The Legend of the Alur

My host parents are descendants of the Alur tribe of northern Uganda. I asked if their tribe had a legend or myth behind its inception and here's what he told me...

King Opobo fathered three sons before he died, Tiful, Nyapiri and Labongo. Nyapiri borrowed Lapongo's spear so that he could take down an elephant. To Nyapiri's surprise, the elephant barely flinched when the spear hit him and he ran away with it stuck in his hindquarters. When news reached Lapongo that his brother had lost his spear, he was furious and demanded that he find it. He wanted no substitute. Nyapiri went back to the bush to track the elephant and stumbled upon a bountiful land. Instead of finding the elephant, he found an old woman who took him to a place where many spears were sold. Nyapiri recognized Lapongo's spear and paid the woman handsomely for her help. In return, the woman also gave Nyapiri a special bead. 
When Nyapiri returned home, everyone was amazed by his story about the spear and the bead. The bead was particularly popular, so he handed it around for everyone to see and touch. In the process, Lapongo's son accidentally swallowed the bead. Nyapiri was furious with Lapnogo and demanded he get his bead back immediately. Lapnogo tried to convince him to wait until nature took its course and the bead would be returned. Nyapiri had no patience and wanted revenge. Left with no alternative, Nyapiri killed his brother's child to retrieve the bead. This act horrified and outraged the other brothers so much that they all split up to form their own tribes.


Amanda then chimed in that they are being taught the myth behind each of the tribes that make up their particular classroom. I thought that was cool. She then asked if we had anything similar in the US, so I told her about the Native American tribes, the neighborhoods surrounding New York, Boston and other eastern cities...but nothing really comes close. 
Then today at a miniature wildlife park, our tour guide mentioned that he spoke Alur and grew up in a nearby district from my host parents. They lit up like he was a long lost brother! The intra-tribal ties are very strong. It's hard to relate to that connection.