By Lauryen Oleyo
Lanngo Age-set is one of the Murle Age-sets that emerged from Bothothnya Age-set in 2005-2015. The defection of Lanngo Age-set first started from Irit village/Boma in Greater Kubal region (Gumuruk County) and spread to other Bomas within Greater Kubal from 2005-2007.
They were first
known as Nuknuknya and later they had to change to Lanngo. The spliting process went on to other regions within Murle Land. Lanngo Age-set’s defection in some Regions like Greater Lilot was commenced in 2007-2008 and it continued to Greater Pibor,
Greater Kengen (Vertet County) in 2008-2009 and finally followed by Jebel Boma Region (Jebel Boma County) in 2015.
Lanngo Age-set chose a Kobus kob as their token animal because of its quality of being peaceful and beautiful. The calmness of kobus kob animals has attracted Langgo Age-set to name themselves after it. The yellow colouration of a Kobus Kob signifies brightness and attractiveness, hence desirably has attracted Lanngo Age-set. The characteristics of whistling while patroling their territories and fend off other kobs, lekking aggregation of the male Kobus Kobs for Courtship to female Kobs and lek out gestures to defend themselves from external attacks are some of those noticeable qualities that Langgo Age-set have seen from the kobus kobs. Apart from the Kobus Kobs, Lanngo Age-set are also known by other animals with similar yellow colours as the kobus kobs. These include animals such as the; lion, snake fish, and several yellow birds which include; goldfinch bird, yellow warbler bird, golden weaver bird, a canary, golden oriole and many others.
Divisions within Lanngo Age-set
Langgo Age-set is divided into two sub-groups. The older group of Lanngo Age-set is known as Tolong which means the old male kobus kobs with horns bending downwards their faces; and the younger group is called Zemunet (Zemun:Singular). This refers to the young male kobus kobs whosebtheir horn are still under cornual processes. Lanngo Age-set is further divided into segments or sub-groups/teams, known as kem (Kemane plural) or nyakeno (Nyakenet plural). The division of teams/Kemane (Kem: Singular) or nyakenet (Nyakeno: Singular) varry from region to region, or village to village. For example, in Thangnyang Boma/Village of Greater Kubal region, Lanngo Age-set is divided into three sub-groups: 1) Sujun, 2) Akimane, and 3) Abash. The division is shown when Lanngo Age-set conducts Special bulls or Oxen/Ox slaughtering ceremonies, or when they are conducting traditional dance and during their daily conning and datingor courtship activities.
Identification: beads and images
Lanngo Age-set uses yellow beads as their multitudinous beads with minimal black beads to reflect yellow colour of animals such as; kobus kobs, lion and many other animals. They mix these yellow beads and a few black beads that represent a strip of black colours of goldfinch, gold weaver, golden oriole and many others.
You had shown your high level of academic through the completed research carried out for the long period of time in the Greater Pibor of South Sudan.