The Feather of Glory ( a Novella )
4 min readBy David Aoloch Bion
Chapter Thirteen
The people had been terrified in the forty-five clans of the Borolian tribe by Madut’s courage and wisdom. Madut could easily turn big lies into big truths, big truths into big lies. There was a young man called Herjok. He was a great wrestler, singer and dancer. Herjok had been throwing men without being thrown, he composed very beautiful songs. If he dances, all spectators watch only him. Madut Kuol had a principle that anything good should come only from him or his clan.
For two days Madut didn’t go to court tree. He stayed at his Luak. When his people came and asked why he was not going out to court tree, he told them that he was sick and his wife Abuk told his brothers that he had spent three days so far without saying a word or drinking water, or eating food.
“Which part of the body is hurting?” one of his brothers asked.
“No part is hurting” Madut answered.
“In fact, I am not sick. If you want to know what I am sick of, I will tell you” he added.
In that afternoon, madut went to court tree. All people of all clans gathered earlier. He cleared his throat and said “you see my people, that man called Herjok Awar the wrestler, singer and dancer is my son. I slept with his mother before Awar married his mother and I want my son. That is my sickness I am suffering from. Some one put a song of courage and the song he said
“That is a simple matter. We shall solve it if it requires tongues, we have tongues. If it requires cattle, we have cattle. If it requires anything, we shall see”
Madut brought a bull. The bull was slaughtered and roasted and eaten. Wine was brought and drank. The following morning the clan of Madut moved to the big court tree of the tribe. Madut explained the case, Awar and his son Herjok were summoned by tribe elders’ chiefs. The clan of Awar got annoyed, they came with spears, shields and sticks threatening fighting. The other clans persuaded them to talk, not to fight. Everything would be solved peacefully. Awar clan was convinced.
Awar and Madut sat down before fifteen chiefs.
“What is the problem, Madut?”
“The man Herjok is my son” Madut said.
“He is your son in which way?” the chief asked.
“Before Awar married his mother I slept with her”
“Why didn’t you say he was your son when young?” the chief asked.
“It is the same when he is young and old” Madut answered.
Awar was very angry, he was not able to talk. The judge told him that he should talk.
“You know judge, this case does not need only talk. It is death. We are nearing death with him” Awar threatened.
When the mother of Herjok was asked, she said she was actually engaged by Madut but Herjok was not his son.
The case was very difficult for the judges to pass a verdict. The judges referred the case to god Ajak Bungang for swearing the death swearing. At Ajak Bungang god’s shrine, if you swear for a lie you must immediately die. Madut and Awar were given four days to think before they went for swearing.
Madut Kuol was told by his wife Abuk that “you must not swear for a child of your wife but the child of your sister. So don’t go for swearing.” Madut didn’t listen to any advice.
The four days had finished. So Madut and Awar came. The judge asked each of them whether Herjok was their son, both men answered “yes”.
“Go for death swearing” the judge said
On their way to the death swearing shrine, Madut and Awar were singing and dancing. When they were about to reach the shrine, Madut hit his right leg on a log. When Madut saw that sign he ran to the bush and didn’t reach the swearing shrine
“I hate something a man can’t swear of” Awar said.
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