The Sacred Mountain-The Angafa Tulluu

Symbolism: Tulluu (Mound) of blessing, praising, water, rain, life or healing or rejuvenation

Among the waaqeffannaa spiritual society tulluu (, or mountain) carry a rich symbolism. Tulluu is considered as the primeval powers of dachee (or the Lower Walaabuu). And so among ancient waaqeffannaa, the preeminent person of the mountain was Yaayyaa, who was born and brought up on a sacred primordial mountain. And therefore, the sacred mountains are central to Waaqeffannaa spirituality and are the subject of many mythologies. For the Waaqeffannaa spiritual society the most symbolic aspect of the mountain is the peak, the capstone, the structure, the base, its Axis Munde and its free standing and aloneness because it is with reason Waaqaa arose the mound from the ground.

The Waaqeffannaa spiritual society have gotten several sacred mountain of which one of which is the mythical primordial mountain called tulluu GaNamaa, or Tulluu NamDur which is considered Holy and full of mythology. Tulluu NamDur is a cosmic mountain which is described to be one of the first highest points on dachee and is the center of all creation. Its central pole or pillar (axis munde) which they usually call it Utubaa Gololee, believed to reach up to the Ruudaa to connect the celestial south pole to that of north pole. The concept utubaa literally refers to ‘axis’ ‘pillar’ ‘pole’, or ‘a straight line through a center of a body or a figure’. The term gololee literally refers to ‘heavenly’, ‘divine’, or ‘celestial’. And therefore, the concept utubaa gololee literally refers to a celestial straight line or pole which connects the Lower Walaabuu with the Upper Walaabuu. And so utubaa gololee stand for the imaginary line which continues from the center of the primordial mountain to the Upper Walaabuu through which the rays of bakkalachaa emerged to the Lower Walaabuu. In mythology, the primordial sacred mountain reached up to the upper walaabuu connecting the lower walaabuu with the upper walaabuu (to support the celestial North Pole). Tulluu NamDur (dawn man) is believed to be the abode of Yaayyaa and its divine black cow; and considered the site of the war of loneliness where Yaayyaa defeat loneliness by descending from the top and become two (as Isaa and Isii). In the waaqeffannaa spiritual society, it is believed that tulluu NamDur is home to Yaayyaa who is believed to be the father of human race. The mountain rose up from the ground as the result of the creation of Yaayyaa. Yaayyaa rose up from the ground piercing the ground and the eruption make the first sacred primordial tulluu. And therefore, Sacred Mountain represents and symbolizes a sacred, blissful location, imbued with Holy Spirit; a place where the first people originated.

The time at which the first sacred primordial mound and the primordial person brought forth was during dry time where before that time there was no rain, no moisture, and no stream except the stream Walaabuu (angafa lagaa), no plant except the sacred tree (angafa mukaa), no grass except the sacred grass (angafa marraa), no cow except the black cow (angafa sawwaa). As all the primordial entities were all single, that is, have no complementary opposite, they symbolize primordial loneliness, or singleness; and as well it represents dryness, barren, and unfecundness.

Sacred mound are often seen as a site of revelation and inspiration. The primordial tulluu NamDur is the site where Waaqaa revealed and ordered Yaayyaa to descend down to the bottom of the tulluu from the top of the mound so that he will fight with his solitary life, ignorance and unawareness and become a hero. And so tulluu is considered as places of revelation and transformation; and often serve to attract pilgrims. And therefore, the waaqeffannaa spiritual society do pilgrimages to the tulluu for thanksgiving and prayer for rain, fertility, rebirth, peace, reconciliation in afraasaa when the earth become too dry to sustain life. THE structure of tulluu represent strength, resilience, durability, solitariness while the slop of the tulluu are an allegory for the journey to the enlightenment from the wide base, grounded deep in dachee to the unity of the single capstone that sits atop of, and presides over, all the lower levels in an almost divine supreme being, and the holy person Yaayyaa who sat alone which in this case symbolize loneliness or solitariness.

And so Sacred Mountains are often seen as the sources of vital things such as blessing, praising, water, rain, life or healing or rejuvenation. The sacred mountain is the source of water as well as the realm of ancestors. It is the archetype of sustenance and a synonym for the water above in addition to being the location associated with creation and foundation. The waaqeffannaa spiritual society considered the sacred primordial mountain as a trapezoidal, pyramidal or conical in structure and played an extremely important role in the belief system of waaqeffannaa spiritual society. The waaqeffannaa spiritual society fashioned their sacrilegious house and sacred holy house of qaalluu in a form of that sacred primordial mountain which resembles trapezoid or pyramid, or conical shaped hut which symbolize this primordial sacred mountain.
And hence tulluu is an important symbol in Waaqeffannaa spiritual society’s spirituality and cosmology when its essence symbolizes the three attribute of Waaqaa: thought, desire and love, and will and action, as well as the three actions of Waaqaa in the separation of Yaayyaa into Isaa and Isii: the divine sound, the divine word and the divine eye (vision).
As descendant of this primordial tulluu there are several famous mound considered Holy and is related to famous events such as the Saddeettan Tulluu Waaqayoo located in central Oromoland. As tulluu is one of the sacred site of waaqeffannaa spiritual society, the adherent gather together in crowed to worship their creator (, or uumaa), to make reconciliation, and conduct rituals at tulluu.