Konso people are located in the arid highlands of southwestern Ethiopia. Their sharply delimited traditional territory is bounded by lands of Oromo peoples, to whom the Konso are culturally and linguistically related. Konso people are Cushitic people.
Konso people are farmers, living in fortified villages bounded by their farming land. They developed a defensive style of building, with villages on hilltops, protected by fortifications around them.
Konso people Gesergios village commonly known as New York village due to its natural landscape with mountain structure that seems precisely a big city with modern buildings.
For the most part rocks of quartz minerals form the mountain and Konso village. Konso village is a graceful composition of rock walls and wood.
They grow their crops on terraces, thus using every bit of land possible. They are also famous bee-keepers. The Konso are an efficient, resourceful, charming, careful, and hard-working people.
Konso people’s societal arrangement is clan-based. The people are comprised of nine clans (gada) with an average size of seven thousand members. The clans’ structure is based on exogamy and patrilinearity.
They are renowned for their wooden anthropomorph statuettes, erected in honor of important – deceased – people. The statuettes are called Waga in the Konso language.
The statuettes are always placed in groups, with the main figure in the center, bounded by people and animals that were vital to him during his lifetime. An additional fashionable art form is the use of the kalasha (large fallus symbols in wood), which are worn on the forehead during special events.
It is only reasonable that one also finds wagas with kalasha. Most widespread sculpting material is gayo wood. The Konso’s neighbors, the Gato tribe, has similar traditions and are often seen as a Konso tribe, which is why they are called the Konso-Gato.
I am Kansite, a yangster from konso. Firstly, I would like to thank your precise article about konso people. What I want to comment you is that ,Eventhogh,your theme is very nice and attractive, it is finished with in a limitted lines. Would you please add any more about konso? I have B.A degree in history and want to specialize on culture related fields. Therefore I need to now more about the history of my ancestors which has not yet been well studied.
Would you please send me any written documents about konso via my e.mail adress.
God bless you!!!!!
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We are students in Mekelle University, Ethiopia. We were searching for study notes but unfortunately we got your web site and read about Konso people from which we are originated. What you wrote was relevant and fantastic but we would like to give you Corrections on some words you used to describe names in our language (Afa Konso).
Here are the corrections:
1. On paragraph 6 line 2 you said the nine clans in konso are called “gada” but we want you correct it as ” Kafa”
2. On paragraph7 line 2 you said the statuettes are called”Waga” but we want you correct it as ” Waka”
Thanks a lot;
Tadele Orbula
Alemu Aylate
Geremu Gebino
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I am student in Arba minch Unversity,I would like to say thankyou for writing about us.
what i want to say is ,except the above stated corrections you are right about the konso people.
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I am antstude in ARBAMINCH UNIVERSITY and I apprecite your idea .
i comment to change the word “gada” by kafa on line2 of paragraph 6.
thank you
GOD BLESS YOU.
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I am a student in ARBAMINCH UNIVERSITY and I apprecite your idea .
I comment to change the word “gada” by kafa on line2 of paragraph 6.
thank you
GOD BLESS YOU.
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I appericiated all what is written on this web site about konso people. I hope you will also post current data about konso people.
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Have this comment please. The wooden anthropomorph statuettes, erected for deceased person are called “wa’kka” not “waga”
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I love our country konso since i am the konso person from the Arbaminch university of the computer scince graduating class student.Then of all i thanks u very much for ur expresing our state.
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I AM AN OROMO AND I LIVE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.I APPRICIATE THE WRITER AND I WISH HIM THE BEST TO COTINUE HIS WORK IN INTRODUCING MY NEIGHBOURS HIDDEN HISTORY AND CULTURE TO US. AND I LOVE MY BODY KONSOS.PEACE!!!!!! OROMO LOVE KONSO.
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I was very intersting to expose konso to the world and ofcourse I appericiate the authour and his/her familes(coleaque). I think most of people on the world even us got more about well known konso people. Thanks for ur achivement to vist konso and wrote about .
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Iam Kasharto Kamassa
Iwould to thanks you for your constructive andcritical study to know the general background about konso people.And I hope that you have future plan to study more the area in different sectors. Thank for all. Kasharto Kamassa Arba Minch University
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