Exorcism of dwelling, Kwon Fashoda, Sudan

"Shilluk ceremony to purify a village after lightning has struck and burned the high roof of a hut. First, a small goat is sacrificed, its belly cut open, and bits of its entrails thrown into the ruined hut. Two men with long poles knock down the parts of the wall still standing. Next, the villagers carry away the pieces. Finally, after all the pieces are collected in an orderly pile well outside the village, the village is considered purified, and a new hut can be started." [Elisofon E., Van Der Post L., 1964: The Nile. The Viking Press.]. During his trip to Sudan, Elisofon visited the Shilluk people at Fashoda (now, Kodok), north of Malakal in the Upper Nile region (now, A`ali an-Nil region). This photograph was taken when Eliot Elisofon was on assignment for Life magazine and traveled to Africa from January 8, 1947 to end of June 1947.