Miwal Ga Djambuwal a Djam G B L U a W W I a L First Published in 2018 by M

Miwal Ga Djambuwal a Djam G b l u a w w i a l First published in 2018 by M

Batchelor Press, Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education Cnr Nurndina Street and Kirra Crescent, Batchelor NT 0845 Phone: 08 8939 7352 | Website: www.batchelorpress.com.au Email: [email protected]

The story and images in this book contain traditional knowledge of the Marrangu Djinang people, and have been presented with the consent and knowledge of the storytellers and knowledge custodians. Dealing with any part of the knowledge for any purpose that has not been authorised may breach the customary laws of the Marrangu Djinang people and others who hold rights through kinship to this story, and may also breach copyright and moral rights under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth). Please contact the publisher for any details.

ISBN: [to be allocated]

Miwal ga Djambawal ‘Spirit Woman and Spirit Boy’ Written and illustrated by Stanley Rankin Illustrations coloured by Abigail Carter Layout and design by Abigail Carter and Sarah Martin Linguistic support: Rebecca Green and Margaret Carew

This project has been supported by the Lúrra Language and Culture program at Maningrida College, The Northern Territory Department of Education and the Centre for Australian Languages and Linguistics at Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education.

Indigenous Languages and Arts

2 a Djam G b l u a w w i a l M

3 Birr baman ngurrununggarl Marrakula, Marrangu, Gundarra, Rirratjingu, Djurruli bapurrurr-nyi bili gubini miwatj-ngiri, Miwal ga Djangkala yagirri Djambuwal. Bili gurrtji nyany-kirinyi bili raygu-raygu djin-kirinyi, galngi buluk-girningi.

4 5 Bili yulguli gurrbiwi yagirri Manguwi. Girri Miwal-dji yagirri yirrpini yirralka girri ngadjini “yuu, yuu”.

6 7 Girri bili walmini raygu-raygu djin-kirinyi, wurrdjara-mirri bili yulguli, bili gurrtji nyany-kirinyi.

8 9 Bili gurrtji nyany-kiriny. Girri bili nyangini ngalkanydji, girri bili gulukungili ga bili ngadjini girri wugirli rirrkiyan bili yirrpini. Gurrbi yagirri, Walkibimirri.

10 11 Ga yili wurpi marrngini giniri ngunyili Manamaningdjarri ga Malidjal ga Bundadjarri.

12 13 Girri yani yulguli gurrbi yagirri Djimbi ga Malidjal girri. Ragi-rurrtjimini ngurlili ngunyili Gurriba, Walada ga Balpanarra.

14 15 Miwal biliny nyangini Djangkawu mirrpili girri inydji wangini, “Ngilimi djiningi ngapagutjarra.”

16 17 Translation 1. A long time ago, in the Dreamtime, a Spirit Woman called Miwal, and a Spirit Boy called Djambuwal left five tribes (called Marrakula, Marrangu, Gondarra, Rirratjingu and Djuruli). They came dancing along moving their heads right and left, with their bodies decorated in white.

2. They came to a place called Manguwi. Miwal gave the place that name, and then she started to cry like this, “yuu, yuu”.

3. Then they went up, dancing along. And they came to some short palm trees and danced around them, looking around for sugarbag.

4. They kept on dancing through the forest and they found a frill- necked lizard. They tried to catch it but the frill-necked lizard ran away. They cried and then the boy changed into a stone. This area is named Walkibimirri.

5. They heard another voice crying out at a place called Manamaningdjarri, a jungle area, and on the floodplains near Marlidjal and Bundadjarri (they are also spiritual landscapes).

6. Then Miwal came to the places called Djimbi and Malidjal. She came to a billabong and got some spike rush corms. She shared the bush tucker with the other spirit named Gumurringu on the islands Gurriba, Walarda and Balparnarra.

7. Miwal saw another two female spirits called Djangkawu. The Djangkawu spirit said to Miwal, “we will call each other grandmother and granddaughter”. Come with us and we’ll follow the sunset.”

19 The language of this book Djinang is a language that belongs to the Ramingining district of north-central Arnhem Land. There are also many Djinang people who live in Maningrida, where Stanley Djalarra Rankin is based. Djinang is a Djuwinga dialect – the Yirritjinga dialect called Wurlaki is closely related to Djinang. Many of Stanley’s family speak Wurlaki – many of them live in Maningrida and also at outstations on the eastern side of the Blyth River such as Garttji and Gamardi.

Maningrida N Ngarráku ARAFURA SEA Language Map

Kabálko Boucaut dda Yinangarnduwa djú N Bay r •Na-marládja e v i R Nardilmuk

La l larr G o Kaddjarráma u-ji o rra Gamurra Nakalarramba p pa Yilan r Gu-yurra e Manayingkarírra Berraja v i Na-barla Ji-marda

L Namokardabu Mayirri Ki-nindawabba Gupanga Gorrong- YURRWI Gorrong Mewirnba Ji-bena Ji-malawa Milingimbi Barnamarrákka Damdam Ka-nóra Barlparnarra Gochan Swamp Wurdeja Djin.garr Jiny-jirra A

Nangak nk T a

bar and Marrkolidjban o rbirri Mu-gurta

m Gamardi Gartji

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v r i C Arafura r i e L v r v Buluhkaduru e e Swamp i r e k R

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G l Manmoyi l e d a Mankorlod C e k r e C

Settlement

Road r b a River m Area covered I m i Language Korlobidahdah by this map Rock country

n Swamp n Malnjangarnak a 0 5 10 15 20 km M Scale Word list

Balparnarra A place on Gurnimba country, connected to the Miwal story Bambildjarri A place connected to the Miwal story bapurrurr clan network; a group of clans that share a song line bili then birr baman a long time ago buluk white fluff from plants; kapok down buluk-girningi decorated with white fluff, attached to the body with sap Bundadjarri A place connected to the Miwal story Djambawal, Djangkala the two names of a Marrangu spirit boy Djangkawu Two sisters, spirit beings from North-East Arnhem Land Djimbi A place on Marrangu Djinang country djin-kirinyi they travelled along (djin ‘they’ + kiri ‘go along’) djiningi this Djurruli an eastern clan name - in the east this is pronounced as Dhurruli galngi body, an entire thing girri finish, time to move on to the next thing gubini left (past tense of gubidji ‘leave’) gulukungili chase Gundarra An eastern clan name gurrbi place Gurriba A place connected to the Miwal story gurrtji tree gurrtji-nyanykirinyi go along looking for something (such as honey) indji each other (indji wangini ‘they said to each other’) Malidjal A place connected to the Miwal story Manamaningdjarri A place on Marrangu Djinang country Manguwi A place on Marrangu Djinang country Marrakula An eastern clan name Marrangu A clan group name, these clans are connected through the travels of Miwal and Djambawal marrngini heard (past tense of marrngirrdji ‘hear’) mirrpili two Miwal the name of a Marrangu spirit woman miwatj the east, sunrise 20 ngadjini cried (past tense of ngadjidji ‘cry’) ngalkandji frill-necked lizard ngapagutjarra a kinship term, used for the relationship between Djangkawu and Miwal ngilimi we all ngunyili to there (somewhere in the distance) ngurlili from here (place just mentioned) ngurrununggarl old days nyangirni saw (past tense of nyangi ‘see’) nyany-kirinyi go along looking for something, such as sugarbag ragi spike rush (Eleocharis dulcis) raygu-raygu swaying; a characteristic movement made by Miwal as she danced along looking up into the trees for sugarbag Rirratjingu an eastern clan, part of the Marrangu song line rirrkiyan stone, rock – Miwal transformed into a rock that now stands on Marrangu country rurrtjimini washed clean Walada a place connected to the Miwal story Walada A place connected to the Miwal story walmini went up (past tense of walmidji ‘go up’) wangini spoke (past tense of wangidji ‘speak’) wugirli image, shadow wurpi another wurrdjara-mirri place where there are sand palms yagirri name yani sent yili again yirralka place yirrpini put, gave a name to something (past tense of yirrpigi ‘put in position’) yul person yulguli arrived (past tense of yulgungi ‘arrive’)

21 Stanley Djalarra Rankin Stanley Djalarra Rankin works in the Lúrra Language and Culture team at Maningrida College. His father’s language is Djinang and his mother’s language is Wurlaki. Both of these languages are part of the Yolngu group, from country to the east of Maningrida. Stanley is also part of the Marrangu people, who share a songline that stretches from Ritjarrngu country on the Gulf of Carpentaria right up towards the mouth of the Blyth River. The songline also travels towards the east to Raymanggirr, a place close to Gapuwiyak owned by the Balkarranydji, who are another Marrangu clan. This songline celebrates the travels of Djarwarri, the Honey spirit and the spirit woman who is called Miwal by the Djinang Marrangu. Different Marrangu clans have different names for this spirit woman.

The Miwal story is sacred to the Marrangu Djinang people. Stanley is one of the ceremonial leaders of the Wurrkiganydjarr clan group and performs the songs that are part of this story in ceremonies throughout the Maningrida region.

Scan this code to watch a film about Miwal, made by Stanley and his countrymen in 2015.

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