Aboriginal Mythology. Mudrooroo
initiation. The bull-roarer among the Kooris of south-eastern Australia was first made by Biame and when it is swung it is said to be his voice.
See also Duwoon; Moiya and pakapaka.
Bullum-Boukan See Trickster character.
Bullum-tut See Trickster character.
Bumerali See Universe.
Bundjalung nation The Bundjalung people are a large Aboriginal nation, a federation of a number of groups of clans which occupy the land from the Clarence river of northern New South Wales north to the town of Ipswich in southern Queensland. The names of these groups are Aragwal, Banbai, Birbai, Galiabal, Gidabal, Gumbainggeri, Jigara, Jugambal, Jugumbir, Jungai, Minjungbal, Ngacu, Ngamba, Thungutti and Widjabal. Their ancestors are the three brothers, Mamoon, Yar Birrain and Birrung, who are said to have come from the sea. The brothers, along with their grandmother, arrived in a canoe made from the bark of a hoop pine. As they followed the coastline, they found a rich land sparsely populated. They landed at the mouth of the Clarence river and stayed there for a long time, then, leaving their grandmother behind, they continued on in their canoe heading up the east coast. At one place they landed and created a spring of fresh water. They stopped along the coast at various places and populated the land. They made the laws for the Bundjalung and also the ceremonies of the boro circle.
It is said that the blue haze over the distant mountains, especially in spring, is the daughters of the three brothers revisiting the Earth to ensure its well-being and continuing fertility.
See also Bundjalung National Park; Dogs; Duwoon; Ginibi, Ruby Langford; Gold Coast; Great battles; Jalgumbun; Terrania Creek basin and cave; Tooloom Falls; Woollool Woollool.
Bundjalung National Park Bundjalung National Park in northern New South Wales includes Dirrawonga, a sacred goanna site now called Goanna Headland.
In the Dreamtime, Nyimbunji, an elder of the Bundjalung nation, asked a goanna to stop a snake tormenting a bird. The goanna chased the snake to Evan’s Head on the coast where a fight ensued. The goanna took up the chase again and went into the sea. It came out from the sea and became Goanna Headland.
The goanna is associated with rain and there is a rain cave on the headland where the elders of the Bundjalung people went in the old days to conduct ceremonies for rain.
See also Bundjalung nation; Rain-making.
Bungle Bungles The Bungle Bungles in Western Australia is a taboo area. It covers an area of 700 square kilometres with sheer cliffs, striated walls and deep gullies. The formations were considered to be inhabited by forces inimical to life and so no Aborigines ever went there.
Bunitj See Kakadu National Park; Neidjie, Bill; Seasons.
Bunjil Bunjil the Eaglehawk ancestor is a creator ancestor of immense power and prestige to the Kooris, the modern Aboriginal peoples inhabiting what is now the state of Victoria. In the old days he was a moiety deity, or ancestor, of one half of the Kulin people of central Victoria.
Bunjil had two wives and a son, Binbeal, the rainbow, whose wife was the second bow of the rainbow. He is said to be assisted by six wirnums or shamans, who represent the clans of the Eaglehawk moiety. These are Djurt-djurt the nankeen kestrel, Thara the quail hawk, Yukope the parakeet, Dantum the parrot, Tadjeri the brushtail possum and Turnong the glider possum.
After Bunjil had made the mountains and rivers, the flora and fauna, and given humankind the laws to live by, he gathered his wives and sons, then asked his moiety opposite, Bellin-Bellin the crow, who had charge of the winds, to open his bags and let out some wind. Bellin-Bellin opened a bag in which he kept his whirlwinds and the resulting cyclone blew great trees into the air, roots and all. Bunjil called for a stronger wind and Bellin-Bellin obliged. Bunjil and his people were whirred aloft to the sky world where he became the star Altair and his two wives, the black swans, the stars on either side.
See also Eaglehawk and Crow; Melbourne.
Bunjil Narran See Shamans.
Bunuba people The Bunuba people live in the Kimberley region of Western Australia and their country is below that of the Worora, Wunambul and Ngarinjin peoples. Their main ancestors are Murlu the kangaroo and the Maletji dogs, who gave them their laws and customs as well as their land, culture, weapons, songs and ceremonies.
During the resistance led by Jandamara against the invaders in the late nineteenth century, the Bunuba people suffered terribly with men, women and children being massacred wherever they were.
See also Dogs; Woonamurra, Banjo.
Bunurong people See Melbourne; Yarra river and Port Phillip.
Bunya the possum See Centaurus; Southern Cross.
Bunyip The Bunyip, a legendary monster, supposedly of Aboriginal origin, appears to be an instance of mistaken identity. It seems to be the Meendie giant snake of Victoria who lived in the waterhole near Bunkara-bunnal, or Puckapunya. The attributes of the Bunyip are those of the rainbow snake.
Buramedigal See Eora tribe.
Burnum Burnum (1936-) is an elder of the Wurandjeri people of southern New South Wales. He is a story-teller, actor and worker for his people. In 1988 he went to England to claim that country on behalf of all Aboriginal people as compensation for the wrongs inflicted on our people by the invaders from that island. He has become well-known for popularizing a dolphin Dreaming ceremony.
Burrajahnee See Dogs.
Burrawungal See Water sprites.
Burriway the emu See Great corroborees.
Burrup peninsula Burrup peninsula in the Pilbara was owned by the Yaburara people. In the nineteenth century they were completely wiped out in what is called the Flying Foam Massacre. Their land is now cared for by the Ngarluma people.
The peninsula is a natural gallery of figures pecked into the hard rock. There are over 4;000 motifs in the area. One of the most interesting sites shows figures climbing (perhaps away from a flood?) Parraruru (Robert Churnside), now deceased, relates a flood story of this region. Pulpul, Cuckoo, was then a man and lived on the peninsula. The sea began rising. He thought what to do about it. It rose and rose, then he said ‘Down, down.’ It went down and he became a bird just at that moment.
In another story from the neighbouring Jindjiparndi people, the seas rose until they flooded the land 30 miles inland before being stopped by Pulpul. It is said that mangroves still grow there.
Bush-nut husband and wife See Bark huts and shelters.
Byamee See Biame.
Byron Bay Byron Bay in northern New South Wales is close to an important woman’s fertility site situated at Broken Head.
Lorraine Mafi-Williams, an important woman story-teller and custodian of culture, lives in the town.
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