Dinka Shelled Apron Costume with Bell

The Dinka tradition of oral literature is extensive and a considerable amount has been recorded. Two figures stand out prominently, Col Muong and Awiel Longar. Col Muong has an enormous appetite for all things in life. When he is hungry, he is said to eat an entire herd of cattle or an entire field of grain. Stories about him suggest that people should do the best they can with what they have. Awiel Longar figures as the common ancestor of all Dinka peoples.

The Dinka people (Dinka: Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotic ethnic group indigenous to South Sudan. They primarily inhabit the Nile River basin, stretching from Mangalla through Bor to Renk, as well as the regions of Bahr el Ghazal and Upper Nile, and the Abyei area traditionally associated with the Ngok Dinka.