MAGAZINES
BNP #3 May 1998 - CONTENTS
FIND A STORY
LINKS

The Dreamtime
for "Wirdin"

Story told by Day Day Frank Jakamarra
Written by Jackie Hingston Namikili

Long ago in the dreamtime there lived two women called Naralu (Naparulu) and Nungali (Nungala), who were once two beautiful Jingimarlumarlu's (butterflies). They decided to head North carrying two water carriers containing water from a place called Mungajardi (a place, country).
They decided to head North to take some water. They were about 4 miles from Mungajardi when they finally noticed they were being followed by a yongunu (Kitarch man).
Eventually they got away from that yongunu and continued their travelling, they suddenly both became tired so they stopped.
The two women decided to pour the Ngapa out of one of the carriers and turned it upside down. They had done this process because they were in unfamiliar manu (country). They then began to start walking again until they ran into a storm with raging lightning.
One of the women was struck and died but the other one kept going. She reached "wirdin" (the place I'm speaking of) where she had spilt the water she was carrying and created a spring. There she shared the nagapa (water) with the munga munga (old people, spirits) and today that spring still remains there.

Wirdin - the place I'm speaking
Jingimarlumarlu - butterfly
Mangajardi - a place (country)
Yongunu - kitarch man
Ngapa - water
Manu - country
Munga munga - old people (spirits)

 

 

 

Day Day Frank Jakamarra at work.