On the Ferry that serves to transport goods and people to and fro on the Nile at Laropi in the background is the mighty Mt Otce

One would justly describe the Madi society as conservative but not fundamentalist. Socially Madi society is a closely knit entity. Family ties and relationships play pivotal role in the lives of the Madi. For instance it is traditionally forbidden to enter wedlock with any body where even a hair-thin relationship can be traced. On long journeys for example most of the time travellers will trace out where a daughter of a kinsman was married, for accommodation to rest over night, a sip of cold water or just greetings. This of course has become a nuisance in the modern day and time especially in urban areas.

Social events and customs too are mostly celebrated or conducted within family structures and relations. In fact at this juncture one can say that the madi tradition and society thrives on “extended family ties”. Traditionally from birth to death a Madi is accompanied by rituals and customs. After birth a male baby(barago) is kept for three days in confinement with the mother and paternal aunts. The female baby(zaangwa) on the other hand is kept indoors for four days.

During burial the last honours too are admonished with rituals. A man for example is traditionally never buried facing the opening of the grave but laid on his left arm. Only the women folk are buried face up. Should a young Madi man die without marriage and heirs, a sheep is tied to his tomb to symbolise the wife he never had.

Here however, it has to be noted that the coming of Christianity changed a lot of things on the Socio-Cultural landscape of the society. Another factor that contributed to the corrosion of the Madi customs and culture is western education. Last but not least, the killer blow that brought about the demise of the Madi Culture is the senseless wars fought from 1979 to date in the region. These wars led to split up of families and bonds, resulting in cultural and moral disintegration of the centuries old values of the Madi people.

However the Madi are a progressive folk, susceptible to change and optimistic. Even after parting ways with traditional beliefs and religion, those who embraced Christianity cherish and uphold the faith. The smallest unit of the greater society was and still is the family, and the father(Ata) the head. Families are as a rule traced and aligned to their paternal great grand fathers (Abi) and consequently there developed a Clan outside the lineage called Pa meaning “those of, or descendants of” like in Pa Nyewe or Pa Logi.

Although very often there were cases of voluntary migration as a result of lack of space, Madi are sedentary folk so the land and whatever it bares is the home of the Clan. Those who move away refer to the old home as”Muro” the old home. The social and political set-up of the Madi is closely interwoven with spirituality and this informs their attitudes and traditions. The society is organized in chiefdoms headed by a hereditary chief known as the Opi. The Opi exercised both political and religious powers.

The rain-makers, land chiefs – vudipi (who exercises an important influence over the land) and the chiefs are believed to retain similar powers even after their deaths. There was a hierarchy of spirits corresponding exactly to the hierarchy of authority as it existed in the society. Birth

The birth of twins is considered an ill-omen among the Madi attributable to Rabanga. Twins were regarded as mysterious creatures and in fact the elder of the twins was named Ejaiya meaning ‘take him to the bush' and the younger Rabanga. The Madi in east of the River Nile however cherish the birth of twin babies. It is just like among the Madi in the present Sudan , believed here also that they are a sign of some mystic. The names given to them here are ”Opio” or "Apio” or “Ochen” or Acheng” for a boy or girl respectively.

In the Madi mythology any birth of a child with disability(ies) is a sign that the gods(Rubanga) and spirits(ori) are executing punishment for sins committed by the mother before of during pregnancy. A woman having difficulties delivering was often advised to confess her infidelity. So to speak, in Madi culture any birth with “abnormalities” or difficulty is attributed to something faulty in the family.

Rainmaking

There are more than 45 rainmaking centres in the Madi country. With only two exceptions, rain could be made by the rainmaker by using a special set of stones which were usually white in colour. The Madi believe that ‘rain stones' come with rain from the sky and they are categorised as ‘male' and ‘female' stones.

The male stones are conical with fairly sharp points while the female ones would be either round or conical but perhaps without sharp points. The rainmaker could tell which is which without any difficulty. Once the rain stones were discovered, the fact was reported immediately to the chief. They are kept in special pots lest they jump about when it is raining or when lightening strikes.

Judicial System

The chiefs and clan elders exercise judicial powers of settling cases. However, in cases where the suspect pleaded innocence to accusations of stealing or adultery, the witch doctor was consulted. The witch doctor would take a handful of spear grass and order the accuser and the accused to hold each end of the grass. The witch doctor would then cut the spear grass with an arrow. Whoever was guilty would fall sick and the truth would establish itself through the consequences.

Spirituality and Beliefs

The whole life of the Madi is centred on the belief that their ancestors survived after death as spirits known as ori. It is believed that the ori could intervene directly in human affairs. The Madi attribute every misfortune to the anger of a spirit and in the event of a misfortune or sickness, they would immediately consult an odzo or odzogo (witchdoctor) to find out which ancestor was behind the ordeal.

Sacrifices were then offered to the particular spirit in order to avert its malign influence on the living. Madi are a fatalistic people who traditionally in the absence of an institutional police, use their good will and intent to conduct them selves as any malevolence and malice are punished by the gods and spirits. They also believe in good and bad luck( andra Loso and andra unzi)