NEWS FLASH
This image will be on display at the Parish Gallery in Georgetown as part of the photography exhibit, "Emotions," which opens Friday, February 1, 2008. Visit the News - "Emotions" page for further information.

"Rite of Passage"

Photo of Dinka boys from a cattle camp playing and singing traditional Dinka music near the village of Akot

Note the six parallel line scars on the boy's forehead. These facial scars are performed as part of an initiation rite marking the passage of a boy into adulthood and his transition into a Dinka warrior. Courage, aggressiveness, and violence are some of the most important Dinka values and are key to initiation. Dinka youth living outside the cattle camp are brought back to the camps for initiation. Slight differences in the direction of the scars and number of scars distinguish the different Dinka clans (Atuot, Aliab, Chiej, Agar, Gok, Rek, Twij, Malual, and Ngok), who often fight amongst each other.

Ref: IMG_2685 South Sudan Photos

Location: Eastern Rumbek, South Sudan

Photographer: Irene Abdou