Kings of Disaster

Simon Simonse

Description

This is the long awaited, revised and illustrated edition of Kings of Disaster, the study of the Rainmakers of the Nilotic Sudan that is in many ways a breakthrough in anthropological thinking on African political systems. Taking his inspiration from René Girard’s theory of consensual scapegoating, the author shows that the longstanding distinction of states and stateless societies as two fundamentally different political types does not hold. Centralized and segmentary systems only differ in the relative emphasis put on the victim role of the king as compared with that of enemy. Kings of Disaster thus proposes an uninvolved solution to the vexed problem of regicide.

PART I: The Problem and the Setting

PART II: Dualism: Generating Consensus from the Suspense of War

PART III: Centralism: The King as Aggressor of the People

PART IV: The Scapegoat King: The People as Aggressor of their King

Sujets

• Culture
• Régicide
• Social
• Sudan
• World
• Anthropology
• Social sciences
• Ethnic studies
• Rainmaker
• African people
• African Anthropologist
• Sociologie, société et politique
• POLITICAL SCIENCE
• African
• Social Science
• African Studies

Informations

• Publié par: Fountain Publishers
• Date de parution: 26 septembre 2017
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789970259465
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 56 Mo

Extrait

Kîngs o Dîsaster Duaîsm, Centraîsm and te Scapegoat Kîng

în Souteastern Sudan

Sîmon Sîmonse

fountainpublishers www.fountainpublishers.co.ug

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Disribued in Europe and Commonweal counries ouside Africa by: African Books Collecive Ld, P.O. Box 721, Oxford OX1 9EN, UK. Tel/Fax: [phone] E-mail: orders@africanbookscollecive.com Websie: www.africanbookscollecive.com

Revised, illusraed Ediion ©Simon Simonse 2017 Firs publised in 1992, as Volume 5 in e series Sudies in Human Sociey, by E.J Brill, Leiden, e Neerlands.

All rigs reserved. No par of is publicaion may be reproduced, sored in a rerieval sysem, or ransmited in any form or by any means, elecronic, mecanical, poocopying, recording or oerwise, wiou prior writen permission from e publisers.

Caaloguing-in Publicaion-Daa Simonse, Simon Kings of Disaster:Dualism, Cenralism, and e Scapegoa King in Soueasern Sudan / by Simon Simonse Includes bibliograpical references and index

ISBN: 978-9970-25-897-0 (Paper back)

ISBN: 978-9970-25-946-5 (ebook)

1. Poliical anropology —Sou Sudan. 2. Sou Sudan—Kings and rulers— Case sudies. 3. Scapegoa— Case sudies. I. Tile. II. Series.

his book as been publised wi suppor of e IMITATIO FOUNDATION www.imiaio.org

Dedîcated to my ater and Eîas

îîî

«We must reaîze tat war îs bondîng, and tat order sprîngs rom conLîct, and tat a tat comes înto beîng, does so antagonîstîcay and out o necessîty.»

désastrer

1 Heracîtus,Fragments, DîesKranz, No.80.

ï. pacer sous ’înLuence d’un astre déavorabe ïï. préserver d

e ’înLuence des astres Edmond Huguet, 2 Dîctîonnaîre de a angue rançaîse du seîzîème sîèce.

« Supported by te pages, te kîng was sowy ascendîng te staîrway o te centra tower. he staîrs were îned by te vassas, one standîng on eac step. Eac one ed îs drawn sword în ront o îm te ande turned towards te sovereîgn and te poînt restîng on te vassa’s troat as î tey were împatîent to be saugtered. But te kîng dîd not even ook at tem…» Camara aye,he Radîance o te Kîng, p. 32.

«…we must say tatpower îs sometîng tat îs excanged. Not în te economîca sense, but în te sense tat power îs executed accordîng to a reversîbe cyce o seductîon, caenge, and ruse (neîter axîs, nor îndeInîte reay, but a cyce).» «here was a tîme wen power aowed îtse to be sacrîIced accordîng to te rues o tîs symboîc game rom wîc ît cannot escape, a tîme wen power possessed te epemera and morta quaîty o wat ad to be sacrîIced. Ever sînce, ît as sougt to escape tat rue, or as ceased beîng a symboîc power în order to become a poîtîca power and a strategy o socîa domînatîon.» Jean Baudrîard,Forget Foucaut,pp. 52, 61.

«As e [te Raînmaker] was preparîn’ îs potîon te earts were Ied wît ove And every eye was Ixed on tose coudess skîes above. Hour ater our — but no raîn came down And tey caugt te od raînmaker — just as e was eavîn’ town. Yea, tey ung te raînmaker beneat te dead oak tree; As e crîed and e peaded, “Just waît! Waît — and you’re gonna see!”

hîngs în od Dry Guc aven’t been te same. Wen tey ung te raînmaker, tey waked ome în te raîn. Wen tey ung te raînmaker, tey waked ome în te raîn.» Hank Wîîams Jr., “he Raînmaker”, rom te AbumBaads o te Hîs and Paîns

v

Notes on te ront cover and te cîtatîons:

Front cover: he scene o te men spearîng te tree evokes te rîtua o sîmuated regîcîde perormed durîng a drougt crîsîs wen ît îs not possîbe to put te bame on te kîng or anoter îndîvîdua member o te raîn can. he tree, în tîs case, îs te totem o te roya can (see pp. 376 – 380). Fîrst cîtatîon: hîs ragment o te pîosopy o Heracîtus o Epesus (540 – 480 BC), was preserved în a treatîse o Orîgen wrîtten în deence o te trut caîms o Crîstîanîty agaînst a crîtîca pampet wrîtten by te Greek pîosoper Kesos (AD 248). he Greek text reads:  εἰδέναι δὲ χρὴ τὸν πόλεμον ἐόντα ξυνόν, καὶ δίκην ἔριν  καὶ γινόμενα πάντα κατ’ ἔριν καὶ χρεών ïn transatîngξυνόν(ksunon) asbondîng, ï oowed Frans Casîmîrî’s Dutc transatîon o ξυνόνas ‘verbîndend’(ttps://n.wîkîbooks.org/wîkî/Heracîtus_over_de_natuur). hîs transatîon endorses Heracîtus’ reported dîsapprova o Acîes’ otcîted excamatîon at te news o îs best rîend’s deat: “May dîscord be banîsed rom among gods and men!” (FragmentsDK A22; Homer,ïîad, Book 18: 107). Postuatîng an întîmate înk between conLîct and concord îs în îne wît Heracîtus’Doctrîne o te Unîty o Opposîtes. ïn te transatîon oδίκη(dîkè) ï opt or te meanîng o te term în Heracîtus’ days wenδίκηreerred to beavîour tat was ‘în accordance wît te exîstîng order o tîngs’ (uscnîg & Mîtce, 2007:35–36). ïn te Heenîstîc perîodδίκηbecame te equîvaent o atînjustîtîa‘justîce’,te term adopted by most transators o te Fragment. For Heracîtusδίκηdîd not ave te mora and ega împîcatîons o our concept o justîce.

Wît respect toἔρις(erîs), ï capîtaîse on te u meanîng o te word wîc ranges rom a state o conLîct, (‘Igt, batte, contest, rîvary’) to te încînatîon to cause conLîct (‘încîtement, eagerness, zea, passîon, anger’) (Vapy, 1860:49 – 50). ïn îsWorks and DaysHesîod (ca. 800 BC) wo was an unavoîdabe reerence or Heracîtus, understood ἔριςas a compusîon tat îs at te same tîme destructîve în tat ît eads to conLîct and constructîve as ît yîeds prosperîty troug envîous emuatîon (Hesîod,Works and Days, înes 11 – 24) .

ïn brîngîng ‘passîon’, ‘rîvary’ and ‘emuatîon’ togeter în one concept, Hesîod’sἔρις preIgures René Gîrard’s centra concept omîmesîs. Second cîtatîon: he Engîs worddîsasterîs derîved rom te seventeent century Frenc worddésastre, wîc îs composed o te Greek preIxδύσ(dys) ‘unavourabe’ andἂστηρ (astèr) ‘star’. Seventeent century Frenc ad a verb correspondîng to tîs noun:désastrer wîc, accordîng to Huguet’s dîctîonary ad two meanîngs:  ï: to pace under te înLuence o an unavourabe star  ïï: to protect rom te unavourabe înLuence o stars. he obsoete Frenc verb ofers an adequate summary o te doube roe o te kîngs tat are te subject o tîs book. vî

Contents

Modes, Dîagrams and Tabes ............................................................................................. îx Narratîves rom Varîous Sources Servîng as Case Hîstorîes ..................................................... x Foreword by Mark Anspac..............................................................................................xîîî Acknowedgments to te Fîrst Edîtîon.............................................................................. xvîîî ïNTRODUCTïON .................................................................................................... 3 PART ï: he Probem and te Settîng.................................................................... 11 1. he Kîng: Focus o Suspense, ever o Consensus and ïnventor o te State ..13 2. Etnoogîca Connectîons Between te Nîe and te Kîdepo .........................47 3. Modes o Subsîstence and Socîa Organîsatîon...............................................71 4. he Passîng o te Gamour: he Barî............................................................93 5. he Twîn Kîngdoms: he otuo ................................................................125 6. he Bugbear o te Admînîstratîon: he Parî, okoya, and uubo..............139 PART ïï: Duaîsm: Generatîng Consensus rom te Suspense o War.......................159 7. he Duaîst Structure o Terrîtorîa Organîsatîon.........................................161 8. he Duaîst Structure o Agecass Organîsatîon ..........................................183 PART ïïï: Centraîsm: he Kîng as Aggressor o te Peope ................................... 205 9. he Kîng as Enemy o îs Peope .................................................................207 10. he Kîng as UnîIer o te Peope.................................................................229 11. Tîppîng te Baance o Power rom te Peope to te Kîng ..........................247 12. Boundarîes în te Sky: he Terrîtorîa Dîmensîon o Kîngsîp ....................265 13. he Fîngers o God: he Cosmoogîca Dîmensîon o Kîngsîp...................281 14. Raîn Queens and Raînstones: Symbos o te Centre...................................301 15. he Spear and te Bead: he Fragîîty o Kîngsîp.......................................325 PART ïV: he Scapegoat Kîng: he Peope as Aggressor o teîr Kîng................... 341 16. he Kîng as Vîctîm în Suspense ...................................................................343 17. he Kîng as Vîctîm......................................................................................369 18. “Catcîng îe în te Spe o Deat”: he Rîtuaîsatîon o te Kîng’s Vîctîmood .................................................................................................399 19. he Metaboîsm o Vîoence and Order: he Kîng’s Stomac at Work.........423 CONCLUSïON...................................................................................................... 449 Appendîx ï: Cronoogy o Key Events .............................................................................459 Appendîx ïï: Lînguîstîc aInîty between te etnîc groups igurîng în te text .....................462 Arcîva Sources .............................................................................................................464 Pubîsed Tîtes and heses..............................................................................................468 Map o te Peopes o Sout Sudan ..................................................................................497 Map o East Bank Equatorîa...........................................................................................498 Name ïndex o te Kîngs, Queens, Masters and Oter Overords Fîgurîng în te Dramas o tîs Study ...................................................................................................................499 Genera ïndex.................................................................................................................508 vîî

Modes, Dîagrams and Tabes

A.he scapegoat mecanîsm ................................................................................ 14 B.Fundamenta orderîng prîncîpes derîvîng rom te scapegoat mecanîsm ....... 16 C.he enemy scenarîo.......................................................................................... 18 D.Compementary segmentary opposîtîon ........................................................... 22 E................................... 29Frazer’s temes tat connect kîngsîp and scapegoatîng F.he scapegoat mode as a construct întegratîng Frazer’s concepts o te magîcaanddîvîne kîng,tescapegoatand tedyîng godas moments în a sînge transormatîona sequence................................................................................ 29 G.he scenarîo o aborted vîoence ...................................................................... 31 H.he power o te kîng compared to tat o te Bîg Man .................................. 34 ï.Approprîate eves o vîoence accordîng to socîopoîtîca arena ..................... 162 J.Dîvîsîons o îrîa ........................................................................................... 170 K.Dîvîsîons o aon.......................................................................................... 172 L....................... 230he kîng as a segment în a poîtîca Ied structured by duaîsm M.he judîcîa roe o te kîng ........................................................................... 233 N.Masters o dîsaster and bessîng, okîîrî......................................................... 282 O.he reatîve gravîty o common dîsasters ........................................................ 284 P.he coapse o centraîsm înto a duaîst deadock........................................... 338 Q.Causes o drougt as îdentîIed by eîgteen women assembîes în uubo ...... 348 R....................................................................... 358he basîc scenarîo o raîn rîtua S.Escaatîon în otuo raîn rîtua...................................................................... 359 T.Escaatîon în Barî raîn rîtua........................................................................... 360 U.he course o a raîn crîsîs among te Dongotono........................................... 364 V........................................................................... 366Typîca course o a raîn crîsîs W.îst o conIrmed cases o accompîsed, deîberate, regîcîde .......................... 383 X........................................................... 442Fundamenta cosmoogîca opposîtîons

îx