Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/672

As soon as they had circumcised their father, they set out on their journey, everywhere circumcising youths and men. Coming to Kunauana^[1] they found a number of people who had collected to circumcise some young men by means of fire. They approached quietly, and then, suddenly springing forward, they circumcised the youths with their Tula before the men knew what was being done. Seeking for those who had performed the operation so skilfully, and seeing the two Mura-muras enveloped in a mist, they shouted out, "Kadri-pariwilpa-ulu" These now came forward, and showing the Tula to them, said, "In future make your boys into men with this, instead of using fire, which has caused the death of many; thus they will all remain living, for 'Turu nari ya tula tepi.'"^[2] Turning to the youths whom they had circumcised, they admonished them not to have access to women, or even to be seen by them, while their wounds were unhealed, nor to show their wounds to any one, otherwise they would certainly die.

The two Mura-muras wandered through all the land, carrying the Tula everywhere for circumcision, and were everywhere honoured as the benefactors of mankind.

The Malku-malku-ulu.^[3] A Legend of the Karanguru And Ngameni

A large number of people had assembled at Tuntchara,^[4] for the circumcision ceremony, at which there was an old Mura-mura who had provided Palyara^[5] for food, and who rejoiced over the sweet smell thereof as it was being cooked. In the evening, as they sat round the fire, singing the

1. Properly, Kudna-ngauana, from Kudna, "filth," "excrement," and ngaua, "light."
2. That is, "Fire is death, and the stone is life."
3. This is a Ngameni word, the Dieri equivalent being Tippa-tippa-ulu, meaning "the two with the Tippa" that is, a pubic tassel, made from the tails of the Kapita, the native rabbit (Peragale lagotis), and worn by the men for decency.
4. This Ngameni and Karanguru word means "powdered human bones," and refers to a number of bones which are said to have accumulated there, by reason of deaths through the use of fire in circumcision.
5. This is the long-snouted marsupial rat.