.
It was like this, our clan was originated from Rumbek. They
were the people who were inhabitants of Rumbek and they were called “Tiak”. And
the other name was called “Pabuut.” Those people they were very strong. They
can defeat every tribe around them. If
they go to war the symbol can bless them and they will be the victor of the
war. So there was another man who was
beny-byth from another tribe called Manchan Awout. That man, he had a hatred of
these people because they are strong, they defeated even the tribe. So he
killed a red cow. He removed the tongue of the cow. He cut the tongue of the
cow into pieces. He removed the heart of the cow. He cut the heart into pieces.
He mixed that one with a certain (?). I don’t know how to call that one, but he
mixed it with it. Then he threw the pieces of the tongue and the heart into
different directions saying that “this tribe can be scattered everywhere.” And
that time, the people got started what the Beny-Bith did. Other people moved up
to Pakom. Other people moved up to Raie. Other people moved to this area, like
my grandfather came up to this area and he married from here. So the people
they scattered all over the state of Lake
State On e of the symbols
is crocodile. We call it “Nyang”. And they believe that if you eat a crocodile
by mistake, you can get leprosy. Or what your uncles can get cracks. When you
see someone with cracks, you might say that he may have eaten a crocodile by
mistake or you have stepped on the crocodile’s bones which is dead. That is how
they believe.
And they believe that the symbol of the grass is like a god.
It can bless them as well as you can have many cows because the grass bless
you. You can sleep in the forest and the grass can guard you. You can wake up
when you are safe. And it can help them when you go to war you can kill a bull
for Grass. When you go to war you can have victory over that war. It can bless
your daughter to marry with many cows and you have wealth. That is how the symbol
of the grass they believe.
And if Beny-Byth want to build another man called Makuer Gol,
he has a big church for his god. They called church in Dinka “Luok.” is called
“Luok.” If you want to renew the Luok roof, the person who can come and take
out the first grass is our tribe. They believe that they have a good spirit,
they have a strong spirit. When they remove that one another clan will come and
remove that and they put on the new grass.
And our clan also believes that when you burn the white
grass you can have eye infection. It is because you have burned the white
grass. Like maybe if you have that one, you take it and you burn it, the new
one, not the old like that (pointing to fresh grass as opposed to old, dry
grass) you can get eye infection. Then they can call the Beny-Byth and he can
perform some rituals, they can slaughter the goat If they discover it is
because you have burned the white grass they can call Beny-Byth. Beny-Byth can
bring water and then he can wash your eyes and he can kill a goat so that you
can get healed.
(The name of your clan again was?)
Pabuut. Yes
(There were two other names?)
Yes. The first name wasTiak.
(What does that mean?)
I don’t know about Thiak. Just name. And the name Fabute is
just name
(Who told you that story?)
Yes, My uncle
