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South Sudanese Folktales

Traditional folktales from South Sudanese (South Sudan), passed down through generations in East African Folktales.

Dinka Folktales

Aluel guided by the glowing Sun across a river in a Dinka folktale.

Aluel and the Sun: A Dinka Folktale of Love, Loss, and Betrayal

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Ayak was a woman of extraordinary beauty. When she married a man named Chol, their union seemed blessed. Soon after their wedding, Ayak conceived and gave birth to a daughter. But tragedy struck on the very day of the child’s birth, Ayak died suddenly, leaving Chol alone with the newborn. Grief-stricken, Chol refused to give the baby into anyone else’s

Cunning hyena under moonlight Tsonga folklore Mozambique

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales

The Hyena’s Secret

The Hyena’s Secret — A traditional Tsonga Folktales from Mozambique

Parchment-style art of the lioness caring for the brothers Deng in an African folktale, symbolizing love and unity.

The Tale of Deng and Deng – An Ancient Story of Brotherhood and Betrayal

Long ago, there lived an old man named Chol, who had two

Landscape parchment-style illustration of a Dinka folktale scene showing a father holding his daughter in a cattle-byre with cows and traditional huts under an African sunset, branded with Oldfolktales.com at the top right.

Aluel and Her Loving Father: Orphaned and Raised Alone

Long ago among the Dinka, there lived a woman named Ayak who

The First Drum of the Bari

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Long ago, when the Bari people of South Sudan first settled along the great Nile, life was full of both blessings and challenges. The clans farmed the fertile soil,

The Sky Cattle of Nhialic

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

In the beginning, when the earth was still young and the ways of the people were not yet settled, Nhialic, the great god of the sky, kept a herd

The Sacred Twins of the Nuer

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Among the Nuer people of South Sudan twins have always been regarded as sacred. Their birth was seen as a sign that the divine had touched the family and

The Leopard-Skin Priest mediating peace between clans – Nuer Folktale from South Sudan

The Sacred Authority of the Leopard-Skin Priest in Nuer Mythology

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Among the Nuer people of South Sudan, conflict between clans was not uncommon. Disputes over cattle, land, or honor often turned into blood feuds that threatened the fabric of

Nyikang, the Spirit King of the Shilluk

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Long ago when the Shilluk people lived close to the banks of the great Nile they spoke often of Nyikang, the culture hero who was more than a man.

The Rope Between Heaven and Earth

African Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

In the earliest days of the world, when the earth was fresh and the sky hung close above, there was no great distance between humans and Nhialic, the supreme

Art of the brothers Deng returning home with cattle and rescued children, welcomed by their wives in an ancient African folktale.

The Tale of Deng and Deng – Vengeance, Sacrifice, and the War with Lions

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Deng of the lioness hurried along the path in search of his brother. But Deng of the human mother, ashamed of his weakness, feared to be seen. He thought,

The lioness stepmother raises two brothers named Deng in a Dinka folktale of South Sudan.

Deng and the Lioness Stepmother: A Dinka Folktale of Betrayal and Survival

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Long ago, in the lands of the Dinka people of Sudan, there lived an old man named Chol. He had two wives: one a daughter of a human family,

A parchment-style illustration of Aluel sitting beside her father in a traditional Dinka cattle-byre at sunset. She wears ivory bangles and ornaments, while her father sits calmly near her. Cattle and round African huts stand in the background under a glowing orange sky, capturing the heart of the Dinka folktale.

The Tragic Tale of Aluel: Love, Loss, and Pride in Dinka Folklore.

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

Among the Dinka people of South Sudan, stories were told around cattle-byres, where the fires burned low and children gathered to hear the wisdom of elders. One such story

Aluel and Her Loving Father: Return and Ruin

African Folktales·Dinka Folktales·East African Folktales·South Sudanese Folktales

When morning came, the people saw Aluel. She had returned from the realm of the Sun, more radiant than before. News of her spread quickly. Men came with gifts

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South Sudanese Folktales

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