History and Religion of the Shilluks.
In the beginning was Jo-uk, the Great Creator, and he created a great white cow, who came up out of the Nile and was called Deung Adok. The white cow gave birth to a man-child whom she nursed and named Kola (Kollo); Kola begat Umak Ra or Omaro, who begat Makwa or Wad Maul, who begat Ukwa. These people lived in a far off country, nobody knows where. (Bahr El Ghazal (?), Jur tribe (?) according to linguistic links).
Ukwa was one day sitting near the river when he saw two lovely maidens with long hair rise out of the river and play about in the shallows. He saw them many times after that, but they would have nothing to do with him and merely laughed at him. It should be mentioned that their lower extremities were like those of a crocodile.
One day Ukwa found them sitting on the banks, so he came up behind and seized them. Their screams brought their father, Ud Diljil, out of the river, to see what was the matter. Ud Diljil, whose right side was green in colour and in form like a crocodile, whilst his left side was that of a man, protested mildly, but allowed Ukwa to take away his daughters and wed them, merely giving vent to a series of incorrect prophecies regarding them.
Nik-kieya, the elder sister, gave birth to two sons and three daughters, and Ung-wad, the younger, to one son only, named Ju, or Bworo. The eldest son of Nik-kieya was named Nyakang (Nik-kang or Nyakam) and inherited the pleasing crocodilian attributes of his mother and grandfather. Meanwhile Ukwa married a third wife, whose eldest child, a son, was named Duwat.
On Ukwa’s death there was a furious quarrel between Nyakang and Duwat as to who should succeed Ukwa. It ended by Nyakang, with his sisters Ad Dui, Ari Umker, and Bun Yung, his brother Umoi and his half-brother Ju, acquiring wings and flying away to the south of the Sobat. Here they found the Shilluk country inhabited by wicked Arabs, so they drove them out and founded a most successful kingdom. According to their genealogy this would have been about 1200 A.D., or later.
Nyakang had a creative power which he used greatly to the advantage of the kingdom. In order to people the vast territory more quickly, he proceeded to create a people from the animal life he found in the forests and rivers. From crocodiles and hippopotami, and from wild beasts and cattle, he created men and women. When these had brought forth many children, the parent stock was removed by death, so that the children might not know of their origin.
The new creation and their offspring form the Shulla race or common people, in distinction from the direct descendants of Nyakang’s family. The latter continue to bear authority and fill the priestly function to this day. All outside the royal and priestly line are accounted Shullas.
Nik-kieya still exists. She never died and never will. The western part of the Sobat and part of the White Nile near there is her favourite abode. She often appears, usually in the form of a crocodile, but at times in different forms and always in the river or on its banks. No sacrifices are ever offered to her. When she wishes, she takes what is required from among men and beasts; and when it is so, the people must not complain; indeed, it is an honour when Nik-kieya is pleased to take her sacrifice of man or beast from a family.
Nik-kieya becomes judge also in certain difficult cases, it is said, particularly in cases of illegitimate children. When the man accused denies fatherhood, the case is turned over to Nik-kieya. The disputants are taken to the river bank, and along with them a goat. They are then put into the river, and the one that Nik-kieya carries off is judged guilty, and he or she is left in the hands of Nik-kieya, to be punished. The beauty of this method is that a consciousness of guilt, added to a belief in and fear of Nik-kieya often causes confession, and thus the case is ended. It is not quite clear why the goat is taken to the river. It may be to give Nik-kieya a chance for a sacrifice without taking a human being, or it may be because a goat tied close to the river will attract crocodile from quite a distance. To Nik-kieya are ascribed many wonderful miracles, and it is feared also that in actual practice she becomes a cloak for sin.