MIYALKNHA WIRRKULNHA

WANARRYU

DJAW'YURRUNA

MIYALKNHA WIRRKULNHA

WANARRYU

DJAW’YURRUNA

MAL INYTJA DHUWALA YAMBALWUŊU

Gupapunyŋu

MILING IMBI B I-LINGUAL CENTRE

1974

©Published by Dept, of Educat ion, Darw in 1975

Larr’nha manda, duwatthurruna

miyalk manda gukuwa.

Duwatthurruna manda, bathi dubuk,

ga dakul märraŋala, larr’nha.

Manymak, dhupu’thupuŋala manda

marrtjina— a, lukana manda

marrtjina— a, bangapuŋala— a.

Yarrgupnha, ru lwaŋdhurruna manda ŋunhi

bathinydja mandanha munathaŋura. Ga

dhungalnydja manda nuŋhi ga bäyŋu wadapthuna,

bili munydjutjm irri manda, nuŋhi jukana manda

gana munydjutj. Nh inana manda m'ârr gurriri, bala

ŋayi yapa’mirriŋu waŋana nhanŋu bitjarra, “Ŋali,

way, nirriwangu! Nirriwan ŋali bangapuma.”

Ŋal’maraŋala manda bathi mandanha bay’,

yarrgupnha.

Yarrgupthurruna manda, bala manda marrtjina

wutthu’wutthurruna— a, bangapuŋala— a. Ga ŋayi

beŋuru yukuyuku’mirriŋu nhanŋu daba’yurruna, ga

waŋana b itjarra, “Way, ŋunha waqganyŋu

dhakalŋura. Ŋali dhu waythun. Yaryun dhu ŋali,”

bitjarra ŋayi.

Waŋganydhu yutungurr-yindiŋura gana bangapuŋala nirriwan. Manymak, ga ŋayinydja waŋgany ga ŋunhi marrtjina dhakallili; ŋunhiyi majagatjmirri wäŋa guwatjmara waŋarrmirri, yurru ŋula nhä waŋarr. Lukanana gana, ga ŋayi beŋurunydja gana mel-bär’ nhäŋala nanya gana. Wutthurruna ŋayi gana, ga ŋayinydja gana beŋurunydja nhäŋala; ga wutthurruna gana, ga ŋayi nhäŋala bitjarra bili, bitjarra bili— i, .marrtjina— a.

Ga ŋayinydja marrtjina ŋunhi gapunydja ga ŋal’yurrunana nhanŋu. Ga daba’yurruna ŋayi, ga waŋanhamima bitjanmina, “Way! Barrkuna ŋunha ŋarraku wäŋanydja gumurr ni?” bitjarra ŋayi.

Ga bulu, ga bulu, bala wudhupnha. D ja w ’y i i r r u n a

ŋanya waŋarryuna, bala ŋayi yatjurruna bitjarrana

“Way! Way! Way! Yapa, wäy!” Ŋayinydja

ŋunhiyinydja ga gujgulmaraŋalana ŋanya

barrkulilina, wäŋana nunha guyaŋana nhanŋu

maŋutjina ŋurukiyi waŋarrgu, bili bayinydja ŋunhi

lithan-maranhamina ŋathili; ŋunhiyinydja luku

nhanŋu bäla balanya ya.

Ga ŋayinydja ŋunhiliyinydja gana nhinana

malamirriŋu yo lŋu’-yulŋu, bala mandaŋgu walala

jarruŋalana. Manymak larruŋalana marrtjina— a, ga

waŋganydhuna ŋayi ŋunhi dämbumirriyaŋalanydja

walalanha, ga waŋana bitjarra, “Maku mandanha

dhuwala waŋarryu barpuru lukanydja,” bitjarra ŋayi

malawala yolŋu’ yulŋuwala miriŋuwala waŋana. Ga

ŋayinydja gana ŋunhi bathinydja ga ŋunhiliyi bili

gorruŋala, ŋunhi wanhami manda ŋal’maraŋala.

Larruŋalana mandaŋgu walala gana— a, jarruŋala,

Jarruŋala, larruŋala, yäna warray ŋorranana walala,

djadaw’. Bala walaka jukuna dhin’thurruna

mandanha, bala majŋ’maraŋala nyä|ka’na yäna

mandaŋgu, ŋayi gana gorruŋala dharpaŋura. Ga

waŋanhamina walala bitjanmina, “Maku majagatj

mandaŋgu barpuru buna wäŋa bäymaŋu," ga

bitjarra walala waŋana. Ga bilina dhuwala

dhäwunydja.

A TOTEMIC ANCESTOR TOOK A YOUNG WOMAN

AWAY

to ld by Lun’pupuy (1)

Off went the tw o girls for wild honey. They got their dilly bags and an axe

and off they went. As they walked, they kept looking out for honey. Some

they ate and some they put into their d illy bags.

Down they went to the beach and put their d illy bags on the sand. They hadn’t washed their hands and they had been eating the wild fru it called

munydjutj. They sat for a while, then the older sister said, “ Let’s go and

gather oysters.” They hung up their d illy bags (on a tree) and walked down

(to the water).

They gathered oysters, knocking them (off the rocks). Then the younger

sister turned (and saw an island). “ Look! There are some more on that

island” , she said. “ Let’s swim over. We’ll wade through the water.” One

stayed on the mainland getting oysters, and the other went to the island

where the totemic monster was. (I don’t know what kind of totemic

ancestor it was). She was eating oysters and the monster opened its eyes

and was watching her. All the time while she was getting the oysters, the monster was watching her.

T he tide was getting higher and higher. The g ir l looked over her shoulder

and said to herself, “Oh! It ’s a long way to the shore, isn’t it!” Higher and

higher came the tide, until the monster was submerged. Then he took her

away. She called out, “ Help! Help! Help!Sister, Help!” But the monster took

her under the water far away to the place where he lived. He had only been

warming himself (in the sun) before; it was his favourite place (to lie in).

(Back in the camp) lots of people were looking for the two girls. They

searched and searched, then one suggested to the others, “Maybe a

totemic ancestor ate them yesterday.” This is what he said to the people

who were there, ready to fight (whoever may have taken the g irls). The dilly

bags were still hanging where the two girls had put them.

The people kept on searching. They searched and searched, until it was

time for sleep. They slept until day break, then followed the g irls’ footprints,

and eventually found only their dilly bags, hanging on the tree. They said to

each other, “The totemic ancestor from that place probably came to them yesterday.”

That’s the end of the story.

(Note: It is believed that if a person eats the fru it “ munydjutj” and a totemic

sea serpent smells the odour, he becomes very angry, either killing the

person concerned, or making him sick, or sometimes causing thunder storms and a great deal of lightning).

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