The Author Conradin Perner is a Swiss scholar with professional experience in the fields of literature, ethnography, peace-building and humanitarian work. He has lectured at a number of African and European universities and has worked as a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Africa, the Indian subcontinent, Afghanistan and Central Asia and as an advisor and consultant for the ICRC, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Swiss Department of Foreign Affairs. Since January 2000, Perner has been playing a leading role in the peace-making processes in the Sudan, first as a Commander of the Joint Military Commission in the Nuba Mountains and subsequently as a special senior peace advisor to the Swiss Government. One of his major accomplishments is the initiation of the website www.gurtong.net which promotes peace by providing unbiased information on the peoples and cultures of South Sudan. In recognition of his scientific and humanitarian work, his courageous fight for the respect and the dignity of the people of South Sudan during the long years of civil war, the crucial role he played in the dramatic rescue operation of the so-called «lost boys», and in appreciation of his contribution to the promotion of peaceful coexistence and the restoration of cultural values to the country’s many ethnic communities, Conradin Perner was awarded the first honorary citizenship of South Sudan on the day of independence in July 2011. «In recognition of his service to advance and to promote human rights in South Sudan and around the world», Perner has received a «Humanitarian Award» from the Austin Human Rights Commission and the town of Austin in 2012.
The Anyuak – Living on Earth in the Sky Volume VII
The Anyuak Vol. VII
The monograph on the history and culture of the Anyuak is the result of more than five years of fieldwork (1976–1983). It is a well-documented, detailed and passionate description of an African people’s spiritual and material world, their culture and history. Myths, oral traditions, stories, maps, genealogies, records of tales, songs and other music as well as a great number of photographs invite the reader to join in the journey through the universe of the Anyuak in order to make their own discoveries or simply to participate in the spiritual adventure. The Anyuak live on both sides of the border between South Sudan and southwestern Ethiopia. They are relatives of the better known Shilluk, Dinka and Nuer, but have turned from cattle herders into fervent agriculturalists. The Anyuak are a highly intellectual, strong-minded and well-organised people who have created, in the middle of so-called wilderness, a centre of human civilisation. If their socio-political system is of particular interest, their philosophy is equally fascinating: it centres on the human person and governs his or her relationship not only within human society but also with animals, earthly matters and spiritual forces. Thanks to their stubborn, almost desperate belief in the essential goodness of existence and the positive forces of life, the Anyuak have – in spite of all pressures from outside – up to now succeeded in preserving their cultural identity and maintaining their pride of being «pure human beings». The first four volumes of the monograph describe the sphere of the above (the sphere of transparency), the sphere of the below (the sphere of material existence, the earth) and the space between them (the sphere of human self-awareness and the period of personal existence). The fifth and sixth volumes focus on the Anyuak village and its physical, social, judicial and political structures and thus open the wide and lively sphere of collective existence under a forceful leadership, which embodies the community’s self-awareness. The seventh volume provides information on the economic and material values in the life of the Anyuak and stresses social aspects of labour, such as solidarity, sharing and cooperation. It is centred on the daily or seasonal activities of women, men and children, in the fields, on the riverside and at home, during working hours, while traveling, trading and at times of rest. The text, numerous pictures and illustrations focus on agriculture, wild foods and tobacco; on the making of tools, utensils and handicrafts; and on cooking, eating, drinking and smoking. The book ends with a chapter on art which illustrates the Anyuak artistic self-awareness in all aspects of life.
Conradin Perner Perner
The Anyuak – Living on Earth in the Sky
Spheres of Action
UG_7_Anyuak_Layout 1 14.09.16 10:49 Seite 1
Spheres of Action
I S B N 978-3-7965-3465-2
Schwabe Verlag Basel www.schwabeverlag.ch
9
783796 534652
Schwabe
Living on Earth in the Sky: The Anyuak An Analytic Account of the History and the Culture of a Nilotic People
Volume VII
Spheres of Action Conradin Perner
Schwabe Verlag Basel
Conradin Perner (“Kwacakworo”) Haus Perner, Mattastrasse 1, CH-7270 Davos-Platz, Switzerland
Published with support of Prof. Dr. Verena Meyer, Zurich, Dr. Hans Vontobel, Financier, Zurich, and of SWISSLOS/Kulturförderung, Kanton Graubünden Since 1992, the monograph on the Anyuak has been supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Copyright © 2016 Schwabe AG, Verlag, Basel No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photopying, recording, or otherwise, or translated, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Photographs: Conradin Perner Editorial work: Ursula Erikli, Berlin Graphic design: Thomas Lutz Production: Schwabe AG, Muttenz/Basel, Schweiz Printed in Switzerland ISBN 978-3-7965-3465-2 rights@schwabe.ch www.schwabeverlag.ch
Contents
IIXI Outline of the Monograph IIXV Contents of the Monograph
Part I: Spheres of Action
47 Trading 49
Means of Exchange
50
Anyuak Trade
52 Markets 54
The Business of a King or a Chief
55
Work
10 Solidarity
60
Division of Work
12 Ownership
61
12 Land
62
Girls
13
Game and Fish
63
Boys
15
Collective Possessions
65
Women’s Work
16
Spoiling and Wasting
3 Economics 5 Principles
Children’s Work
66
The Work of Men
17 Prices
67
Specialised Work
18 Salaries
69
Collective Work
18 Taxes
70
Other Work
20 Counting
70
Work of the Political Leader
22 Numbers
70
The “Value” of Male and of Female Work
25 Measures 75 Handicrafts 27 Material Values
78
Men’s Homework
30 Possessions
79
31 Spears
82
34 Cattle
84 Traps
35
Goats and Sheep
Weapons: Spears and Knives The Blacksmith
85
Means of Transport: Canoes
35 Dogs
87
The Making of Tools
36 Chicken
89
The Making of Household Utensils
36 Slaves
90
Gourds and Other Vessels
36 Rifles
92
Pot Rings
37 Tools
93
Spoons and so on
38 Canoes
94
Straps, Ropes, Strings and so on
38
97
Objects of Legal Relevance
39
Personal Things
Material and Priceless Values
99 Apparel
40 Water
99
Matters of Comfort
40 Beer
101
Carvings, Decorations and so on
41 Food
104
41
Salt and Oil
105 Ornaments
41
Meat and Fish
106 Utensils
Women’s Handicrafts
42 Tobacco
108 Pottery
42 Skins
114
43 Firewood/Fire
117
44 Grass 44 Money
Decorative Work
Children’s Handicrafts
VIII
119 125
S P H E R E S
Agriculture Fields
127
Allotment, Ownership, Rights, Duties
128
Types of Crops
129
Maize
132
Durra (Sorghum, Millet)
134
Types of Fields
136 136 137
Tools Rainmaking Fieldwork
144
Hoeing
145
Sowing
146
Thinning Out and Weeding
149
Protection of the Crops
152 153
“The Father of the Birds”
Harvest
153
Seeds
154
Rites
154
Harvesting
155
Cleaning Work
156
Granaries
161 163
Food (Flour)
194
Meat
197
Fish
197
Vegetables, Bulbous Plants and so on
197
Salt
198
Spices
199
Oil
200
Water
206
Beer
209
A C T I O N
The Preparation of Different Types of Beer
212
Spirits
213
Elements, Materials and Beings.
A Summary of Their Usage and Significance
Weather
141 143
Outlines and Measures
Preparations
138 140
Types of Soil
191
O F
The Making of Granaries
Exemplary Summary
164
Dry Season (Oro)
165
Pre-rainy Season (Di-kòth)
166
Rainy Season (Cwir)
167
Autumn (Ariea)
169
Minor Crops, Wild Plants, Fruits and Roots
171
Tobacco
174
Cigarette Smoking
175
Pipe Smoking
176
Water Pipes
178
Hashish
Part II: Art 235 Introduction 242 Figurations 246 Sculptures 249 Literature 252
Oral Literature and Folklore
253
Oral Art
254 Naming 256 Riddles 257 Narratives 258
262 Songs 262
The Preparation of Food
182
Threshing
183
Winnowing
184
Pounding
185
Preparation of Flour
187
Types of Flour
188
The Cooking Space
190
Firewood
Functions and Meaning
269
The Process of Creation; Poets, Singers and
the Part of the People
276 Performance 277 Music 281 Endnotes 285
179
Performance and Presentation
261 Proverbs
List of Stories and Songs
Dedication I would like to dedicate this volume to my best Anyuak friend, the late King Adongo Agada Akway Cam. His humanity, his friendliness, his courage, his joyful spirits and his political wisdom made him one of the most respected traditional rulers of modern South Sudan. King Adongo died too young to realise his vision of peace and happiness for the people of South Sudan, but I hope that the King’s legacy of love, of tolerance, of peace and of respect for all cultural identities will inspire future generations to strive for ethnic harmony, prosperity, justice and peace. Conradin Perner August 2016
Outline of the Monograph
The “Anyuak” are part of the Lwo group of the “Western Nilotes”, closely related to the Shilluk, the Acholi, the Jur and the Luo; the Nuer and the Dinka figure among their more distant relatives. The Anyuak live in the fertile plains which stretch along the rivers Oboth, Agwey, Dikony, Akobo, Gilo, Nyikani and Openo (Baro) in the Eastern part of the Southern Sudan and in Southwest Ethiopia, the present artificial borderline following the course of the Akobo river. The Anyuak moved here either from the land of the Nilotes near the present town of Rumbeck in the centre of the Southern Sudan or perhaps from the southeast region near Lake Rudolph in Kenya. During the long period of migration between the 16th and the 19th century, the Anyuak gradually separated from their fellow kinsmen because of internal power struggles, as a result of foreign aggression or because of changing ecological conditions. The small group of Anyuak known as the “Jo-ponyuaa” or the “Päri” living today at Lafon Hill near Torit are descendants of people who remained behind and of people who rejoined them from Anyuakland. A group of Päri-people settled in Anyuak country in the region of Ojwa, as recently as in the beginning of the 20th century. In the second half of the 19th century, the Anyuak gave up their territories along the Sobat and North of the Openo because of foreign aggressors (the Nuer and the Dervishes); more recently, the regions of Ojwa and Akobo had to be evacuated because of Murle a ttacks. Two very long civil wars in the Sudan and political unrest in Ethiopia brought great suffering to the Anyuak. First the English and then the Sudanese government refrained from bringing even the most elementary facilities to Anyuakland. In addition, the Ethiopian revolution succeeded in destroying practically all traditional Anyuak values within a very short p eriod of time. The Ethiopian policy of resettlement of foreign people inside Anyuakland, the Sudanese project of establishing a wildlife park around the Boma plateau and the i mportant oil discoveries are among the modern cultural transitions that represent the greatest threats to the continuation of Anyuak territorial unity and cultural identity. There are between fifty and eighty thousand adult Anyuak persons. They are an enthu siastically agricultural people, differing in this regard from their Nilotic relatives, the Nuer and Dinka. It has been said that the Anyuak abandoned pastoral life because of the tsetse fly and because of their bellicose neighbours, the Nuer and the Murle, but the seasonal presence of thousands of white-eared Cobe antelopes in their country may well have influenced the Anyuak’s decision to lead a more sedentary existence and to concentrate on agriculture, hunting and fishing. The former importance of cattle is remembered by the social importance of bull names and other traditions. The Anyuak are excellent farmers and can feed themselves quite well; they are generally healthy looking people, in spite of frequent floods and droughts which force them to live upon grass or roots for months or to seek help from r elatives living in less affected areas of the country. The great sense of solidarity among k indred persons a llows people to survive even in times of prolonged starvation and to find active support in all other times of personal or social difficulties. Economically, the Anyuak are completely self-sufficient, even if this successful system of self-reliance is more and more threatened by the progressive introduction of clothes, money and guns. Fortunately, the A nyuak still make just occasionally use of them. The Anyuak character reflects a difficult life constantly threatened by disease, a harsh environment, wild animals and foreign invaders: though essentially mild-tempered, the Anyuak have learnt to be suspicious, cunning and aggressive, their strong self-consciousness and cautious reserve giving the impression of great arrogance. Foreigners have mainly experienced – and therefore stressed – the negative sides of the proud Anyuak character, but besides the fact that all qualities have their positive and negative aspects, the Anyuak also exhibit remarka-
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S P H E R E S
ble intelligence, extraordinary courage, an enthralling artistic skill and – last but not least – great kindness. The high quality of Anyuak work is perhaps the most striking expression of a mind which does not separate inner values from physical existence and practical action. The Anyuak settlements are situated either on steep riverbanks or at some distance from the great rivers. Traditionally of a small size and inhabited by a few clans, they unite only in times of insecurity at one stockaded place. Occasionally, related villages or entire regions join in fighting one common enemy, but otherwise the Anyuak village is a completely independent political unit, ruled over either by a hereditary chief or a king. But while chiefs are frequently removed by means of rebellions, kings cannot abdicate and therefore have to be killed. Even the political power of a popular king has to be periodically “renewed”, the old king being reappointed – in a long and complicated ceremony – as the “new” king. The differences between kingship (dominating an area in the Southeast of the country) and chieftainship are otherwise not significant enough to talk about as two separate political systems. Kings claim to be of a semidivine origin and therefore exercise a particularly strong and often reckless power; their villages are not only larger in size and more sophisticated in appearance but also less dominated by kinship structures than are the villages under a chief. However, neither a chief nor a king can act in the long run against the will of his people; it is in this political field that the fearlessness of the Anyuak character is most dramatically expressed. An Anyuak village has strong social structures where different clans are tied together by age groups and a strong legal system. Sociopolitical and legal consciousness is one of the most striking features of the Anyuak way of behaviour. The Anyuak’s sense of justice governs not only the relationship between people and between citizens and their rulers but applies also to beings acting outside of a social context (as for example witches), wild animals and birds, elements in nature (earth, rivers, rain) and even to the metaphysical concept of God and spirits. The whole Anyuak universe is a network of legal relationships with the Human Person (not God) as its conscious centre. The Anyuak have no doubts about the existence of Jwòk (a principle of creation) but their belief is in the positive power of justice rather than the nonhuman spiritual entity called Jwòk. The spiritual home of the Anyuak is the sphere of the earth where people pass not only their personal life but even find eternal shelter. The Anyuak view of creation is reflected in the following definitions of the various spheres in which different entities exist. First of all, there is the Human Person who enjoys a fundamental right to exist within the limits of a certain territory (the so-called “Human Territory”, comprising the human person, human society and a certain territory around the habitat); this is the central sphere of existence when seen with human eyes and from a human perspective. Secondly, there is the Sphere of the Earth with its land, its animals, its rivers, its rains, its seasons and its inner life. This sphere is of a spiritual essence like everything in the universe but contrasts with the sphere of pure transcendence by its physical appearance, its material consistency and its tremendous generosity towards the things living with it. Finally, there is the Sphere of Spirituality, a transcendental, moving, impersonal and essentially uncertain sphere, contrasting in its immateriality with all other elements in existence. As it has no limits and no physical form, it is the sphere which is least bound to a specific territory but can easily transcend other territories and beings, infecting other forms of existence with its metaphysical essence. The Anyuak regard themselves as a highly civilized people who have succeeded in creating, in the middle of an inhuman wilderness, a centre of humanity. Their notion of “village” (pac) corresponds to the notion of civilization, i.e. of a conscious organization of human
O F
A C T I O N
O u t l ine
of
the
M ono g raph
XIII
society and the sphere which surrounds it. The Anyuak have provided the inhuman creation of God with a human sense and have made a hostile world habitable for the people, or, in other terms, the Anyuak have created their own spiritual world on earth, a paradise where people will ultimately find their eternal peace. The meaning given to this world is Humanity, and all the Anyuak’s struggle for survival is in fact a fight for their identity as pure human beings. A last note is to explain the outline of the monograph. As my aim was the presentation of the cultural background of Anyuak literature, I could not just deal with one particular field of interest (such as “religion”, “the political system”, “the material culture” etc.), nor did I need to favour one of these different entries to the Anyuak universe; I could decide myself how I wanted the monograph to be structured. I tried to compose my study in such a way that each chapter should make the understanding of the following chapter(s) easier. In reality, the Anyuak’s concepts of existence helped me to organise the monograph, and as a result I started – as the Anyuak would do – with that sphere of Anyuak existence which remains the basic condition of their life, i.e. the Sphere of Spirituality; and because the domain of Sickness and Healing is precisely part of that spiritual sphere, it had to follow the description of Anyuak “religion”. Transparency being only the upper part of the sphere of spirituality, I had to describe – in a second movement – the Sphere of the Earth, the home of human spirituality which I called The Human Territory (the sky being the “inhuman territory” within the sphere of universal existence). This latter also has, of course, more concrete aspects, some of them (such as the description of Anyuak Country or the World of Animals) being included in this second volume. In the centre of creation, “living on Earth in the Sky”, stands the Human Being: it is seen both in its spiritual essence and in its physical appearance. The Sphere of Kinship then widens the concept of individual existence by providing it with the dimensions of eternity and immortality. The long way an individual makes between the instant of birth and the moment of death is outlined in the volume called A Personal Life. The sky, the earth and the human being are the three elements on which the Anyuak life-world is built; it remained to be seen what the practical implications of these categories in daily
XIV
S P H E R E S
life within the framework of society were. With the volume The Anyuak Village – the Centre of Civilisation we approach the village sphere through the gate of history and show the various civic elements which bear society. In the volume focusing on Anyuak Justice I discuss the Âjudicial and in the one on Power and Authority the political structures which give society its stability. The volume entitled Spheres of Action shows economical factors in Anyuak existence and introduces more material aspects of Anyuak culture. History stands in the centre of the final volume of the monograph, because history is to a large extent the result of cultural behaviour and, in any case, cannot be understood outside of a cultural context; moreover, history flows from ancient unknown times through the unconscious present to a vague Âfuture, and only the disappearance of the Anyuak as a cultural entity could bring the flow of history to an end. In spite of sad prospects, I am confident that the cultural identity of the Anyuak will be strong enough to survive; the last, incomplete, part of the volume relating the modern and the more recent chapters of history may thus be understood as a sign of hope for a long-lasting, bright future for the Anyuak people.
O F
A C T I O N
Contents of the Monograph
I
The Sphere of Spirituality Creation Spiritual Matters Witchcraft Sickness and Healing Eternity Time and Space
II
The Human Territory (with Map) Matters of the Earth Anyuak Country Anyuak Settlement A World of Animals An Anyuak Year (Map)
III
The Human Being Purity Sexuality Consciousness The Essence of a Human Being The Human Body Character and Temper Patterns of Behaviour
Kinship Clanship Lineage The Family Marriage and the Relationship with In-laws
IV
A Personal Life Childhood Adolescence Adulthood Old Age Death
V
The Anyuak Village – Centre of Civilisation Physical and Social Structures The Village The Construction of Houses, Shelters etc. Social Structures
The Sphere of Justice
VI
The Political Body: Power and Authority Historical Background Kinship The Individual Existence of Headmen and Kings The Emblems Conferring Political Authority The Investiture with Political Authority and Power Organization of the Political Body Language and Behaviour Protection of Life at Court Wealth Rewards Public Life, Functions and Duties of a Ruler Agèm, the Anyuak Fight for Political Power and Change in Leadership Power and Authority Critique and Prospects
VII
Spheres of Action Economics Material Values Trading Work Handicrafts Agriculture The Preparation of Food Elements, Materials and Beings. A Summary of Their Usage and Significance
Art
VIII Anyuak Histories Ancient History Early History Slavery Tribal History Fighting Foreign Powers Modern History Epilogue
Bibliography
Already published: Anyuak Language (published by “Human relations area files”, New Haven, USA, 1990, in 4 volumes). Introduction to Anyuak Grammar English – Anyuak Dictionary Small Bibliography on Anyuak Language Anyuak – English Dictionary
The bibliography (to be published at the end of Volume VIII) has been made available on the Internet by Schwabe Verlag Basel: http://www.schwabe.ch/uploads/tx_ttproducts/datasheet/Perner-Bibliography.pdf
Part I
Spheres of Action
E conomics
Economics3