Priests (komorena)

Ulikoro Konyonomora (Komor-a-kora) blessing duelling contestants. (David Turton, 1996)

Ulikoro Konyonomora (Komor-a-kora) blessing the herds at a 'Bio Lama' ceremony. (David Turton, 1969)

The only formally defined leadership role in the society is that of komoru, or Priest, an inherited office which is principally of religious and ritual significance. The priest embodies in his person the well-being of the group as a whole and acts as a means of communication between the community and God (tumwi), especially when it is threatened by such events as drought, crop pests and disease. One clan in particular, Komorte, is considered to be, par excellence, the priestly clan. The priest currently in office in northern Mursiland (Dola), Ulikoro Konyonomora, is a member of this clan, as is his similarly named counterpart in the south, Ulikoro Bule. Both are known as ‘Komor-a-kora’, or ‘Black Priest’.