ABUK
allyFirst woman, agriculture
Abuk is the first woman and the principal goddess of the Dinka mythology of South Sudan, also venerated among the Nuer. Patroness of women, of gardens and of agriculture, she is associated with fertility and symbolised by a small snake, the moon and the sheep. The founding narrative tells that the creator god Nhialic shaped Abuk and her companion Garang in clay, then placed them in a jar from which they emerged fully formed. The couple received only one grain a day. Pressed by hunger, Abuk transgressed the prohibition by planting several grains of millet, and her pestle struck the sky, wounding the deity according to some versions; he withdrew, severing the rope that joined sky and earth. This gesture explains the separation of the divine and humankind, the entry of death and the labour of farming. Abuk was then raised to the rank of goddess and is sometimes attached to Deng, god of rain.
Powers & Attributes
Role in the ROHO universe
A fragment of Onionkupón's Breath, bound to one of the five elements of the cosmic balance.
Sacred Mask
A mask carved of ancient energy — a symbol of the cosmic force proper to its pantheon.
Era
3,000–1,000 BCE — Cycle of Elemental Powers
Spiritual Lesson
To understand the nature of one's own balance and the wisdom hidden behind every trial.
Words of the Spirit
“The spirit crosses what the body cannot.”
Frequently asked questions
What is Abuk's role among the Dinka?
Abuk is the first woman and the only great goddess of the Dinka pantheon. She is the patroness of women, of gardens and of harvests, associated with fertility and agriculture. She is represented notably by a small snake, the moon and the sheep.
What does the myth of the millet planted by Abuk tell?
The primordial couple received only one grain a day from the creator. Driven by hunger, Abuk planted more grains of millet. Her pestle struck the sky, and the offended deity withdrew, cutting the rope that joined sky and earth, bringing death and labour.
Does Abuk belong to Khoisan mythology?
No. Abuk belongs to Dinka mythology, and more broadly to the Nilotic traditions of South Sudan and Ethiopia, distinct from the Khoisan pantheons of southern Africa. She is associated with Garang, her companion, and with Deng, god of rain.
Related spirits
Sources and references
- Godfrey Lienhardt, Divinity and Experience: The Religion of the Dinka, 1961
- Francis Mading Deng, Dinka Cosmology (1980)
- Charles Gabriel Seligman et Brenda Z. Seligman, Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan (1932)