The Dinka people, one of the largest ethnic groups in South Sudan, practice a unique marriage ritual called Anyuuc, or generous welcoming. In this ritual, newlywed brides are forbidden to cook or clean for four years, giving them time to rest and learn the cultural values and needs of their husbands.
According to a Facebook post shared by data scientist and blogger Taimi Herman Kapofi on May 12, as the bride takes a hiatus to unwind and adjust to her new role, her sister-in-law (her husband’s sisters) manages all household chores. They assume responsibility for cleaning, cooking, fetching water and laundry throughout the four-year resting period.
To mark the end of the Anyuuc ritual, the husband arranges a ceremony to formally introduce his now-prepared wife to the responsibilities of cooking for the family, known as Thaat. Taimi noted that typically, “3 cows and five goats are slaughtered to initiate a wife into cooking” during the Thaat celebration.
Within Dinka culture, women are highly valued by men. Cows are revered and serve as traditional dowry when seeking a woman’s hand in marriage. Men will go to great lengths to marry their desired woman, offering the family of their prospective bride anywhere from 100 to 500 cattle as part of the marriage agreement to win the hand of a Dinka woman in marriage.
Taimi noted that if a Dinka married man is unfaithful during the four-year Anyuuc period, “the wife can decide to leave, and she doesn’t even have to pay back the dowry.”
Facebook netizens were intrigued and confused by the age-old practice.
“As a man, I support this,” one Facebook user penned in the comments section. “We can better prove if men genuinely want a wife to love, protect, and take care of and not just [to] use as a doormat, footstool, or housemaid.”
A female Facebook user humorously remarked that she would ensure her husband “breaks” within three years so she could remarry and have someone to do “work” for her all over again. In response, other users speculated on the consequences if a Dinka woman were unfaithful during the Anyuuc period, prompting a reply from Taimi that read, “They divorce, I think.”
Dinka people also practice polygamy.
Marriage is a significant step within Dinka culture and serves as a cornerstone of societal strength and wealth. Unlike Western concepts of monogamy, Dinka marriage embraces polygamy, allowing men to marry multiple wives. However, polygamy in Dinka society is not merely about expanding one’s household. It’s deeply rooted in cultural and economic prosperity.
“Most people tend to cling to the notion of more wives and more children for the greater production and an increase in wealth and prestige,” the outlet noted.
During a 1998 radio interview on Common Ground, Sudanese diplomat and writer Francis Deng revealed that his father, Deng Majok, a tribal chief in South Sudan, had over 200 wives.
“On the average, if you say each of those wives had three to four children, you are talking about close to a thousand brothers and sisters,” he shared.
“Now, my father made it a point that all his boys were sent to school. At the earlier stage, girls were not. It was considered at the time that the girl’s destiny was to get married, attract cattle—which was part of the exchange in Dinka culture—and there wasn’t really a market for educated girls then. But later on, he sent his daughters to school, too.”
Deng noted that his family structure was “well organized” and sectioned into three primary groups, each led by one of the top three wives, with the remaining wives ranked accordingly under them. This hierarchical arrangement extended to the various villages within the tribe.
While every wife had access to the husband, a structured hierarchy existed for information dissemination and reporting. Grievances and legitimate claims were directed through the senior wives, establishing a channel for resolution and governance within the community.
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