The Omotic-speaking Wolaita and their neighbours north of Lake Abaya, between the Omo and the Rift.
Wolaita tradition makes the famous Motalami of Damot a king of its Malla dynasty (thirteenth to sixteenth centuries), and some scholars equate Damot with Wolaita; on the reading followed here, Damot's core lay further north, south of the Abay. Drawn as a self-governing people with a possible tie to Damot.
Who holds it
- Title
- Not known: the Wolaita royal tradition is of later centuries
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Overlord
Damot, if the Wolaita tradition is right (not pinned).
What it holds
- The uplands north of Lake Abaya round modern Wolaita Sodo
Customs
Clans; later a kingdom with a sacred king (kawo).
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Royal tradition recorded in modern times.
On the map: Rough outline.
Sources and studies
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.