Deng (god)
| Deng | |
|---|---|
Sky, rain, fertility | |
| Affiliation | Nhialic |
| Ethnic group | Dinka |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
Deng, also known as Denka, Deng-dit, Diing, and Dinga-dit, is a sky, rain, and fertility god in Dinka mythology for the Dinka people of Sudan and South Sudan. He is the son of the goddess Abuk,[1][2][3][4] who is considered the first woman to fertilize the land and provide nourishment for the people.[5] Deng holds dominion over the production of food on Earth, and some myths refer to him as the ancestor of the Dinka.[4]
Among the Nuer, Deng is considered to be "a foreign deity" and "a bringer of disease". His daughter is the moon goddess. In Dinka religion, he is a storm and fertility god bringing lightning, rain, and thunder.[1][2] The word deng means "rain" in Thuɔŋjäŋ.[1]
Among his followers, Deng is regarded as the intermediary between humans and the supreme being. The spirit and modern world cannot be separated, as they are connected to Deng. He is closely linked with the supreme god Nhialic, and in some areas of Dinka country, Deng and Nhialic are "regarded as one and the same".[3]
He was an important sky god, to some clans an ancestor and creator god of the Dinka people, and he manifested himself in the fertilizing water that fell from the heavens.[1]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Andrews, Tamra, Dictionary of Nature Myths: Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky, Oxford University Press (2000), p. 55, ISBN 9780195136777 (retrieved 17 May 2018)
- 1 2 Jordan, Michael, Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses, Infobase Publishing (2014), p.74, ISBN 9781438109855 (retrieved 17 May 2018)
- 1 2 Lynch, Patricia Ann, African Mythology A to Z, Infobase Publishing (2004), p. 29, ISBN 9781438119885 (retrieved 17 May 2018)
- 1 2 Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia A. (2000). Encyclopedia of ancient deities. Jefferson, N.C. London: McFarland. p. 146. ISBN 978-0-7864-0317-2.
- ↑ Spearritt, Gordon D. (2014-07-01). "Abuk waak". Grove Music Online (8th ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.l2261071. ISBN 978-1-56159-263-0. (subscription, Wikilibrary access, or UK public library membership required)