As well as providing for their material needs, local people believe the Rual trees have divine powers and played a crucial role in the creation of their identity, writes Chirrilo Madut Anei.

To understand the social context, relationships, and the local public authority, it is important to pay attention to the role of the trees in local culture. In South Sudan, trees have social importance to the lives of the people who live there. They provide everyday utility but can also have the power to empower or protect people.

Among the Muonyjang people (aka Dinka), some families trace their ancestral history back to trees. Because of this divine relationship, people and clans have special relationships with particular trees. They will give seasonal offerings to the trees in thanks for perceived gifts or blessings. These sacred rites and services are mostly done during times of harvests, the end of the year, or the beginning of the new rainy season.

The Rual is a large sausage-tree (Kigelia Africana) commonly found in the Dinkaland. The Parum, Padior, Pandior and Pakuin Atenydior clans are believed to be related (ruai) to the Rual trees’ divine power, which is associated with divinity. They trace the Rual tree back to the creation of their clans and they strongly believe in its divine powers.

At the end of every good harvesting season, the gods of the land and ancestors are given offerings from the products of the new harvest. These offerings are given in the form of locally brewed wine and animals that are slaughtered Rual-chok, i.e. under the Rual tree. The clanmates and those who need blessings gather under the Rual tree while the elders and the spiritual leader, or those who are possessed by the divinity, bless the people, and make sacrifices.

The Rual tree produces big, long pendulous fruits called Anyook that hang downward. Boys use its fruit as target practice to train with a spear or to become sharpshooters. The small girls also play with Anyook, wrapping them up and carrying them with care like a newborn baby. They are also used as ready-made headrests and stools.

Trees and protection

One story about a Rual tree, that is still commonly told today by powerful clans, describes how the Rual tree protected a strong man who was trying to flee from a fight.

It is believed that once upon a time, the ancestor of the clans was a strong man in the community. The man used his strength and fighting skills to suppress everyone else. He was not only the most feared in the community but also the most hated person for his barbarous attitude. One day, the people of the community secretly conspired to kill him while he slept. While the preparations to kill him were ongoing, the man found out about the conspiracy against him and decided to leave the community for his own safety. He left one morning before dawn while everyone else was still asleep.

Hours later the people found out that the man had left, and they quickly mobilised themselves in huge numbers to pursue him. When they caught up with him in the middle of a big forest, the lone warrior was overwhelmed and couldn’t fight back the large mob. He ran to a big Rual tree to take refuge. It is said that to help this desperate man, the Rual tree sat down and opened one of its big branches for the man to enter in and then closed the man in the interior of its branch. Seeing that, the attackers got angrier and tried to cut the tree down, but they couldn’t, so they left in dismay. The life of the man was mercifully saved by the Rual tree.

A few days later, thirsty boys from a neighbouring community who were looking after their cattle sat to rest in the shadow of that Rual tree. The man got out from the Rual tree and asked the boys how he could help them. The boys said they were thirsty and needed water to drink. The man then pulled up the grass and water came out from the ground, and the thirsty boys and their cows had enough water to drink. The boys took the message back to the cattle camp and the elders decided to go and witness the miracle, but he refused to come out of the Rual tree. So, the wise elders decided to offer him the most beautiful girl as his wife. After seeing her, the man came down and married the girl and they became the great ancestors of the Parum, Padior/ Pandior and Pakuin Atenydior clans. This is why his descendants have a social and spiritual connection with the Rual tree. Even today, these clans would never cut down a Rual tree without a concrete reason lest something bad happen.

Photo credit: Author.