Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-02-03
Belief Of the Sudan Tribes.


Belief Of the Sudan Tribes.
In this same report Lord Cromer gives a
memorandum concerning the religious be-
lief of the savage tribes of the Sudan which
will be of interest to ethnologists. 1t is the
result Of Investigations made under his in
struction by Surgeon Major s. l.. Cummins
of the British army chief of the medical
staff at BimsaShi, on the Upper Nile.
In making inquiries as to religious be-
iefs among the people here, one is met at
the outset by two difficulties. The first and
greatest Is the reticence displayed on such
subjects by the natives, and the second is
that the interpreter, being invariably an
Anticipating native who has. with his
Arabic, acquired the Mosem faith, is liable
to color his TRANSACTIONS with ideas of his
own, partly out of shame of the beliefs
which he has discarded, and partly from
his anxiety to tell you what he thinks you
expect. Perseverance in this line of in
quiry is, however, well repaid as the primi-
tive religions of the tribes In the Bahr-el-
Ghazal are most interesting and suggestive.
THE Dinka, though the most difficult of
all to approach on such subjects, appears
to have a most elaborate list of gods and
demi-gods. At the head Of the divine COM
munity are Deng-Dit {Rain- Giver) and
Abok, his wife. They have two sons, kur
Kongs, the elder, and tGurung-Dit. the
younger, and a daughter called AiYak.
Their devil is called L'wal Burrajok, and is
the father of Abok the wife of Deng-Dit.
There are other relatives also, but I have
given sufficient for a short paper.
Their story of the origin of mankind Cor,
it may be, of the Dinka trlbe) is curious
and poetical. Deng-Dit gave to his wife
Abok bowl of fat, and she and her chill
dren softening the fat over the fire, pro-
ceeded to mold from it men and women in
the image of the gods Deng-Dit warned
her against Lwal '{the deviD, who was sus-
pected of having evil intentions toward
Deng-Dit But Ahok forgot. and with her
children went to gather wood in the forest.
There L'wal found the bowl, drank the
greater part of the fat, and from the re-
mainder proceeded to mold caricatures of
men and women with distorted limbs,
mouths and eyes. Then, fearing the ven
geance of Deng-Dit, he descended to earth
by the path which then connected it with
heaven On discovering the result of her
neglect Abok ha :tened to her husband who,
greatly incensed, started in pursuit of
L'wal. The latter, however, had persuaded
the bird Atoi-tOish to bite aSunder with its
bill the path from heaven to earth, and he
thus escaped from the divine wrath.
Think Twice About Sacrifices.
In spite of this complicated mythology,
the Dinkas appear to be very indinerent TO
religion as an active principle in life They
are without any plan of prayer, and though
they assert tina. their forefathers made
ton thinks .wice about parting with goat
to say nothing of a cow-for sacriicial
purposes.
Sacrifices constitute, however, their only
attempts at intercourse with God. In fact,
they seem to regard Him, not as a Being
likely to confer benefits, but as destruc-
tive power, to be propitiated if possible.
1.-The Golos also believe in male and fe-
male deities called Umvili and Barachi re-
spectively This couple is said to have
originated the human race, and to be par
ents of mankind. This belief is, l think,
common to the Colo, N'dogo, Shere and
Balanda tribes, and possibly also to the
A-Zamdah.
'"They have vague ideas as to future bliss
for the worthy, and punishment for evil
doors, and the execution of the latter is
intrusted to spirit called Ma-ah, who cor
responds to Shaitan, but is the servant
rather than the envoy of God. Some of the
Colo songs in common use of the ma
ture of moral exhortations, directing the
people to hear the voice of God.
Like the Dinkas, they do not pray to
God but attempt to appease him with sac
rifices of chickens. These sacrifices are