Images of Amhara women in oral poetry

The objective of this article is to describe the thematic images of Amhara women in oral poetry. The study is based on field research conducted in rural areas of Western Gojjam and Awi Zone. The data was collected by observation, interview, and focus group discussion. For documentary evidence, twelve informants were selected with the use of a purposive sampling technique. The research method employed was ethnographic qualitative description. The result revealed that the images reflected through oral poems address women mainly as wives, their particular aspects refer to love, woman’s attitude towards marriage issues, divorce, and include general knowledge, understanding of the life and personages within women’s worldview. By the same token, oral poetry portrayed those women as inferior to men. Finally, the study recommended a further research on oral literature of Amhara region of Ethiopia.