In the Belly of the River

Abstract

This study illustrates the significance of water for the Murle people of South Sudan. Drawing from ethnographic fieldwork, we analyse traditional practices and metaphorical expressions in the spontaneous speech of male members of the laŋo age-set. We show that the spoken language embodies metaphorical expressions of the Murle cattle- and land-based identity and demonstrate how Indigenous knowledge manifests itself in water-related expressions and in traditional practices related to water. In these traditional practices water is used to foster peace, convey blessings, purify, and enhance fertility. The study also offers a new perspective on the role and agency of women in Murle age-sets, highlighting the role of a female diviner of the laŋo age-set. Female traditional experts, such as dole ci lilu, draw moral authority from the Murle tradition which regards women as the mothers of all society, and use spiritual power to promote peace and build relationships through advice. In turn, male chiefs performing traditional rituals deal with the ill effects of conflict, ensuring unity in the society and continuity of the tradition. The results indicate a complementary approach among the male and female experts of Murle tradition (kɛranɛ). This gendered study supplies a nuanced understanding of the transformative potential that Murle spirituality and traditional water-related practices can have among young men and women in an age-set society.

Keywords

• diviner
• laŋo age-set
• water-related traditional practices
• Murle
• South Sudan