#acholi

[rec. David FANSHAWE]

"Africa : Ceremonial & folk Music"

(LP. Nonesuch. 1975) [UG/KE/TZ]

Frequent reductions in Acholi.

The Jok [Acholi mythology; Ugandan mythology]

The Acholi people (a Luo nation) live in and around Uganda. Their traditional belief and healing systems revolve around the Jok, an incorporeal type of spirits. These beings can cause illness in humans, and when a person falls ill, the ajakwa (shamans or healers) try to identify the Jok and appease it with ceremonies or offerings. If you are possessed by a Jok, and the shamans failed to please the spirit, you can choose to undergo a set of rituals and ceremonies. If you succeed, you can control the spirit and become a new ajakwa.

Not all Jok are evil, but all of them are at the command of the supreme deity, who is also called Jok (the Alur people refer to this god as Jok Odudu). According to the Acholi creation myth, this deity created the world and all life on it. From the union of Jok and earth, man was born, and Jok wished for humans to be immortal and gave them the fruits of the mythical tree of life. And so, Jok waited in heaven (obviously not the Christian heaven, but a somewhat similar concept in that this ‘heaven’ is a place of bliss where one can live eternally), as the humans were invited to go there and eat the fruit of life.

But the humans wished to remain on Earth, for the world was beautiful and life was good. At this, Jok became angry, so he took the fruits of life and gave them to his other creations: the sun, the moon and the stars in the sky, and that is why they are eternal.

So when humans finally arrived in heaven, they were met with disappointment, for there were no more fruits left, and humanity remained mortal.

Otim Alpha introduced me to a mzee Wonton in naguru, who taught him how to play acholi instruments.

Gang Ber Ki Dako - Otim Alpha