Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/805

APPENDIX

SOME LEGENDS OF CENTRAL AUSTRALIAN TRIBES

The origin of the Murdus and the Kana—How the Mura-mura Paralina perfected mankind, a Mardala legend—Madra-mankana, a Dieri legend—The wanderings of the Yuri-ulu, a Wonkangaru legend—A circumcision legend of the Eastern Dieri and the Yaurorka—The Pirha and the Wapiya legend of the Wonkamala tribe—The Anti-etya and the Ngardu-etya legends—The Minkani ceremonies—The Darana legend of the Dieri—Kakakudana and the origin of the mound springs, a legend of the Urabunna—Tayi-tampana or Ngura-tulu-tulu-ru, a Yaurorka legend—Ngura-wordu-punnuna, a Dieri legend.

These legends^[1] relate more or less to the initiation and other ceremonies of these tribes, at which they are repeated by the old men, and are thus handed down from generation to generation. They form the precedents for the ceremonial proceedings.

Taking Lake Eyre for the central point, the range of these tribes extends northwards to the Wonkamala, and southwards to the Parnkalla, who occupied the country on the west side of Spencer Gulf, as far as Port Lincoln, and inland to the Gawler Ranges. This is about seven hundred miles north and south. To the north-west it extends to where it comes in contact with the southern part of the tribes of which the Arunta is the typical example. To the west its range is not known to me, further than the Kukata, Tangara, and Willara, which are west of the Urabunna and Wirangu tribes which border Lake Eyre on that side.

To the north-east and east it would include the tribes which attend the ceremonies of the Mura-mura Minkani, from a considerable distance within the State of Queensland. On the east the Grey and Barrier Ranges make the boundary of the Lake Eyre tribes.

The Origin of the Murdus^[2] and of the Kana

In the Beginning, the earth opened in the midst of Perigundi

1. I am indebted to the Rev. O. Siebcrt for these legends.
2. This word is properly Mada, but as I have written it in former works Murdu. I have retained the same form of orthography. Kana is the term applied to themselves by the Dieri and other tribes.

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