After watching a very interesting documentary on National Geographic last night makes me realize how unprepared I am to live with the Dinka tribes of Africa.
1. Collecting cow dung with bare hands. The boys collect their cows dung each morning and put it in a pile to dry. They use the dry cow dung as a sort of firewood. I find it unlikely that I would pick up cow dung with a shovel, let alone gloves. So bare hands is out completely.
2. Stimulating cow’s sexual organs. In order to keep a cow producing milk, which is important considering the limited opportunities for food, a young man will use a variety of methods to stimulate the cows which causes them to lactate. To do this requires a level of commitment that some people don’t even have for their spouses. (If you know what i mean) Yes, this is a big reason why I couldn’t make it, living with the Dinka.
3. Cow Urine Shower. What is considered to be a very trendy look among the Dinka is the bronze colored hair. This effect is produced by bleaching agents in cows urine. How does the cows urine get into someone’s hair, you may hesitate to ask? First you have to wait until one of the cows is peeing, then… you have the third reason.
I have a tremendous amount of respect for the Dinka. They are doing well in very difficult circumstances. And I’m sure they would view many of our traditions and customs as bizarre. I sit staring at a computer screen all day. That’s pretty weird if you think about it. Nevertheless, I am grateful for who I am and where I live. Because I wouldn’t make a very good Dinka.
Technorati Tags: Dinka, National Geographic, cows
I also saw this on NG but I had the TV muted. But, tell me, did I REALLY see that young man doing what I think he was to that cow? I mean, was he giving the cow “a professional” (if you know what I mean) and then bathing in the urine? I love a refreshing shower just as much as the next gal but to make out with a cow and the get a golden shower is even a bit too freaky for me!!!
Yes, it was what you think it was. Ugh. I would just try to ask the cow nicely to produce more milk. There’s no need to get too friendly.
I saw the special as well. Dinkas are special, fer sure.
Well, having been a witness to how you actually live your life, I would say you’d fit right in with the Dinkas. Hell a urine shower would be a step up for you. However, that being said, don’t switch tribes man, some tribes leaders like to do bad things to people that switch tribes, they get on their satalite phones and call other tribes and inform them on what a bad tribesman you are and not to accept you into their tribe and you can quote me on the quote.
Poor Gordon, He’s a bad tribesman. (that’s what I hear anyway.)
[...] appealing. But any dye you buy is more or less a fancy, packaged version of the same stuff that dinka tribesmen dye their hair with. But I must say, I’m happy with my results, the color did lift my spirits momentarily, [...]
i am proud to me Danika girl. Danika have respect to live and they cow. if you know what i mean.
I have grown up on a farm and NEVER in my life heard of doing that to a cow to get them to produce more milk. Think about it, stimulating a cow’s privates DO NOT make a cow produce more milk. You might get them turned on, but that is it. Hormones make the cow lactate, not giving them oral.
I think someone ‘was pulling their leg” and wanted to see if a member of the tribe would actually fall for that story (and they did!). I still cant get over it. I almost hurled right into the tv screen. I cant believe that even got on tv. Why not try sex w/a cow to see if they get hornier, and produce more calves?
WTF?
As for the urine shower to get red hair, if that is the only way to get it, why not put some urine on a cloth that has been wrung out, and wear it on their head to get the look? Why put your whole face/body under the stream of urine? I dont get that one either.
Picking up cow manure is no big deal when you live on a farm. Cows eat grass/hay so it is only grass that has passed thru a cow’s stomachs. Growing up on a farm you get use to the smell of animals, so it is no big discusting deal, although we used shovels to pick up dung. If you get any on you it is no big deal, just wash it off w/water. I know they use dung for home fires/to cook with in other parts of the world because it is a cheap resource. The Dinka’s can keep their cultural ways, I dont think anyone is going to follow that too soon.
To “all knowing Andy”, How do you know that stimulating a cow’s sexual parts will not induce them to produce more milk? Have you ever tried it before? This very act could increase hormones. Did you know that there are “civilized” Americans that have sex with animals? Since you grew up on a farm, I’m sure you’re familiar with this…probably “stomp broke” a few cows yourself, huh? The Dinka would think it’s very stupid of you to rub lotion on your bodies then lay out in the sun in an effort to get darker. Why not simply work outside and let it happen naturally? I think you get the point, but then again, you’ve made some ignorant statements.
Well, i don,t think any one is justified in this world to question any community,s way of life. Dinka are more better than other communities in the world since their only bad thing mentioned is collecting cow dungs with bare hands, stimulating cows to produce more milk thru the female private parts, but not actually doing what people ill think about. am proud of them where they are. dogs and cats are now constitutional fights in some parts of the world for their meat to be removed in the menus.
nobody has been requested to change the citizenship of his/her community to the other by any reason or law. Dinka are comfortable with their way of life and no suggestions or opinions invited whatsoever regarding their practices of culture.
Dear friend, although this topic might have been exhausted, I felt that it is still worthy to say a word or two about the Dinkas and their cows.
A friend who only got scared of three things he saw Dinka do with their cow is only wondering about the prophetic might of Moses, but he will be overwhelmed by the powers of the Pharaoh. There a lot more that might disgust you or impress you if you become a participant observer of the Dinka. Dinka anthropology is complex and utterly confusing. In fact most westerners who attempt to write about the Dinka of the Sudan never come out with a substantive work. Materials nomenclature piss off many. Those who dare persevere automatically become absorbed. The Dinka are culturally very inclusive and descriptive. The Pastor Dr. Marc tried and ended up spending all his life with the Dinka. though such things as stimulating the cows might have jolted his compassion and zeal to live among the Dinka. But he made comparisons and came to realised that Dinka are after all better in handling the animals. Other societies do it bad. I am talking of communities where dogs are used as sexual robots to lick and stimulate humans. Disgusting, isn’t it?
The cow, to a Dinka is the currency of exchange, dowry, its dung is an insect repellant, firewood, garden manure, cement that prevent white ants from attacking and eating house poles; cattle hide is clothes, bed, whip, burial linen, and sewed up as water carrier or container. Apart from meat and milk it provides, cow are Dinka and Dinka are the cows. You cannot separate the two.
Dears brothers and Sisters,
What ever people do in their cultures is none of anyone’s business. If you are not prepared to live with the Dinka of Africa, then don’t live with then. Nobody has ask you to live with them, so stop pretending that you know more about Dinka. As a Dinka girl, I am more that proud to be born a Dinka.
What all you people need to understand is that people are products of their environment. Your world view is influenced, shaped and coloured by the world in which you live, and the culture in which you are a part of. Whether your a Dinka or not is not the issue here, because what is strange in one culture is completely normal in another and visa versa. Maybe what you (the person who started this talk) need to do is get your self some education. You can never be a Dinka becasue you simply are not one, having said this though, had you been born a Dinka yourself, you would probably be socialised into such practices (that you think are strange) and that would simply be a way of life for you, just as a Dinka can never claim to be a Western or Inka or as being anything else, other than what he is. Every culture has practices that are deemed strange by another, and that is why we live in a world of diversity. We are not, nor can we ever be all the same. Some people need to fully understand, appreciate and respect other cultures for their individuality and differece, for the beauty of all cultures, and even the strange things about other cultures. I think the world would be a very boring place to live, had we all been the same. Where would the adventure, excitement and learning be if we travelled around a world of sameness.
Of the 3 reasons number 3 is in fact the least shocking or dirty.
Urine is water and some salts and a few simple organic molecules such as urea. Urine is usually sterile when it is fresh. Cow urine has a nice arousing smell.
Some people in india drink it believing it has therapeutic value which I don’t believe but it cannot do any harm either.
To all you self-righteous, pompous pricks, I am sure there are several things in your own vile cultures that would not be admirable to someone else. Most of you perform similar oral acts on other humans and I have seen films where female women performed oral acts on dogs and horses just for sheer sexual pleasure. At least the Dinka are doing it for survival. You put your children in a daycare all day with people you don’t even know, while this culture keeps their children with them all day. I could go on and on. Let’s not be so quick to judge how others live.
I’m too late to comment but all I need to tell the person who initiated this discussion is that you mentioned three negatives about Dinka culture, but if you let Dinka person knows about your identity, he/she will definitely mention much more than this number that she/he would not want to be part of your culture.While it should not matter, I would like to say I’m a Dinka man, and if I were to return to my mother womb, I would still tell Nhialic(God) to be born Dinka. I’m of the opinion that
you love Dinka people, because if you didnot, you would have simply changed to to other channels unless you are a retard.
@Keer — I think you are missing the point of my article. It was not to cast dispersions or look down on the Dinka. It was more to point out my own failings as a human and how unprepared I would be to live in such difficult conditions. Clearly I’m not good enough to be a Dinka.
And thanks for calling me a retard.