Dramatic Features in Dinka Padang Oral Traditions
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Dramatic Features in Dinka Padang Oral Traditions A thesis submitted to Graduate College/University Of Khartoum for the degree of M.A. in English By: Mayen Dow Guem B.A. University of Upper Nile Supervisor: Dr.Thuraya Hassan Hamdoun Department of English Language Faculty of Education March 2010 Dedication To my dear son, WÉã `tçxÇ WÉã I Tv~ÇÉãÄxwzxÅxÇà \ tÅ Åâv{ |Çwxuàxw àÉ Åç áâÑxÜä|áÉÜ WÜA g{âÜtçt [táátÇ [tÅwÉâÇ yÉÜ à{x zâ|wtÇvx tÇw áâÑÑÉÜà á{x ztäx à{ÜÉâz{Éâà à{x à|Åx Éy à{|á ÜxáxtÜv{A \ tÅ àÉÉ äxÜç zÜtàxyâÄ àÉ Åç ytÅ|Äç yÉÜ à{x|Ü y|ÜÅ áàtÇw ux{|Çw Åx tÇw àÉ Åç ÄÉvtÄ |ÇyÉÜÅtÇàá? Ä|~x? ]tÅxá WtÇ|xÄ? yÉÜ à{x |ÇyÉÜÅtà|ÉÇ à{xç ztäx ÅxA gÉ à{xÅ tÄÄ tÇw yÜ|xÇwá? \ átç à{tÇ~ çÉâ äxÜç Åâv{A II Abstract (in English) This dissertation aims at investigating the elements of drama in Dinka Padang oral literature. It is a sociological study that brings Dinka Padang rites of passages, initiation, and marriage, myths, legends, folktales, traditional songs, proverbs, riddles, and dirges in a literary context for appreciation of aesthetic concepts and literary criticism. For the study to achieve its objective, the researcher discerns into this oral traditions to decipher the elements of drama and to assess the dramatic structure. The study covers part of the eastern Nile Dinka, known as Dinka Padang whose territory stretches from Renk, north of Upper Nile downward to the Central Upper Nile including Ruweing and Abyei Dinka in the west of the Nile. The methodology adopted in this study has been sociological and formalist methods using first and secondary sources as well as observation in data collection. The results and findings have, so far, proved the existence of the elements of drama in Dinka Padang oral traditions though weak in dramatic structure and in some elements of drama, such as complicated plot or concrete dialogue. Hence, the researcher recommends employing these tales as plays III ﻣﺴﺘﻠﺨﺺ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ ﺗﻬﺪف هﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻟﻠﺒﺤﺚ ﻋﻦ ﻋﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺪراﻣﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻘﺎﻟﻴﺪ دﻳﻨﻜﺎ ﺑﺪاﻧﻖ اﻟﺸﻔﻮﻳﺔ _ﺣﻴﺚ ﺗﺘﻄﺮف ﺑﺈﺳﻠﻮب ﺷﻜﻠﻲ واﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻲ اﻟﻲ ﻃﻘﻮس ﻣﺎﺑﻌﺪ اﻟﻄﻔﻮﻟﺔ وﺑﻠﻮغ ﺳﻦ اﻟﺮﺷﺪ اﻟﻲ ﺟﺎﻧﺐ اﻟﻄﻘﻮس اﻟﺪﻳﻨﻴﺔ.وﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﻤﺘﻌﻠﻘﺔ ﺑﺎﻟﺰواج واﻻﺳﺎﻃﻴﺮ واﻟﺤﻜﺎﻳﺎت اﻟﺸﻌﺒﻴﺔ واﻻﻏﺎﻧﻲ اﻟﺘﻘﻠﻴﺪﻳﺔ واﻻﻣﺜﺎل اﻟﻤﺘﺪواﻟﺔ واﻻﻟﻐﺎز اﻟﻤﺨﺘﺎرة وزﻟﻚ ﻟﻠﺘﺬوق اﻟﻘﻴﻢ اﻟﺠﻤﺎﻟﻴﺔ واﻟﻨﻘﺪ اﻻدﺑﻲ . واﻟﺘﺤﻘﻴﻖ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﻓﻘﺪ ﻟﺠﺄ اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺚ ﻟﻠﺘﻤﻌﻦ ﻓﻲ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺤﻜﺎﻳﺎت واﻻﻏﺎﻧﻲ ﻟﻠﻜﺸﻒ ﻋﻤﺎ ﺗﺤﺘﻮﻳﻪ ﻣﻦ ﻣﻀﺎﻣﻴﻦ أدﺑﻴﺔ وﺻﻮﻷ ﻟﻌﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺪراﻣﺎ . وﺗﺮﺗﻜﺰ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ ﺣﻮل دﻳﻨﻜﺎ اﻟﺸﺮق اﻟﺬﻳﻦ ﺗﻤﺘﺪ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺘﻬﻢ ﻣﻦ اﻟﺮﻧﻚ ﺑﺸﻤﺎل أﻋﺎﻟﻲ اﻟﻨﻴﻞ ﻧﺰوﻻ اﻟﻲ اواﺳﻂ ﺟﻮﻧﻘﻠﻲ ﻓﻲ ﻣﻨﻄﻘﺔ دك.. وﻃﺮﻳﻘﺔ اﻟﺒﺤﺚ اﻟﺘﻲ أﺗﺨﺬت ﻓﻲ هﺬﻩ اﻟﺪراﺳﺔ هﻲ اﻟﻄﺮﻳﻘﺔ اﻟﺸﻜﻠﻴﺔ واﻻﺟﺘﻤﺎﻋﻴﺔ ﻣﻌﺘﻤﺪة ﻓﻲ ذﻟﻚ ﻋﻠﻲ اﻟﻤﺼﺎدر اﻻوﻟﻴﺔ واﻟﺜﺎﻧﻮﻳﺔ ﺑﺠﺎﻧﺐ اﻟﻤﺸﺎهﺪة ﻓﻲ ﺟﻤﻊ اﻟﻤﻌﻠﻮﻣﺎت . وﻟﻘﺪ اﺛﺒﺘﺖ اﻟﻨﺘﺎﺋﺞ واﻻﺳﺘﻨﺘﺎﺟﺎت وﺟﻮد ﻋﻨﺎﺻﺮ اﻟﺪراﻣﺎ ﻓﻲ ﺗﻘﺎﻟﻴﺪ اﻟﺸﻔﻮﻳﺔ ﻟﺪﻳﻨﻜﺎ ﺑﺪاﻧﻖ ﺑﺎﻟﺮﻏﻢ ﻣﻦ ﺿﻌﻒ ﺑﻨﻴﺎﺗﻬﺎ وذﻟﻚ ﻳﺮي اﻟﺒﺎﺣﺚ إﻣﻜﺎﻧﻴﺔ إﺳﺘﻐﻼل ﺗﻠﻚ اﻟﺤﻜﺎﻳﺎت آﻤﺴﺮﺣﻴﺎت . IV TABLE OF CONTENT Content Page Dedication I Acknowledgement II Table of Contents III Abstract IV Abstract (in Arabic) V Chapter One: Study Plan 1. Introduction 1 1.1 Statement of the Problem 2 1.2 Objectives of the Study 2 1.3 Significance of the Study 3 1.4 Questions of the Study 3 1.5 Hypotheses of the Study 3 1.6 Purpose of the Study 4 Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.0 Introduction 5 2.1 Rites of Passage and Initiation 8 2.2 Religious rites 13 2.3 Marriage Rites 22 Chapter Three: Methodology 3.0 Introduction 26 3.1 Dinka Padang Myth 26 3.2 Dinka Padang Legends 33 3.3 Dinka Padang Folktales 37 3.4 Dinka Padang Traditional Songs 60 3.4.1 Ox Songs 64 3.4.2 Initiation Songs 66 3.4.3 Age-set Insult Songs 74 3.4.4 Hymns 76 3.4.5 Folktales Songs 80 3.4.6 Women’s Songs 81 3.4.7 Children’s Songs 83 3.4.8 Dinka Proverbs 85 3.4.9 Dinka Riddles 87 3.4.10 Dinka Dirges 88 Chapter Four: 4.0 Introduction 91 4.1 Results 91 4.2 Discussion 94 Chapter Five: Summary,Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations 5.0 Introduction 97 5.1 Summary 97 5.2 Findings 97 5.3 Conclusions 101 5.4 Recommendations 102 Bibliography 103 V Chapter One: Study Plan 1.0. Introduction Like other Nilotic languages of the Sudan , Dinka language has an oral literature that deserves attention, although it is an endangered species. The danger stems from the fact that the verbal vernacular literature is left to die out without documentation of any kind. Nowadays, some few writers have attempted to shed light on Dinka folk drama using English or Arabic as a medium. In the meantime, no one tries to encourage the use of Dinka as a medium of writing, so as to preserve its seemy forgotten, oral literature. Among these writers is G.Lienhardt, on Dinka myth and religion, O’Sullivan, C.G. and B.Z. Seligman, and Audrey Butt on Dinka law, traditions and customs, and Francis Mading Deng on Dinka religion, folktales and traditionanl songs, and others.These writers have generally covered the eastern Dinka on religion and traditional administration but said very little about their folk drama. Hence, this study is wholly on the eastern Dinka known as Dinka Padang. The necessity to carry out this study has been to find out if elements of drama exist in Dinka Padang rituals, folktales, and songs, and whether such prose can be put on the stage as plays. The study has applied the descriptive method using primary and secondary sources as well as direct observation in data collection. Finally, the recommendations have been to encourage scholars to do a lot of translations in Dinka folktales to discover the hidden literary treatures. 1 1.1 Statement of the Problem The problem tackled by this study is whether there are dramatic elements in Dinka Padang rituals, folktales and songs, and if so, can this prose be made use of as plays or not. In fact, such elements of drama manifest themselves in folk drama although drama is the weakest of the major literary forms in Africa especially in plot construction, dialogue, characterization, and dramatic structure, as the case with Dinka Padang tales. In these tales, themes reveal harsh realities of life in which dignity and righteousness merge with human vices, while other themes deal with the myth of creation and the occurrences of the past events. The attribution of human traits to certain animals in these stories is, also, indicative of the use of impersonation, among other literary techniques employed in the songs such as imagery, ridicule and similes. By discovering hidden dramatic elements in Dinka Padang rituals, dramatists will be able to make use of these stories on the stage. 1.2 Objectives of the study The primary objective of this study is to bring to the surface the essential elements of drama that exist in Dinka Padang oral rituals, and what can be their contribution to drama. These objectives are as follow: 1. To demonstrate the aesthetic values in Dinka Padang rituals. 2. To shed light on the seemingly forgotten rituals. 3. To highlight the dramatic features of Dinka Padang rituals. 4. To enable the young generation get acquainted with their ancestors’rites. 5. To provide the general reader with this prose for literary appreciation and criticism. 1.3 Significance of the Study The significane of this study can be drawn as follows: 2 1. To enrich the national reservior of drama with such folk drama that can be made into plays. 2. To highlight the traditional oral rituals, tales, and songs so as to discover the hidden literary resources that may deserve attention. 3. To preserve these already fading oral rituals from extinction. 4. To give room for literary appreciation and criticism of such folk drama. 1.4 Questions of the Study This study has set the following questions to investigate the above-mentioned problem. 1. Do Dinka Padang rituals demonstrate the elements of drama? 2. How do Dinka Padang rituals, folk tales, and songs conform to the elements, and structure of drama? 3. What themes are imbeded in the tales, songs and rituals? 4. In what way can such prose be a contribution to drama? 5. Are there any previous studies dealing with Dinka dramatic rituals? 1.5 Hypotheses of the Study The main hypothesis of this study is that although drama is structurally weak in Dinka Padang prose, it still incorporates the elements of drama. The following assumptions give answers to the previous questions: 1. In most Dinka Padang tales there are harsh realities of life in which dignity and righteousness merge with human sins, therefore, the Dinka create a world of cosmic totality whereby human beings, animals, and objects ineract and perform deeds alien to their nature. 2. In fusing fantasy with reality, the darkness of the night in which strories are told provides a setting. 3 3. Dialogue is virtually absent, since it is essentually an individualizing device, with the tales being told in the third person. 4. The fantasy, found in these tales, overlooks the incoherence encountered since the latter bolsters their fabric of rationality, and is accepted as the Dinka want to entertain themselves with these made upstories to enhance cultural mores. 1.6 Purpose of the Study This study has the following purposes: 1. To introduce dramatists to Dinka Padang rituals and if possible to make these stories into plays. 2. To guage the aesthetic values of Dinka Padang oral literature. 3. To contribute to better understanding and appreciation of Dinka Padang values. 4 Chapter Two: Literature Review 2.0 Introduction This chapter gives the literature review and investigates the theoretical background of such terms as ritual and drama, as well as the background of Dinka Padang, their rites of passage, initiation, religion, and marriage.