ABSTRACT
The Oromo constitute the majority of the people inhabiting the Horn of Africa and they are one of the largest ethnic groups in the African continent. Waaqeffannaa is the indigenous religion of the Oromo, which they have been practising since ancient times. Waaqa is also the protector of truth. Bartels writes that for the Oromo, Waaqa is considered as the source and guardian of dhugaa. The Oromo use the concept of evil ayyaana in their attempt to explain all sorts of human suffering and adversity. The notion of the devil, which the Oromo call setana/shaytaana to refer to super human evil power, seems to be borrowed from other religions, mainly Islam and Christianity. Lipson states that the term syncretism can be used to refer to the phenomena and process unfolding within a particular religion as well as between two or more religions.
