Que gouverne Nhialic dans la religion dinka ?

Nhialic est la divinité suprême du ciel, de la pluie et du tonnerre. On le considère comme le créateur de l'univers et des premiers humains, et comme le maître des autres esprits et divinités.

Pourquoi Nhialic s'est-il éloigné des hommes ?

D'après le mythe, une corde reliait le ciel et la terre. Après qu'Abuk eut heurté la divinité en pilant trop de grain, Nhialic envoya un oiseau couper la corde, ce qui sépara le divin des humains et introduisit la mort.

Quel lien existe entre Nhialic et les autres divinités dinka ?

Selon les traditions locales et les travaux de Godfrey Lienhardt, Nhialic est associé à des divinités comme Deng, Garang et Abuk, dont les rôles et les liens de parenté varient d'une région dinka à l'autre.

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NHIALIC

ally

Sky, creator

☥ SpiritDinka →Afrique de l'Est — Soudan du SudElder

Gender: Beyond genderSign: Voûte céleste

Nhialic is the supreme creator god of the pantheon of the Dinka, a Nilotic people settled in South Sudan. Deity of the sky, of rain and of thunder, he reigns over the other spiritual powers and over the spirits. Without physical form, he is referred to in the masculine, and his presence is perceived through celestial phenomena. According to tradition, Nhialic shaped the first humans, Garang and Abuk, in clay — at first miniatures placed in jars, then grown to adult size. A central myth tells that sky and earth were once joined by a rope that allowed humans to climb up to him. When Abuk, pounding more grain than her daily ration, struck the deity, he withdrew and sent a small blue bird to cut the rope, bringing death, labour and separation from the divine. The work of Godfrey Lienhardt has shown that Dinka religion articulates Nhialic with a set of free divinities and clan powers. Depending on the region and the author, figures such as Deng, Garang or Abuk are attached to him in varying ways.

Powers & Attributes

skycreator

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

“Before the first word, there was already the breath.”

Frequently asked questions

What does Nhialic govern in Dinka religion?

Nhialic is the supreme deity of the sky, of rain and of thunder. He is regarded as the creator of the universe and of the first humans, and as the master of the other spirits and divinities.

Why did Nhialic move away from humankind?

According to the myth, a rope joined sky and earth. After Abuk struck the deity while pounding too much grain, Nhialic sent a bird to cut the rope, which separated the divine from humans and brought death.

What bond exists between Nhialic and the other Dinka divinities?

According to local traditions and the work of Godfrey Lienhardt, Nhialic is associated with divinities such as Deng, Garang and Abuk, whose roles and kinship ties vary from one Dinka region to another.

Related spirits

ABUK WAAQ / NGAI GGULU GARANG

Sources and references

Godfrey Lienhardt, Divinity and Experience: The Religion of the Dinka, Oxford University Press, 1961
Francis Mading Deng, Dinka Cosmology (1980)
Charles Gabriel Seligman et Brenda Z. Seligman, Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan (1932)