Acholi grave

82 x 82 mm | Lantern slide glass

MountDimension:

82 x 82 mm

Date of Print:

Unknown

Previous Other Number:

V.c.14

Accession Number:

1967.26.132

Description:

A grave situated outside a hut, said to be that of a rain-maker's father, indicated by a tall post with bands of bark, a smaller notched post, an upturned pot and other significant items. The Seligman's noted that rain-maker's were important individuals within the Acholi community, but that no special burial site for them existed.

Photographer:

Charles Gabriel Seligman

Date of Photo:

1922

Region:

[Southern Sudan] Bahr el Jebel ?near Majwee

Group:

Acholi

Publication History:

Contemporary Publication - Reproduced as Plate XII Fig.2 (facing page 132) in C.G. & B. Seligman's Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan (London, Routledge 1932), with the caption "Acholi, grave of rain-maker" [CM 2/9/2005]

PRM Source:

London School of Economics and Political Science

Acquired:

Donated 1967

Other Owners:

C. G. Seligman slide collection

Class:

Death , Ritual Object

Keyword:

Grave , Grave Marker

Documentation:

Manual Catalogue in Related Documents File

Primary Documentation:

Accession Book Entry - [1967.26] THE LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS AND POLITICAL SCIENCE, HOUGHTON STREET, ALDWYCH, LONDON, W.C.E. PER MR ANTHONY FORGE - SUDAN. Box containing 309 lantern slides (3 1/4” x 3 1/4”) made from photographs taken by the late Professor C. G. SELIGMAN in various parts of the SUDAN. All slides numbered and labelled. Catalogue in file (“Seligman Slide Collection”). Additional Accession Book Entry - [in pencil] 18 Parks Rd.

Manual catalogue entry (thermofax catalogue copy in folder '27-06 Seligman Slide Collection') - "V.c.14. Acholi - Grave of rain-maker"

Note on lantern slide ms ink - "V.c.14. CGS. Sudan. Acholi - Grave of rain-maker"

Other Information:

Ethnographic context - In C.G. & B. Seligman's Pagan Tribes of the Nilotic Sudan (London, Routledge 1932), pages 133-134, they note that 'We could not confirm Captain Grove's account of a special burial-place for rain-makers, and a grave (Pl.XXII, Fig.2) said to be that of the father of the present rain-maker was shown us in front of the house in the usual position.' Suggested dates for the images are based upon a summary of the Seligman diary entries compiled by Dr Fran Larson in the related documents file. [Chris Morton 12/10/2004]

Recorder:

Christopher Morton [12/10/2004] [Southern Sudan Project]