10. Game.
The following is a list of the game which is to be found in the Bahr El Ghazal province:—
- Elephant (numerous throughout).
- Buffalo.
- Eland exist in the higher plateaux, near Wau and Deim Zubeir, and the Situtunga is said to be found in the marshlands of the Jur River.
- Giraffe (in eastern and north-western portions).
- Rhinoceros (throughout).
- Hippopotamus (in all rivers).
- Roan-antelope.
- Waterbuck (throughout).
- Mrs. Grey’s waterbuck (Cobus Maria) (swampy grass land on banks of Jur and Bahr El Ghazal Rivers.)
- Tiang.
- Jackson’s hartebeeste.
- White-eared cob.[112]
- Bushbuck (throughout).
- Reedbuck (in neighbourhood of rivers).
- Oribi.
- Duiker.
- Wild boar.
- Wart hog.
- Lion (throughout, but rare).
- Leopard (throughout).
- Ostrich.
- Comb duck.
- Florican.
- Great bustard.
- Ground hornbill.
- Guinea fowl.
- Nile goose.
- Partridge.
- Rock fowl.
- Sand grouse.
- Snipe.
- Spur fowl.
- Spur-winged goose.
- Whistling teal.
- White ibis.
11. Religious Beliefs among the Natives of the Bahr El Ghazal.[113]
In making enquiries as to religious beliefs among the people here, one is met at the outset by two difficulties. The first and greater is the reticence displayed on such subjects by the natives, and the second is that the interpreter, being invariably an Arabic-speaking native who has with his Arabic acquired the Moslem faith, is liable to colour his translations with ideas of his own; partly out of shame for the beliefs he has discarded, and partly from his anxiety to tell you what he thinks you expect. Perseverance in this line of enquiry is, however, well repaid, as the primitive religions of the tribes in the Bahr El Ghazal are most interesting and suggestive.
The Dinkas, though the most difficult of all to approach on such subjects, appear to have a most elaborate list of gods and demi-gods. At the head of the Divine community are Deng-dit (Rain Giver) and Abok, his wife. They have two sons, Kûr Konga, the elder, and Gurung-dit, the younger, and a daughter called Ai-Yak.
Their devil is called L’wâl Burrajôk, and is the father of Abôk, the wife of Deng-dit. There are also other relatives.
Their story of the origin of mankind (or it may be of the Dinka tribe) is curious and poetical. Deng-dit gave to his wife, Abôk, a bowl of fat, and she and her children, softening the fat over the fire, proceeded to mould from it men and women, in the image of gods. Deng-dit warned her against L’wâl (the Shaitan), who was suspected to have ill-intentions towards Deng-dit. But Abôk forgot, and with her children went to gather wood in the forest. There L’wâl found the bowl, drank the greater part of the fat, and from the remainder proceeded to mould caricatures of men and women, with distorted limbs, mouths, and eyes. Then, fearing the vengeance of Deng-dit, he descended to earth by the path that then connected it with heaven. On discovering the result of her neglect, Abôk hastened to her husband, who, greatly incensed, started in pursuit of L’wâl. The latter, however, had persuaded the bird Atoitoish to bite asunder with its bill the path from heaven to earth, and thus escaped from the Divine wrath.
In spite of this complicated mythology, the Dinkas appear to be very indifferent to religion as an active principle in life. They are without any plan of prayer, and though they assert that their forefathers made great sacrifices to God, the present generation thinks twice about parting with a goat—to say nothing of a cow—for sacrificial 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 a destructive power to be propitiated, if possible.
The Golos also believe in male and female deities, called Umvili and Barachi, respectively. This couple is said to have originated the human race, and to be the parents of mankind. This belief is, I think, common to the Golo, N’Doggo, Shere, and Belanda tribes, and possibly also to the A-Zande or Nyam Nyams.