceramic containers called
354:
415:
221:
After several centuries of influence by the Arabic-speaking regions of Sudan, the Berta are now mostly Muslim and many speak fluent
259:
Most Berta are mixed farmers also involved in raising livestock, trading, beekeeping, and coffee cultivation. Their staple food is
198:
526:
1016:
519:
335:
Salt, gold and legitimacy. Prelude to the history of a no man’s land. Bela
Shangul, Wallagga, Ethiopia (ca. 1800-1898).
477:
185:
rocky outcrops. Due to this harsh topography, houses and granaries were raised over stone pillars. German traveler
153:). The total population of Ethiopian-Bertas in Ethiopia is 208,759 people. Sudanese-Bertas number around 180,000.
1021:
237:). Rain-making rituals are also found among the Berta, as among other Nilo-Saharan and Nilotic communities.
169:(1521-1804). During the 16th or 17th century, they migrated to western Ethiopia, in the area of the modern
970:
980:
401:
542:
233:, who have healing and divination powers. They are the ones who know how to deal with evil spirits (
170:
861:
995:
975:
657:
550:
142:
326:
González-Ruibal, A. 2006. Order in a disordered world: the Bertha house (Western
Ethiopia).
181:
woreda, one of the places where the Berta originally settled when they arrived to
Ethiopia.
990:
312:
Andersen, T. 1995. "Absolutive and
Nominative in Berta". In Nicolai & Rottland (eds.):
205:), the most powerful of which was ruled by Sheikh Khoyele at the end of the 19th century.
8:
707:
193:(Vienna, 1874). The Shangul of Benishangul were incorporated into Ethiopia only in 1896.
177:, meaning "Rock of Shangul". This refers to a sacred stone located in a mountain in the
985:
559:
496:
316:. Nice, 24–29 August 1992. Proceedings. (Nilo-Saharan 10). Köln: Köppe, pp. 36–49.
213:
667:
473:
240:
In their wedding ceremonies, music is played by males with large calabash trumpets (
929:
754:
724:
587:
505:
874:
832:
617:
448:
Waza trumpet returns as residents in Sudan's Blue Nile region mark end of harvest
361:
288:
222:
29:
889:
837:
772:
680:
283:
178:
166:
162:
113:
81:
446:
1010:
904:
729:
719:
702:
675:
652:
642:
632:
607:
577:
249:
511:
954:
949:
944:
934:
919:
914:
909:
899:
894:
884:
869:
827:
822:
817:
812:
797:
787:
782:
777:
767:
739:
712:
690:
627:
622:
602:
597:
592:
374:
146:
105:
274:
Most Berta practice Islam, which often incorporates traditional customs.
924:
807:
802:
792:
762:
695:
685:
637:
612:
572:
567:
293:
186:
150:
109:
842:
744:
582:
225:. Due to their intermarriage with Arab traders, some Berta were called
416:"Al-waza : A musical instrument reflecting the Sudanese heritage"
396:
939:
734:
138:
59:
647:
397:"Trade, Islam, and the Mahdia in Northwestern Wallagga, Ethiopia"
260:
244:). The groom arrives to the wedding on a donkey and carrying a
145:
that is not related to those of their Nilo-Saharan neighbors (
134:
93:
66:
35:
173:. "Benishangul" is an Arabicized form of the original name
323:(Nilo-Saharan 3). Hamburg: Helmut Buske, pp. 271–304.
319:
Bender, L. 1989. "Berta
Lexicon". In L. Bender (ed.):
405:, 16 (1975), p. 57 and the sources there cited.
189:described Shangul architecture and villages in his
395:On the "Rock of Shangul", see Alessandro Triulzi,
305:Andersen, T. 1993. "Aspects of Berta phonology".
1008:
502:Field recordings from 1980 of traditional music
133:are an ethnic group living along the border of
541:
527:
508:and Berta peoples in Sudan’s Blue Nile State
191:Reisen im Gebiete des Blauen und Weissen Nil
165:in eastern Sudan, in the area of the former
444:
534:
520:
28:
314:Fifth Nilo-Saharan Linguistics Colloquium
212:
467:
1009:
470:Encyclopedia of the World's Minorities
515:
472:. New York: Routledge. p. 215.
337:Naples: Istituto di Studi Orientale.
54:Regions with significant populations
13:
367:
321:Topics in Nilo-Saharan Linguistics
16:Ethnic group in Ethiopia and Sudan
14:
1033:
490:
461:
217:Two Berta in the mid-19th century
161:Their origins are to be found in
445:CGTN Africa (16 January 2016),
426:from the original on 2019-09-06
299:
438:
408:
389:
348:
1:
7:
468:Skutsch, Carl, ed. (2005).
333:Triulzi, Alessandro. 1981.
277:
10:
1038:
402:Journal of African History
208:
156:
1017:Ethnic groups in Ethiopia
963:
860:
753:
666:
558:
549:
543:Ethnic groups in Ethiopia
104:
99:
92:
87:
80:
75:
58:
53:
48:
43:
38:during a wedding ceremony
27:
355:"Census 2007" csa.gov.et
341:
171:Benishangul-Gumuz Region
1022:Ethnic groups in Sudan
218:
216:
143:Nilo-Saharan language
100:Related ethnic groups
422:. 5 September 2019.
708:Soddo Gurage people
24:
360:2017-10-20 at the
307:Afrika und Übersee
219:
201:, Komosha, Gizen,
22:
1004:
1003:
856:
855:
119:
118:
1029:
971:African American
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497:Ethnologue entry
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433:
431:
412:
406:
393:
387:
386:
384:
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371:
365:
352:
330:101(2): 379–402.
44:Total population
32:
25:
21:
1037:
1036:
1032:
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1028:
1027:
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368:
362:Wayback Machine
353:
349:
344:
302:
289:Berta languages
280:
223:Sudanese Arabic
211:
159:
141:. They speak a
70:
65:
63:
39:
20:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1035:
1025:
1024:
1019:
1002:
1001:
999:
998:
993:
988:
983:
978:
973:
967:
965:
964:Non-Indigenous
961:
960:
958:
957:
952:
947:
942:
937:
932:
927:
922:
917:
912:
907:
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866:
864:
858:
857:
854:
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851:
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845:
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835:
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815:
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795:
790:
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770:
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750:
748:
747:
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717:
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710:
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693:
683:
678:
672:
670:
664:
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655:
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635:
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610:
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491:External links
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284:Berta language
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210:
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167:Funj sultanate
158:
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34:Berta playing
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479:1-57958-468-3
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420:Khartoum Star
417:
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250:scarification
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206:
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194:
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188:
182:
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148:
144:
140:
136:
132:
128:
124:
115:
111:
107:
103:
98:
95:
91:
86:
83:
79:
74:
68:
61:
57:
52:
47:
42:
37:
31:
26:
879:
862:Nilo-Saharan
713:Chebo people
691:Beta Abraham
551:Afro-Asiatic
469:
463:
452:, retrieved
447:
440:
428:. Retrieved
419:
410:
400:
391:
381:23 September
379:. Retrieved
377:. Ethnologue
369:
350:
334:
327:
320:
313:
306:
300:Bibliography
273:
268:
264:
258:
253:
245:
241:
239:
234:
230:
226:
220:
195:
190:
183:
175:Bela Shangul
174:
160:
130:
126:
125:(Bertha) or
122:
120:
19:Ethnic group
696:Falash Mura
686:Beta Israel
430:14 November
364:, Table 3.1
294:Funj people
187:Ernst Marno
131:Benishangul
1011:Categories
309:76: 41–80.
996:Jamaicans
940:Shanqella
930:Nyangatom
838:Wolaitans
588:Daasanach
506:Ingessana
328:Anthropos
76:Languages
991:Italians
976:Armenian
833:Shinasha
735:Tigrayan
618:Kambaata
560:Cushitic
454:23 March
424:Archived
358:Archived
278:See also
139:Ethiopia
88:Religion
60:Ethiopia
981:Chinese
890:Kichepo
773:Basketo
681:Argobba
668:Semitic
648:Somalis
504:of the
375:"Berta"
261:sorghum
227:Watawit
209:Customs
157:History
114:Wetawit
71:180,000
64:208,759
49:390,000
986:Greeks
905:Majang
755:Omotic
730:Wolane
725:Silt'e
720:Harari
703:Gurage
676:Amhara
653:Tsamai
643:Sidama
633:Qemant
608:Hadiya
578:Arbore
476:
235:shuman
199:Fadasi
163:Sennar
955:Tirma
950:Surma
945:Shita
935:Shabo
920:Mursi
915:Murle
910:Mekan
900:Kwegu
895:Kwama
885:Gumuz
880:Berta
870:Anuak
848:Zayse
843:Yemsa
828:Maale
823:Koore
818:Konta
813:Hamar
798:Dorze
788:Dawro
783:Chara
778:Bench
768:Banna
740:Werji
658:Weyto
628:Oromo
623:Konso
603:Gedeo
598:Gabra
593:Danta
342:Notes
242:waz'a
203:Asosa
179:Menge
147:Gumuz
135:Sudan
123:Berta
106:Gumuz
94:Islam
82:Berta
67:Sudan
36:horns
23:Berta
925:Nuer
875:Bare
808:Gofa
803:Gamo
793:Dizi
763:Aari
638:Saho
613:Irob
573:Agaw
568:Afar
474:ISBN
456:2021
432:2019
383:2023
269:is'u
267:and
265:awar
254:alif
246:bang
231:neri
151:Uduk
137:and
127:Funj
121:The
110:Uduk
745:Zay
583:Awi
256:).
129:or
1013::
418:.
399:,
149:,
112:,
108:,
69::
535:e
528:t
521:v
482:.
434:.
385:.
197:(
62::
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
