Nirnam/Dudbul July 31, 1972 - 35B Tierlul

Recording #35B

Place of Recording: Tierlul

Date of Recording: July 31, 1972

Performance:

Informant: Agwa Alemo

Date of Transcript: April 7, 1973

1 000 Marching song (Nirnam).

Information: Solo male singer. The singes name is OJUNGI.

Text: When some people boast because they are drunk, he said those who are boasting when they are drunk that doesn’t mean that the drink made them boost but they were having that before they got drunk. Because our boasting was true to everybody in the village, we killed the animal we swore for. He said when the flute is blown, everybody will look like Americans, and this is the song of BUNGKEDI. (The clothes they are going to wear and playing the flute. Will look like Americans or well dressed in other words)

2 026 Marching song (Nirnam).

Information: Solo male singer as above.

Text: When we were ready for hunting, I asked our commander that where will be a good place for hunting an elephant. Our commander answered, that it will be in the place where the river comes from. It takes us many days to follow the tracks of the elephant. The animal which its ear makes to be a drum makes us very tired. The one we kill satisfies many people as well as hyenas. The boasting of that elephant was known to all villages in the area if the government didn’t take our ivory all of us would have ivory around their arms around their upper arms for female and lower arms for male. Female have high and low on both arms. Male only around wrists. The ivory of an elephant that we killed where every you put it in your body, will look very nice. If you put it in your arm, it will look very nice, if you put it in your finger it will look as nice. That’s our animal we killed. If it is taken to the highland, they will turn it back like a cup for drinking tea or coffee. The ivory of our elephant is fit for everything. (boasts at the end. Named after an ostrich during the dancing people used to have feathers and it runs like a small house, a hut, gives that appearance. When you see an ostrich far from you cannot identify it at first, very tall so see the body if it is hanging in the air. It runs like those who wear coat and overcoat.

3 077 Agwaga

Information: Solo male singers as above. (When an old man died, he will have a friend to tell all of his ideas, and this man will act like the one who died. The wives of the man who died will make a beer and everybody will be called to listen to the voice of the man who died)

Text: He mentions in the first part, there is a man who is named after a bird. The bird lives in the water: black breast and red in its legs. When this bird screams the rain will come. May have another meaning. When this man boasts or says something, the things he says are always true.

4 102 Agwaga

Information: Sung for the former chief of OKUNA. (From OJUNG of the Masengo tribes. Fear Anuaks. Anuaks are not allowed to teach in that area. Because of the war which was done many years ago. They fear much. When Hoekstra went into the area, a few of Anuaks went to work with him together when they saw this group of Anuaks they escaped away into the forest. Some came to explain their difficulty to Hoekstra. We fear Anuaks because they killed many people many years ago. So, Hoekstra would not allow the Anuaks to go into this area.

Text: Mentioned in the song this is the song of long ago during that time. (In Anuak area, there are people who are neutral but these neutral people, they can go and tell lies to one side and they can come back and tell another untruth). Rumors between two groups they said, because of those kind of people, OJUNG tribes got a good lesson from us.

5 132 Agwaga

Information: Saying for his chief. Sometimes Agwaga songs are sung before the war breaks out and sometimes after the war. Agwaga which are sung before the war like boast singer showing yourselves to those villages who are against our village.

Text: Our chief is like a king and he doesn’t boast. Those who are boasting, it may be because they have many guns or many people who are ready to fight. Especially those groups who are living in a big forest used to fight with the tribes near them. When OJUNG tries. This is why they are singing songs against them. Look those at Adongo, used to fight with AJIBA tribe and along Baro river the Nuers and Anuaks fight. Those in the middle of Anuak area, they can support anyone and divide themselves and support several groups. Our chief defeated the tribe of OJUNG with a stick and not with a gun.

6 169 Agwaga.

Text: I went to Gilo and when I came back, those who mentioned my name in a bad way I knew them by studying their faces. Being a friend with the king is the nicest thing and those who are against me can be punished in another way. The war said the nephew of the king used to get a price when they returned back from the war but you consider me as your nephew.

7 191 Agwaga.

Information: There are two ways of fighting in our region. One is a war between two villages facing each other, second is a sort of revenge. If a group of people can go and wait where the other village gets water and they will wait till they see people or ladies and will capture them or kill them.

Text: You better go and visit Gilo. Those who fear used to hide themselves always and those who do not will tell you something like an insult.

8 210 Agwaga.

Information: Requesting the chief to give something to the singer. (In Agwaga form.)

Text: There is a small village has not been defeated by any village. And a man called OKWAY refused to cut his hair because he didn’t kill a person. Our chief sent messenger to see around the village if there are people who are waiting for revenge. Anuaks are made. I didn’t come to make a war but I came to tell the way of peace. Those who used to tell lies will be burned.

9 246 Dudbul.

Information: A male voice. Same singer as above.

Text: A man called LIEC he is telling them that where am I supposed to go. My father became the leader of Anuaks. Taking the chief as his father. The price which is given out always is appreciated by the relatives. In our village it is only pistol which we didn’t buy. (the price which is given is appreciated by the relatives it is because some people will never consider a price even though you give gold or a sheep. They will ignore you, but for some people, if they give a bracelet or a spear, his name will be known. But in others they will never consider it.) Mentioning his friend saying I’m tired of the rumors saying about my cruelness. Because of that, it is better for me to remain here or to disappear to another village or far away from Anuak area. There is a man named after a fish called PURO. Don’t be angry because the relatives used to share their things. Said because the relatives of this man might have borrowed something from him. Mentioning about 3 girls. Who are from Gilo river? Married by people of OKUNA. If you are not able to sing (mute) I became mute because I have been away without singing a song. These is a man named after an Elephant. He said, I dream of 10 spears carried by women as they are being brought to me. The singers are against each other always. He mentions those who are moving from place to place they are not the real singers but they are liars. They can insult each other in the song. They share prices from the chief or the kings. Said when he realized the rumors his cruelness, he didn’t sleep at all. People said that OJUNGAY is poor before he married and when he gets married whenever he gets money to pay for his wife. He mentions the name of the people after their animal’s in the last part because of the what people say God loves me. That might be why I’m not getting a price.

10 413 Dudbul.

Text: Don’t disturb the boy who has no parents. What has he done to God? Those girls who are hard workers and well-built can be seen during the dancing time. Can be selected. Talks about ostrich. Runs like wearing coat and overcoat (Gallas)

August 1 – Pokwo

11 448 Drum beat.

Information: for chief when walking. Drum beats.

12 508 Drum beat.

Information: for chief when he walks. They walk toward the mike.

13 550 Drum beats: achenya.

Information: Ladies sit with their hands going up and down. Boys dancing around. When people are dancing already. Using 3 drums. Well played.

14 612 Achenya.

Information: One drum played with sticks on small drum.

15 641 Achenya.

Information: One drum played Large drum with one stick and one hand.

16 705 Agwaga.

Information: 3 drums. Sometimes uses 5 sticks. Sometimes 4. Two play on small drums with sticks. One on large drum one stick and one hand.

17 797 Agwaga.

Information: 1 drum, 1 stick, even beat.

18 822 Agwaga:

Information: 1 drum, 2 sticks. Grace notes. Flam pattern.

19 852 Agwaga.

Information: Large drum, left hand and right hand will push down with the elbow. All do this elbow. Young men like to use their elbow. To make it sound nice. Different sound than before like to use the elbow. Can watch when the people dance first Awawa, Dudbul, Achenya (Or Ober – the same as Achenya) girls will select a boy then after selecting, they will rest for 30 minutes and then dance OKAMA.