The Forbidden Gaze: The 1948 Wubarr ceremony performed for the American–Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land

Abstract

They bin make im Ubarr, everyone bin go there, make that Ubarr, and they bin look that didjeridu. 'Hey! Ubarr alright!' And everyone they bin know…I went in front. They tell me…'This thing you can't tell im kid, you can't tell im friend, you can't tell im anybody, even your wife. You find your son…you can't tell im story about Ubarr, you got to tell im what I'm telling you now. This "outside" story. Anyone can listen, kid, no-matter who, but this "inside" story you can't say. If you go in Ring-place, middle of a Ringplace, you not supposed to tell im anybody…but oh, e's nice.' 2-Bill Neidjie

Survival, Social Cohesion and Rock Art: The Painted Hands of Western Arnhem Land, Australia

“…With the loss of life and the movement of people across the region, people were forced to re-evaluate their priorities, including commitments to ceremonial life. For example, particular ceremonies seemed to have been abandoned and new ones introduced (Berndt & Berndt 1970, 124;Garde 2011;Thomson 1949).…”

“…48G.) importance of different ceremonies, introductions from other regions and the coalition of elements from distinct ceremonies into new amalgams have all been documented over the last 100 years in the region (e.g Berndt & Berndt 1970;Garde 2011;.…”

Foundational Sources and Purposes of Authority in Madayin

“…143 Another 2011 source states that Kunapipi has replaced Ngurlmarrk. 144 One possible explanation is, as Berndt has noted, that Kunapipi 'conventionally includes ritual coitus, but the songs may be sung without that accompaniment'; 145 it may be that the ritual coitus element has been dropped from the contemporary practice of Kunapipi. Another possibility is that Gaykamangu and Gaymarani have described the 'outside' or publicly knowable ('garma' in Yolngumatha) aspects of Kunapipi but not the 'inside' or secret aspects ('dhuyu' in Yolngumatha).…”

Doing things with toponyms: the pragmatics of placenames in Western Arnhem Land

“…Nevertheless, the identity and role of the participants in this particular speech event do not invalidate the point that placenames can also be used as substitutes for personal names in other contexts involving interaction between native speakers. Reference to recently deceased people by personal name is tabooed in Australian Aboriginal cultures and there are a number of strategies used to avoid this (see also Garde 2008a). The initial strategies used by speaker AB in (19), line 3 (a kin term and subsection) failed to establish the identity of the deceased person in my mind.…”