Berta people
Encyclopedia
The Berta or Bertha are an ethnic group living along the border of Sudan
and Ethiopia
. They speak a Nilo-Saharan language that is not related to those of their Nilo-Saharan neighbors (Gumuz, Uduk
). Their total Ethiopian population is about 183,000 people.
(1521-1804). During the 16th or 17th century, they migrated to western Ethiopia, in the area of the modern Benishangul-Gumuz Region. "Benishangul" is an arabicized form of the original name Bela Shangul, meaning "Rock of Shangul". This refers to a sacred stone located in a mountain in the Menge
woreda
, one of the places where the Berta originally settled when they arrived to Ethiopia.
Their arrival in Ethiopia was marked by strong territorial conflict among the diverse Berta communities. For this reason, and for protecting themselves from slave raids coming from Sudan, the Berta decided to establish their villages in naturally-defended hills and mountains, amidst rocky outcrops. Due to this harsh topography, houses and granaries were raised over stone pillars. German traveler Ernst Marno
described Bertha architecture and villages in his Reisen im Gebiete des Blauen und Weissen Nil (Vienna, 1874). The Berta of Benishangul were incorporated to Ethiopia in 1896.
After conflicts and raids receded during the 20th century, the Berta people moved to the valleys, where their villages are located today. During the 19th century, the area of Benishangul was divided in several sheikhdoms (Fadasi, Komosha, Gizen, Asosa), the most powerful of which was ruled by Sheikh Khoyele at the end of the century.
In their wedding ceremonies music is played by males with large calabash trumpets (was'a). The groom arrives to the wedding on a donkey and carrying a bang (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 their father-in-law's land. Divorce is accepted. The Berta decorate their faces with scarifications, 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 alif).
The Berta are slash-and-burn agriculturalists. Their staple food is sorghum
, with which they make porridge in ceramic vessels. They also make beer with sorghum. Beer is prepared in large ceramic containers called awar and is'u. 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.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
and Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. They speak a Nilo-Saharan language that is not related to those of their Nilo-Saharan neighbors (Gumuz, Uduk
Uduk people
The Uduk are a Nilo-Saharan group from eastern Sudan. They call themselves Kwanim Pa and are culturally and linguistically related to neighboring communities, such as the Gumuz and the Kwama from the Sudan-Ethiopia borderland. Due to the recent war in southern Sudan they have been forced to...
). Their total Ethiopian population is about 183,000 people.
History
Their origins are to be found in eastern Sudan, in the area of the former Funj sultanate of SinnarFunj sultanate of Sinnar
The Funj Sultanate of Sennar , known in Sudanese traditions as the Blue Sultanate , was a sultanate in the north of Sudan, named Funj after the ethnic group of its dynasty or Sinnar after its capital, which ruled a substantial area of northeast Africa between 1504 and 1821.-Origin:In the 15th...
(1521-1804). During the 16th or 17th century, they migrated to western Ethiopia, in the area of the modern Benishangul-Gumuz Region. "Benishangul" is an arabicized form of the original name Bela Shangul, meaning "Rock of Shangul". This refers to a sacred stone located in a mountain in the Menge
Menge (woreda)
Menge is one of the 21 woredas in the Benishangul-Gumuz Region of Ethiopia. Part of the Asosa Zone, it is bordered by Bambasi on the south, by Asosa in the southwest, by Kormuk in the northwest, by Sherkole in the north, and by the Dabus River on the east which separates it from Oda Godere...
woreda
Woreda
Woreda is an administrative division of Ethiopia , equivalent to a district . Woredas are composed of a number of Kebele, or neighborhood associations, which are the smallest unit of local government in Ethiopia...
, one of the places where the Berta originally settled when they arrived to Ethiopia.
Their arrival in Ethiopia was marked by strong territorial conflict among the diverse Berta communities. For this reason, and for protecting themselves from slave raids coming from Sudan, the Berta decided to establish their villages in naturally-defended hills and mountains, amidst rocky outcrops. Due to this harsh topography, houses and granaries were raised over stone pillars. German traveler Ernst Marno
Ernst Marno
Ernst Marno was an Austrian explorer in East Africa. He traveled extensively through the Blue Nile area and the Sudanese-Ethiopian borderland, as well as Kordofan and southern Sudan. His experiences were narrated in two books...
described Bertha architecture and villages in his Reisen im Gebiete des Blauen und Weissen Nil (Vienna, 1874). The Berta of Benishangul were incorporated to Ethiopia in 1896.
After conflicts and raids receded during the 20th century, the Berta people moved to the valleys, where their villages are located today. During the 19th century, the area of Benishangul was divided in several sheikhdoms (Fadasi, Komosha, Gizen, Asosa), the most powerful of which was ruled by Sheikh Khoyele at the end of the century.
Customs
After several centuries of Arab Sudanese influence, the Berta are now mostly Muslim and many speak fluent Arabic. Due to their intermarriage with Arab traders, some Berta were called Watawit -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 neri, who have healing and divination powers. They are the ones who know how to deal with evil spirits (shuman). Rain-making rituals are also found among the Berta, as among other Nilo-Saharan and Nilotic communities.In their wedding ceremonies music is played by males with large calabash trumpets (was'a). The groom arrives to the wedding on a donkey and carrying a bang (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 their father-in-law's land. Divorce is accepted. The Berta decorate their faces with scarifications, 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 alif).
The Berta are slash-and-burn agriculturalists. Their staple food is sorghum
Sorghum
Sorghum is a genus of numerous species of grasses, one of which is raised for grain and many of which are used as fodder plants either cultivated or as part of pasture. The plants are cultivated in warmer climates worldwide. Species are native to tropical and subtropical regions of all continents...
, with which they make porridge in ceramic vessels. They also make beer with sorghum. Beer is prepared in large ceramic containers called awar and is'u. 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.