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Aiwel

In African mythology, Aiwel was the founder of a hereditary priesthood known as the spear masters among the Dinka people of the Sudan. He was the son of a human mother and a water spirit. While still a child, Aiwel lost his mother and went to live with his water-spirit father in a river. When he grew up, he returned to his village with a multicolored ox named Longar. From then on, the man was known as Aiwel Longar.

There was a drought and many cattle died. Aiwel told the people of the village to follow him to a promised land where they would find plentiful water and grass. The people did not believe him at first and refused to leave the village. Later they changed their minds and tried to follow. Angry, Aiwel killed some of them with his spear as they crossed a river to join him. Eventually, he allowed the people to come across. He gave fishing spears to the first group to cross, and these people became founding members of the spear-master clans. To others who came later, Aiwel gave war spears, and they founded the warrior clans.

See also AFRICAN MYTHOLOGY.