The Arbore Tribe: Traditions and Spiritual Strength in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley

Arbore people, also called as Ulde or Erbore, are among the many ethnicities of Ethiopia that live in the southern region of the country, going right down towards Lake Chew Bahir with the Omo Valley. Four villages make up the group: Murale, Kulaama, Eegude, and Gandareb. Combined, the villages have a total estimated population of about 6,850 individuals.

The Arbore people mainly live in drier yet fertile areas. Practically speaking, they are livestock farmers, which is the same with many of the tribes found in the Omo Valley. Cattle serve primarily for sustenance and are a strong symbol of wealth and prestige. A man or woman in this community brags about wealth by virtue of the number of cattle owned. It is easy to hypothesize that even in its name, the honor given to cattle is reflected. This is because "Arbore" in their language translates to "land of the bulls," where "Ar" means "bull," and "bore" means "land."

A unique cultural practice peculiar to the Arbore is a woman receiving a new name after marriage. This name is derived from her husband's favorite cow. It reflects the role of the cattle in their customs. The Arbore also distinguish themselves among the Omo Valley tribes for their spiritual strength and customs, recognized and respected by the neighboring groups.

The local tale runs that the Arbore was once able to defeat the devil with the help of their priests, who were said to possess extraordinary prowess. This spiritual power implies that no other tribes share the bravado to attack the Arbore or their livestock. Further calm is achieved in their terms by exchanges of natural resources and marriages among people of different tribes as well as their ability to speak more than one language, which facilitates communication.



Other than that, marriage customs are highly valued in the society of the Arbore. Now that the boy is at a marriageable age, his father will select a bride for him and send four elders with a fattened sheep as an offering to her family.


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