Cerulli includes the following groups of people within the Gimira or Bench people group: The Shako, the Dizu-Benesho, the She, the Kaba, the Nao, and the Maji.
The area where the Bench are found is generally made up of Savannah and forest land. According to Cerulli, this people group works as agriculturalists and produces sorghum, maize, wheat, and barley using a terracing system with the hoe as their principal tool. Sheep, cows and fowls are plentiful among the Bench people. Their food consists of meat of cattle and goats or sheep, milk, maize, and a kind of cassava that is a popular food item.
Piercing and stretching of the lobe of the right ear with ornaments or small pieces of wood is very common among the Bench, though this custom is practiced only by chiefs, hunters or brave warriors.
The Gimira are mainly ethnic religion believers of a sky-god. However, much more importance is given to the many local spirits. It is believed that the spirits by means of certain rituals become embodied in the living form of a ritual expert. Although the sky-god is not actually worshipped, periodical sacrifices are offered (a fowl, a cow, an axe) chiefly to appease his anger when somebody has died.
The number of indigenous churches is about 21, which is very high.
Scripture Prayers for the Bench in Ethiopia.
| Profile Source: Dr. Samuel Kebreab |
