I have a copy on my desk, excellent bookfirst of all Welcome back, that being said time to poke holes in some of you theories.From my research into the history of the Somali people, I have come to several conclusions.
The Somali people are descended primarily from two groups of people, two related and now forgotten people the Saamaalo and Orma, and the Arabs that conquered them around 700 C.E. (or about 50 A.H.)..
You depend to much on Oromo Genealogy and Folklore. I got nothing against our oromo cousin, but they seem to think that they a well spring from which all other ethnic groups spring from. recently there is a new theory that states that Somali people developed in Southern Somalia not ethiopia, egypt or Arabia. this theory states that the first Somali dialect was version of Af-maay maay in Southern Somalia. a pre-Rahanwayn population that grew to large for thier own land and eventually expanded to more arid lands. for example the word So maal is go milk as in milking a Camel. in the South amoung Rahanwayn Population is Sac maal Sac/Sa(mean a cow) and maal being to milk. this may point to Pre-Rahanwayn origin of the Somali people. in fact this pre-Somali population expanded both north and South. the north segment eventually differientated into darood, Hawiye, Ishaq and Dir while the south segment became the Digil/Mirifle, Garre, Boni, Ormo and the Rendille. the Northern clan eventually re-migrated to the south to resettle and conquor back lands that alway been Somali from the oromo.
for more clarification read Ali Jimale Ahmed. The invention of Somalia
The "Pre-Rendille-Somali" theory is quite weak. First off they never went into much effort to ascertain the origin of the Rendille, which a cursory examination of their genealogies would identify them as Gardheere Samaale, so it is not very surprising that they speak a language close to Somali. The Boni in turn are Swahili who were conquered by the Oromo, and thus their language is based on Arabic and heavily influenced by Oromo, which is the exact opposite origin of the Somali language but with the same result (a language half-way between the two).
Somalis have been in Somalia for millenia, they have not moved around anywhere, it is their identity that has moved around. The Orma did not suddenly migrate out of the inter-riverine region en-masse to be replaced by Digil and Mirifle. Somalis did not migrate south in some massive migration, they were always there.
What changed was identity, and religious differences.
The reason why Somalis do not consider themselves to be Oromo and instead "Somali" descended from "Samaale" is that quite simply, the Oromo identity is something that was created long after the conquest of Somalia by the caliphate.
Oh but it was, this is a fact. It is a very little known fact but a fact nonetheless. The Caliphate conquered everything from Massawa to Mogadishu and probably beyond. The exact scope of the conquest and the intervening period is not very well understood, but this is the critical event in the history of the Horn.Somalia was never conquored by the Caliphate the oromo say that that Zeila was thier city before Arabs conquored it which is total bullshit. the Caliphate or Islamic arab empire only conquored a small area of the eriterian coast and destroyed Axum's port of Adulis. they never extended their empire into somalia. although it true that Arab have migrated to the horn since ancient time and especailly during the time up heaval in their own territory and that some of those arab individual eventually set up dynasties in the horn of Africa. the Sultanate of Ifat the Walashama dynastry and the dynastry that rule Mugodisho for centuries does mean that arab were able to extend thier hegemony across Somalia territory. their greatest influence on the somalia people was our convertion to islam that it. so much of the above arguments are flaw to say the least. one more than for you information. the Borana are subdivide between the Borana proper and the west Borana the Macha and Tulama. all other are oromo are Barentu.The Saamaalo today are split. Half of the Saamaalo have joined the Boorana confederation (Boorana means east-facing) and today their descendants make up the Tuulama Boorana Oromo (Jarso, Dacci, Kono, Jille, etc). The other half were conquered by the Caliphate and today make up the Irir and Gardheere Samaale (Dir, Hawiye, Rendille etc)
The Orma are also split today. Some Orma remained simply Orma, others joined the Boorana confederation and make up most of the "Sabbo" moeity. Others were conquered by the Caliphate and today make up the Digil and Mirifle people.
Actually, Oromo don't know about Heru or Horus, they just know that Horo was their ancestor, and that he lived very long ago. I've never heard of Oromo claiming any ancestry really, and they're actually extremely cagey about their lineages.we have a common ancestor, look back in time long enough and one might be able to find when Somali and xabasha branched off. by the Heru, Horo or Horus is just an attempt by oromo to give themselve a more esteem history by connect themselve to first the Nubian cilivation and Egypt elustries past. supposedly they say that they are nubain who migrated to Ethiopian to escape drought, war etc. people often aren't happy being who they are especailly a people under occupation. i just don't know why they can't be proud to just be oromo instead of fabricating history and making mythic claims.Both the Orma and the Saamaalo in the pre-Islamic traditions claim descent from their ancestor, Horo, or Horu, thus making them "Horomo". When the various members of the Boorana and Barentuma confederations were trying to forge an identity for themselves seperate from the "Galla" name assigned by their various enemies and oppressors, they chose "Oromo", due to these common legends.
It is my belief that Horo or Horu is none other than Heru, otherwise known as Horus, who has been identified by several scholars with Cush, who in Biblical and Qu'ranic tradition is the son of Ham.
I'm not so sure about that. Genetic studies has shown that a good percentage of people from the Horn ARE from Arabian lineages, and it would make sense anyways because the Horn is closer to Arabia than anywhere really. The heartland of Arabia, the west coast and Yemen, is closer to the Horn than anywhere else.wanting to be close to Prophet (swc) in term of blood is not unique only to the somali. Argobba, Harari, Afar, Jaberti all make similiar claims becuase being related to the prophet regardless of how much a stretch give one statue within a muslim community. this is the reason why one find Arab lingeages through muslim population in the horn not because of a conquest by the Caliphate.The Arabian conquerers arrived in Eritrea and Mogadishu about 700 C.E. and established several lineages, such as the Jeberti. In successive waves the conquerors expanded to include much of the horn of Africa in the Caliphate by 800 C.E. When the Abbasid Caliphate collapsed in around 900 C.E., many regions re-asserted their traditional independence from the Caliphate, such as the Argobba in Shewa and the Hadiya and related people around Harar. Arabian lineages dating back to the first invasion, such as the Jeberti established themselves throughout the horn.
After this date, more reliable history begins and you don't need me to tell you what happened after this.