Deng, also known as Denka, is a sky, rain, and fertility

god In monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator, and principal object of faith. Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Oxford Companion to Philosophy'', Oxford University Press, 1995. God is typically ...

in Dinka mythology for the

Dinka people The Dinka people ( din, Jiɛ̈ɛ̈ŋ) are a Nilotes, Nilotic ethnic group native to South Sudan with a sizable diaspora population abroad. The Dinka mostly live along the Nile, from Jonglei to Renk, South Sudan, Renk, in the region of Bahr el Gh ...

of Sudan and

South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the ...

. He is the son of the goddess Abuk.Lynch, Patricia Ann, ''African Mythology A to Z'', Infobase Publishing (2004), p. 29,

(retrieved 17 May 2018) Among the Nuer people, Nuer, Deng is considered to be "a foreign deity" and "a bringer of disease". His daughter is the moon goddess. In

Dinka religion Dinka spirituality refers to the traditional religion of the Dinka people (also known as Muonyjang people), an ethnic group of South Sudan. They belong to the Nilotic peoples, which is a group of cultures in Southern Sudan and wider Eastern Africa ...

, he is a storm and fertility god bringing lightning, rain, and thunder.Jordan, Michael, ''Dictionary of Gods and Goddesses'', Infobase Publishing (2014), p.74

(retrieved 17 May 2018)Andrews, Tamra, ''Dictionary of Nature Myths: Legends of the Earth, Sea, and Sky'',

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

(2000), p. 55,

(retrieved 17 May 2018) The word ''deng'' means "rain" in Dinka language, Thuɔŋjäŋ. Among his followers, Deng is regarded as the intermediary between humans and the supreme being. Closely linked with the supreme god Nhialic, he was regarded as the son of god and sometimes as the son of the goddess Abuk. In some areas of Dinka country, Deng and Nhialic are "regarded as one and the same".

References

External links

*Lady of the Eart

African gods Dinka mythology Fertility gods Nuer mythology Rain deities Sky and weather gods {{Deity-stub