The Road between Heaven and Earth

The Road between Heaven and Earth

The Road between Heaven and Earth

Read this story

A long time ago, the Murle said that when the world could talk, people had a link between heaven and earth and could easily travel from earth to heaven using a string that connected the two. If someone wanted to go to heaven, he or she could easily go and return back to earth. And when somebody wanted to come from heaven to visit earth, he or she could come and go back depending on his or her needs.

This string was very good and important for the communication at that time. One day, a woman wanted to go to heaven while carrying her grinding stone. On her way to heaven, she accidentally let the stone fall out of her hands, and the stone fell down cutting the string that was used to reach heaven.

Since then the communication and the travel that existed between heaven and earth came to an end. People could no longer travel from heaven to earth and from earth to heaven. This is why we currently have no connection between heaven and earth.

Reflections:

1) Can you identify similarities between this story and other creation stories?

2) What is the significance of the woman carrying the grinding stone to heaven? Why was it not a man?

 

 Storytelling Session Details 

A Version of a well-known folktale
Community: Murle
 Story Researcher: Docklace Api
 Place: Pibor
 Date: 2015
 

Explore the full archive

The Story of Fox and the Animals in the Party

The Story of Fox and the Animals in the Party

The Story of Fox and the Animals in the Party

Listen to the StorytellerRead the story

Once upon a time, Fox organised to kill White-eared Kob
because White-eared Kob killed his mother, and so Fox thought it necessary to take revenge.

Once upon a time, Fox organised to kill White-eared Kob because White-eared Kob killed his mother, and so Fox thought it necessary to take revenge. But he could not do it by himself because White-eared Kob was bigger than him. So instead he had to find another means to kill White-eared Kob.

Fox asked the animals to gather for a special meeting. After all the animals had gathered, he told the gathering that the next day they were going to have a very big traditional dance competition and everyone must participate. All were happy and they went back to their homes to prepare for the competition.

The following morning all the animals came for the competition and everyone was dressed in his or her own traditional mode. Fox was the organizer for the competition and he addressed the gathering at the commencement of the competition. He arranged them all and the first to start was the White-eared Kob and the frog.

There was a point where everyone was to reach in order to qualify as a winner, but in truth the distance was so long that any animal who tried to arrive at that point would either die, or could not even reach the point at all. Fox just did this because his plan was to kill White-eared Kob.

 

In his arrangement he organized many frogs along the line where their colleague was to run and when the competition kicked off each frog was to appear up ahead in front of White-eared Kob as if it were the same frog, all the way to the end until the last one appeared as a winner.

On the way the White-eared Kob was always some distance behind frog. All the other animals were clapping and whistling to see who was to be the first. White-eared Kob tried and tried but finally he fell down unconscious and died. The plan was fulfilled and the frog became the first winner.

Reflections:

1) The story presents revenge as normal and necessary. Is it? Why or why not?
2) How does the setting of the dance competition affect your understanding of Fox’s plans?
2) What alternatives were available to Fox?

Folktales Collected in Renk

Folktales Collected in Pibor

Folktales Collected in Bentiu

Folktales Collected in UNMISS PoC site, Juba

The Story of a Woman who is Rejected by her Husband

The Story of a Woman who is Rejected by her Husband

The Story of a Woman who is Rejected by her Husband

Read this storyListen to Na'eesh Mabadh

Once upon a time, there was a man who had three wives. The man was very rich and could not think of anything else apart from his wealth. The third wife had two children and, since she was the last wife of the man, she was expected to do anything that was necessary in the whole family.

The woman was very busy to the extent that the work became too much for her, and sometimes she decided to dodge. When this happened she was hated by the other ladies and the husband. She was termed to be the lazy woman. The husband decided to deprive her, and even hated her and the children.

One day the man decided to chase her away from the family; the woman took with her all her belongings and the children, and decided to go and look for a place where she could live with her two children in peace. She went and stayed where there was nobody, deep in the forest. She stayed there for some good years until her children grew up.

In the forest there were many wild animals, but from the very first day, every morning she would find a dead animal outside her tukul which the woman built. She did not know exactly who brought the animals, but one day a lion came to her and told her, “Do you know who usually brings to you the meat that you eat with your family?”

“No,” the woman said.

The lion told her, “It is me, Mawu, who feeds you and now I am telling you this as a secret. I will give you all that you need in life and you will be a happy woman”. The lion told her, “Every time you see a dead animal lying on the left-hand side, that is mine; and if you find it lying on the right-hand side, that is yours”.

 

I will give you all you need in life, and you will be a happy woman.

 

The lion continued feeding the woman and her children and one day told the woman, “Today in the evening, you climb a tree and look to the east and if you see the smoke of fire, do not panic, that is me coming with animals.”

The woman did as the lion said and surely she saw the smoke. The second time she climbed the tree she saw the smoke, and the smoke was getting closer and closer. From a distance she saw animals in white and black. She now began to doubt, and wondered to herself ‘What were these strange kinds of animals?

 

To her surprise she realised they were cows and she watched them as they were coming. The cows came and lay down in her compound. The lady quietly gathered some grass and made a fire. The cows did not go anywhere and no one came after her. She prayed to God because God had heard her prayers and had helped her through Lion. She believed that God used the lion to do all these acts of kindness and solve her problem.

After some days, the lady became happy and she told her children, “Now it is time for us to go back to our people,” and they went with their cows.

Back at her husband’s home, the other ladies had rebelled against the husband. They all left to their homes of origin and the man was left alone.

The lady and the children travelled for many days, and as they moved, some young men from their own village saw the cows from the distance. They went back and reported this to the elders and all young men planned to go and loot the cows. But one of the elders told them, “Wait, we should not attack them, the owner might be seeking refuge and we should let them come and stay peacefully.”

The lady came and settled with her children and cows under a very big tree. The elders talked among themselves and finally they sent a group  to go and find out who the newcomers were, and where were they coming from. The group went and from a distance they recognised the woman as a wife of Guzul, the one who disappeared a long time ago. They rushed and greeted her warmly and some of them went back and told the others that the wife of Guzul had come back with very many cows and her children had grown into young men.

Mr. Guzul was called to come and see his wife. Guzul was happy and knelt down before his wife and children and asked the wife to forgive him. He also asked the elders and the whole community to forgive him. The woman forgave him and went with him to their former home. She asked the whereabouts of the others ladies whom the husband loved most and he explained how they had left him. Guzul stayed with his wife and the two children happily and enjoyed the wealth his wife had brought. They became the richest family in the community.

Reflections

1) What does this story teach us about how women should behave?
2) What do you think the woman learns during her time in the wilderness? What do you think her husband learns?

Folktales Collected in Renk

Folktales Collected in Pibor

Folktales Collected in Bentiu

Folktales Collected in UNMISS PoC site, Juba

The Story of a Woman who is Rejected by her Husband

by Na'eesh Mabadh Team | Na'eesh Mabadh Radio Programme

Enjoyed The Story of a Woman who is Rejected by her Husband? Listen to the Na’eesh Mabadh adaptation of this folktale for radio.

Na’eesh Mabadh is a peacebuilding project inspired by South Sudanese folktales.
Learn more about this project on the Na’eesh Mabadh page.


The Story of Chicken and Elephant

The Story of Chicken and Elephant

The Story of Chicken and Elephant

Read this storyListen to Na'eesh Mabadh

Once upon a time, Elephant and Chicken were friends. One day they sat together and discussed about their differences. Elephant said that he is the best and the biggest animal in the whole forest. He is the best because he is very strong, big, and can do things that other animals cannot do.

Chicken told Elephant, “You are right, but being big and strong does not qualify you to be the best in the whole forest. We are all created in different ways but still, we are living things, and what all living things are doing is the same. You have forelegs to support you like I have wings to support me. We both eat and drink so I don’t see any difference that you are talking about.”

We are all created in different ways but still, we are living things

Elephant told Chicken that, “Though we both eat and drink, I still have the quality of being the strongest. What I am eating is even bigger than what you eat; and the water I am drinking is more than what anyone does. So no one can compete with me.”

Chicken told Elephant, “My friend, I myself can compete with you. What I eat and drink is more than you do.”

The argument continued and, as they were discussing, Mr. Hare appeared and asked them what the argument was all about.

Each of them explained and finally Hare told them, “There is no need to talk and talk. Come, and let us do it practically.”

They all agreed and Hare told them, “I will be the judge and I have to see who will be the winner. So now you can start by eating and then later drinking.”

So Elephant and Chicken started eating anything that was there and Hare stood by and watched them.

Elephant, within some hours, became satisfied but Chicken continued. Elephant and Hare were watching him eating, waiting for him to be satisfied, but all in vain. Chicken continued until the darkness covered everywhere. Hare feared to tell Elephant that the winner was Chicken and so he decided to escape slowly.

Chicken started croaking and when Elephant heard it, he could not wait anymore; he immediately ran away.

Up to now, when Elephant hears Chicken croaking, he does not wait because he reminds himself of the past incident. So Elephant cannot stand to hear Chicken croaking, once this happens, he has to run away as fast as his legs can carry him.

Up to now, if the Murle of Boma want to go for hunting, they have to take with them a cock to scare the elephants since there are very many elephants in the Boma forest.

Reflections:
1) What does this story tell you about about ‘greatness’?

Folktales Collected in Renk

Folktales Collected in Pibor

Folktales Collected in Bentiu

Folktales Collected in UNMISS PoC site, Juba

The Story of Chicken and Elephant

by Na'eesh Mabadh Team | Na'eesh Mabadh Radio Programme

Enjoyed The Story of Chicken and Elephant? Listen to the Na’eesh Mabadh adaptation of this folktale for radio.

Na’eesh Mabadh is a peacebuilding project inspired by South Sudanese folktales.
Learn more about this project on the Na’eesh Mabadh page.


The Story of the Young Man and the Skull

The Story of the Young Man and the Skull

A Story of the Young Man and the Skull

Read this storyListen to Na'eesh Mabadh

A long time ago there was a young man who kept cattle. One day he took his cows for grazing and on his way to the grazing field he found a skull that looked very beautiful. He stood and watched it for a while and said, “Oh my God, but why are you killing such beautiful people?” He then continued with his grazing.

The next day he also came and repeated his question. Suddenly, as he was about to move on, he heard the skull reply, “Oh my dear, I died because of lies!” The man was surprised and dashed away immediately as if he heard nothing.

On the third day, he used the same route and, as he had done on the first day, he asked his question. The skull responded as it had done on the second day.

Oh my dear, I died because of lies!

The man ran home and told the story to the chief and the soldiers. Nobody believed him, but the young man insisted, telling them that it was true. He told them, “If you think it is a lie, come with me and witness for yourselves!”

The chief asked him, “What if it proves to be false? What do you want us to do to you?”

The man replied boldly, “You have to kill me!”

The chief ordered his soldiers to follow, and to do as he had agreed with the young man.

The soldiers went with the young man, and when they reached the place of the skull he said, “Here is the skull and now let me talk as I did in the previous days.” So he talked to the skull and the skull did not reply.

The soldiers told him, “Look young man, you have lied to our chief and now we are going to kill you as you have said we should.” So the soldiers killed him.

As they were about to go back to the village they suddenly heard a voice saying, “This is what I told you young man, and now you have also died as I died.

The soldiers murmured to themselves and decided not to go and tell the king what had happened. They too feared what would happen to them if they told the chief the truth, and so they only told him, “The man has lied to all of us! and we have killed him as you agreed and told us to do.”

Reflections:

1) Do you think that the truth will always come out/prevail? Does that give you hope or make you afraid?
2) What matters most in this story, truth or power? What should matter most in the world, truth or power?

Folktales Collected in Renk

Folktales Collected in Pibor

Folktales Collected in Bentiu

Folktales Collected in UNMISS PoC site, Juba

The Story of the Young Man and the Skull

by Na'eesh Mabadh Team | Na'eesh Mabadh Radio Programme

Enjoyed The Story of the Young Man and the Skull? Listen to the Na’eesh Mabadh adaptation of this story for radio.

Na’eesh Mabadh is a peacebuilding project inspired by South Sudanese folktales.
Learn more about this project on the Na’eesh Mabadh page.