Magazines - Tribal Art Autumn 2009

By Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher

Introduction
We made our first journey into the Sudd, the world’s largest swampland, in the late 1970s, to photograph the Dinka people during their dry season cattle camps alongside the River Nile. Little was known about the Dinka then. Their traditions had remained unchanged for centuries, untouched by outside influences, partly because the camps were so remote and could be accessed only when the annual floodwaters receded from the 11,000 square miles of the Nile’s flood plain. The few intrepid Westerners who visited the Dinka lands described the people as “gentle” or “ghostly giants,” the latter because the men stand as much as seven-and-a-half feet tall, their naked bodies daubed in white ash. They were said to be an egalitarian people with highly developed codes of behavior, practicing justice, respect, and dignity for all, even their enemies during times of war.
Our journey was arduous, trekking without roads or maps through swamp and elephant grass that towered above us. When we finally found a Dinka camp in a clearing in the tall grass, we encountered herdsmen who were tall, ash-covered, and imposing, all carrying spears. Both men and women were naked, adorned only with spectacular beaded bodices and corsets of intricate design. The Dinka were surprised to see us, many having never encountered white people before, but we were given a place at their fireside and felt enveloped by the harmony and joy of the cattle camps. The atmosphere at that time was celebratory, with young people meeting and courting for marriage.