A Personal Life

The Anyuak – Living on Earth in the Sky This monograph on the history and culture of the Anyuak is the result of more than five years of fieldwork (1976–1983). It is a well-documented, detailed and passionate description of an African peoples spiritual and material world, their culture and history. Myths, oral traditions, stories, maps, genealogies, records and a great number of photographs invite the reader to join in the journey through the universe of the Anyuak in order to make own discoveries or simply enjoy the spiritual adventure. The Anyuak live on both sides of the border between South Sudan and Southwestern Ethiopia. They are relatives of the better known Shilluk, Dinka and Nuer, but have turned from cattle owners into fervent agriculturalists. The Anyuak are a highly intellectual, strong-minded, well-organised people who have created, in the middle of so-called wilderness, a centre of humanity. If their socio-political system is of a particular interest, their philosophy is equally fascinating: it centres on the human person and governs his or her relationship not only within human society but also with animals, earthly matters and spiritual forces. Thanks to their stubborn, almost desperate belief in the essential goodness of existence and the positive forces of life, the Anyuak have – in spite of all pressures from outside – up to now succeeded in preserving their cultural identity and have maintained their pride of being pure human beings. While the first two volumes of the monograph describe the strained relationship between the humans and the spiritual forces residing in the sphere of the above – the sky (Volume I) or the below – the earth (Volume II), the next two volumes focus on the Human Person who has an extremely difficult stand between the two spheres of existence and can only survive because of his or her self-consciousness of being neither a purely spiritual being nor an animal. The Human Being is first described as an anonymous entity which worries about its human identity and takes great care of its physical appearance (Volume III), and then (in Volume IV) as an individual person who passes through all the different stages of human existence from birth to death up to eternal life. As music and songs are of an existential significance during an Anyuaks entire lifetime, it is important to allow the reader to witness the physical sensations and spiritual forces which protect and carry an Anyuak on his or her journey from childhood up to old age and death. The recordings included here in Volume IV come in support of the readers desire not only to learn about the Anyuak but to feel their presence in a physical, sensual and poetic manner. The Anyuak – Living on Earth in the Sky Diese Monographie über die Geschichte und Kultur der Anyuak in acht Bänden ist das Ergebnis von über fünf Jahren Feldarbeit während der Jahre 1976 bis 1983. Es handelt sich um eine gutdokumentierte, umfassende und engagierte Beschreibung eines afrikanischen Volkes: die spirituelle und materielle Welt der Anyuak. Fabeln, mündliche Erzählungen, Geschichten, Karten, Genealogien, Aufnahmen und zahlreiche Fotos laden die Leser zu einer Entdeckungsreise in das Universum der Anyuak ein. Der Lebensraum der Anyuak befindet sich auf beiden Seiten der Grenze zwischen dem Südsudan und Südwestäthiopien. Die Anyuak sind verwandt mit den bekannteren Shilluk, Dinka und Nuer, haben sich aber von reinen Viehbesitzern zu überzeugten Bauern gewandelt. Ausserdem sind sie ein äusserst kluges, willensstarkes und gutorganisiertes Volk, dem es gelungen ist – inmitten der sogenannten Wildnis –, einen Ort der Humanität zu schaffen. Genauso wie ihr soziopolitisches System von besonderem Interesse ist, so ist auch ihre Philosophie faszinierend: Sie gründet auf den Menschen und ihren Beziehungen, und zwar nicht nur untereinander, sondern ebenso zu Tieren, zur Umwelt und zu geistigen Kräften. Dank ihres starken, beinahe verzweifelten Glaubens an das essentiell Gute des Daseins und die positiven Kräfte des Lebens ist es den Anyuak – allen äusseren Widrigkeiten zum Trotz – bis jetzt gelungen, sich ihre kulturelle Identität und ihren Stolz, «reine Menschen» zu sein, zu bewahren. Während die beiden ersten Bände der Monographie die komplexen Beziehungen zwischen den Menschen und den spirituellen Kräften, nämlich denen des Himmels (Band I) und der Erde (Band II), beschreiben, legen die beiden nächsten Bände ihren Schwerpunkt auf die Menschen. Diese haben einen äusserst schwierigen Stand zwischen den beiden Sphären des Daseins und können nur wegen ihres Selbstbewusstseins, weder rein geistige Wesen noch Tier zu sein, überleben. Der Mensch ist in Band III als anonyme Einheit beschrieben worden, der sich um seine Identität sorgt und sich sorgfältig um seine physische Erscheinung kümmert. Im vorliegenden Band IV steht nun die eigene Persönlichkeit im Mittelpunkt, die all die verschiedenen Stadien der menschlichen Existenz «von der Geburt über den Tod bis zum ewigen Leben» durchlebt. Da Musik und Lieder von existentieller Bedeutung während des gesamten Lebens der Anyuak sind, ist es wichtig, für die Leser diese physischen Empfindungen und spirituellen Kräfte erlebbar zu machen, die die Anyuak auf ihre Reise von der Kindheit bis ins hohe Alter und den Tod begleiten und beschützen. Die Musikaufnahmen, die dem Band IV beiliegen, sind einzigartige Tondokumente. Sie sollen dem Wunsch der Leser entgegenkommen, nicht nur etwas über die Anyuak lernen, sondern die Präsenz der Anyuak auch in einer sinnlichen und poetischen Art und Weise erfahren zu können. This monograph on the history and culture of the Anyuak is the result of more than five years of fieldwork (1976–1983). It is a well-documented, detailed and passionate description of an African people’s spiritual and material world, their culture and history. Myths, oral traditions, stories, maps, genealogies, records and a great number of photographs invite the reader to join in the journey through the universe of the Anyuak in order to make own discoveries or simply enjoy the spiritual adventure. The Anyuak live on both sides of the border between South Sudan and Southwestern Ethiopia. They are relatives of the better known Shilluk, Dinka and Nuer, but have turned from cattle owners into fervent agriculturalists. The Anyuak are a highly intellectual, strong-minded, well-organised people who have created, in the middle of so-called wilderness, a centre of humanity. If their socio-political system is of a particular interest, their philosophy is equally fascinating: it centres on the human person and governs his or her relationship not only within human society but also with animals, earthly matters and spiritual forces. Thanks to their stubborn, almost desperate belief in the essential goodness of existence and the positive forces of life, the Anyuak have – in spite of all pressures from outside – up to now succeeded in preserving their cultural identity and have maintained their pride of being “pure human beings”. While the first two volumes of the monograph describe the strained relationship between the humans and the spiritual forces residing in the sphere of the above – the sky (Volume I) or the below – the earth (Volume II), the next two volumes focus on the Human Person who has an extremely difficult stand between the two spheres of existence and can only survive because of his or her self-consciousness of being neither a purely spiritual being nor an animal. The Human Being is first described as an anonymous entity which worries about its human identity and takes great care of its physical appearance (Volume III), and then (in Volume IV) as an individual person who passes through all the different stages of human existence “from birth to death up to eternal life”. As music and songs are of an existential significance during an Anyuak’s entire lifetime, it is important to allow the reader to witness the physical sensations and spiritual forces which protect and carry an Anyuak on his or her journey from childhood up to old age and death. The recordings included here in Volume IV come in support of the reader’s desire not only to learn about the Anyuak but to feel their presence in a physical, sensual and poetic manner.