A village elder talks about Gihon, the spirit of the Nile: “If any farmer wishes for something to happen, like having a baby son, we sacrifice a sheep as an offering, we pour local brew to the water and people gather to celebrate. We believe in Gihon, like our grandparents did; it can bring good crops and fertility to the land, but it can also take away the children and the cows. There are dogs in the river, big dogs, sometimes they come up to the surface and they take people away; there are also crocodiles and dragons. When I was a child I remember when the dog of the river mated with a cow and their offspring was born without claws. Every New Year we have a big celebration: we slaughter a goat, we offer the blood to the river, we eat the meat, and we are very happy because everything will be peaceful in the coming year”
(Interview with a village elder, 28th December 2005 ).