Shilluk

Living on the banks of the Nile River, near the city of Malakal, the Chollo (“word of mouth”) people, also known as Shilluk, are a major Nilotic ethnic group in southern Sudan. They were brought to their present location by the great Shilluk leader and hero, Nyakang. The latter is believed to represent a bridge between the Shilluk and Juok, the supreme God. Furthermore, the spirit of Nyakang is reincarnated in every Shilluk king, also known as Reth. Juok is formless and invisible and is everywhere at once. He is recognized as the creator of all things, and Nyakang is invoked with Juok. In this regard, Nyakang serves as a mediator between the people and their god. Reth, the Shilluk king, is the supreme spiritual and temporal ruler and reigns by divine right as a direct descendant of Nyakang, the founder and first king of the Shilluk nation. In every king, there is immanent the spirit of Nyakang, and this spirit is transferred through the royal ceremonies of death and installation from king to king. The ceremony is initiated with the sealing up of the corpse of the deceased king in a special chamber near the royal capital Fashoda; then the new Reth is elected by the chiefs of the royal family and the Wowo (burial and funeral dance for the deceased) commences. Finally, Rony, the installation ceremonies of the new king, begins with the bringing of the Effigy of Nyakang and the sacred four-legged stool from Akurwa, which is marched from there to Fashoda, which represents Nyakang and his son Dak. Upon entering Fashoda, the new Reth is taken to the Shrine of Nyakang, where the effigy is placed on the sacred stool, which is shielded from the public by a canopy of white cloth. Then the effigy is removed, and the king takes his place on the stool. The ceremony ends with the sacrifice of a bull, and the Reth then enters his quarters and remains in seclusion for 10 days in solemn communion with Nyakang, whose spirit he now incarnates. The king is thus imbued with divine powers and serves at the center of religious activity of the nation. His destiny and health act in response to the welfare of the people, and his life is hedged round with ritual observances. In this respect, the Shilluk people's ceremonies are conducted at the shrines of Nyakang. The two major annual ceremonies are, first, the rainmaking ceremony held before the rains at the new moon, and, second, the harvest festival held when dura is cut, which usually coincides with the end of the rainy season. There is no true grave of Nyakang because he did not die, but disappeared in a great wind. Because every king is imbued with the spirit of Nyakang, the worship rendered at the royal shrines, which all resemble those of [Page 615]Nyakang, is ultimately a part of the adoration of Nyakang, and through him, of God.