The Ultimate Cultural Tour To The Didinga Tribe Of South Sudan.
Meet the Didinga, a Surmic ethnic group that occupies the Didinga Mountains region in Budi County, Eastern Equatoria State in South Sudan. They live in the valleys, on the plateaus and slopes, and in the adjacent plains of the region. Their neighbors include the Toposa, Turkana, Boya, Ketebo, Logir, Ik, Dodos, and Dongotona peoples - groups with whom the Didinga have had frequent conflicts due to economic pressures.
Language and history:
The Didinga, Boya, Tennet, Murle, and Mursi of Southwest Ethiopia share a language that distinguishes them from all other groups in the Sudan. Their language, often called the Murle-Didinga language, is also spoken by a group living in southwest Ethiopia. The Didinga claim to have lived in southwest Ethiopia two hundred years ago. During their migration to the Didinga Hills, the Didinga, Murle, Tennet, and Boya were one group.
They lived in harmony in Sudan until a hunting party dispute caused the Murle to leave. Later, a famine caused the Boya to withdraw. Today, though the groups have separated, their language remains the same.
Didinga People's Way of Life:
For many years, the Didinga enjoyed a quiet, rural life. They took great pride in raising cattle and owned large herds that were supervised by the young single Didinga men. However, in 1963, a political disturbance that lasted until 1973 caused many Didinga to leave their cattle behind and migrate to Uganda. While in Uganda, for the first time in their lives, Didinga was exposed to large-scale farming. Also, their children were introduced to education. These experiences created in the people the desire to make money and to gain knowledge, things which had been unimportant in the Hills.
When they returned to Sudan in 1973, the people were filled with a new vision for a more advanced life. They hoped to incorporate into their own culture many of the ideas and concepts they had learned in Uganda. They were met, however, with a drastic decrease in the numbers in their herds: clansmen who had remained in the Hills had failed to restock the cattle during the disturbance. Today, many Didinga are still working to enlarge their herds. They purchase cattle either through the exchange of grain or beer or with money.
At present, farming and the desire for an education are as important to the Didinga as the herding of cattle is. The traditional values associated with raising cattle remain embedded in all Didinga. Many still take great pleasure in owning large herds. Their new-found hope for change that was brought back from their temporary migration also remains instilled in their daily lives. The Didinga use their cattle not only as a means of wealth but also for their milk which is consumed daily and made into butter. Didinga also consumes fresh blood drawn from the necks of cattle with miniature arrows. The Didinga do not fish at all, because the eating of fish is taboo in their culture.
The Didinga have musical implements, drums, and harps which are sounded on occasion, for example, when going to dance, hunt, or war.
Ordinarily, children are named after their grandparents. The dead are buried with their heads facing the east in a deep grave outside the village.
Didinga Political organization:
The Didinga are divided into two main political groups: the eastern Didinga - consisting of Bokorora, Laudo, and Marukoiyan; and the western group - consisting of Patalado, Thuguro, Kademakuch, Lakorechoke, and Lomongle. The Didinga clans are exogamous. There is no definite center or organization. But the Didinga have the office of the paramount chief, which is hereditary – a son or in default, a brother’s son takes over.
There is also a rain-chief for both the Didinga and Boya. The rain chief receives offerings of goats to ensure rain and in return gives sacred water used in local rain ceremonies. Didinga chiefs lead in war and may summon people for an organized raid. In peace times they arbitrate in disputes among their people or with aliens and generally represent their men when a litigant has a cause to plead before another chief. Didinga chiefs have few privileges and their control is nevertheless negligible except in matters concerning the whole community.
Didinga Homesteads:
The Didinga live in scattered homesteads, with each clan grouped. Homes are round with cone-shaped roofs. During certain seasons and grazing periods, the Didinga also live in rustic camps. An important aspect of Didinga society is the organization of 'Nyekerehet' (age-grades) for boys. Every three to five years, boys who are around eight years old are placed together to form a new "age grade." These boys work and play together until they are married.
Marriage and Birth among Didinga:
The Didinga do not practice, as in other communities, infant or pre-arranged marriages. The prospective couple is guided by their feelings and emotions and only after they have agreed to marry does the suitor approach the parents of the bride. On going to announce the affair he is accompanied by three friends and takes along 6 goats, a spear, and a hoe. Dowry is agreed upon and settled. Sterility is not a ground for divorce, making divorce rare among the Didinga.
After delivery, the woman remains secluded, in the house for 3-4 days depending on whether the child is a boy or a girl, except for intimate relatives and friends. She is considered to be in a condition of ‘ceremonial pollution’ and she is not allowed to cook food. Delivery to twins as well as triplets is considered luck. However, until the triplets reach puberty, their father is prohibited from eating with others or may not accompany any party going to war or hunting.
Didinga Religious Beliefs:
Their traditional beliefs and religious practices include having a tribal rainmaker who is entrusted with performing certain rituals to bring rain. Didinga also worships and sacrifices spirits and gods and places great importance upon the worship of dead ancestors.
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