The Native Tribes of Central Australia

by Baldwin Spencer, Francis James Gillen

1898

Nature of country, distribution and names of local group, totemic groups; the Alatunja or headman and his powers; councils of old men, medicine men; Hunting customs, foods, cooking, tracking ability; two exogamous intermarrying groups (Urabunna, Arunta, Ilpirra, Kaitish, Waagai, Warramunga, Iliaura, Bingongina); terms of relationship, avoidance, regulation of marriage by totem (Urabunna); class divisions; totems - Arunta, Urabunna; examples of totem names, ceremonies of the Engwura showing way in which each individual acquires his or her totemic name; wanderings of Alcheringa ancestors, the ritual objects, conception belief; Intichiuma ceremonies, food taboos; timing of holding rituals - Udniringita (witchetty grubs), Erlia (emu), Unjiamba (Hakea), Ilpirla (Manna), Yarumpa (honey ant), Quatcha (water) songs (no translation), place where Okira (kangaroo) ceremony is held - Undiara, cave painting, history of Ungutnika of Undiara, the kangaroo & the Kangaroo men; relationship between the individual & the totem; initiation - detailed account of all rites throwing boy in air, circumcision, body ornaments, sacred objects, performance of certain sacred ceremonies, subincision, burning of blood; meaning of subincision, initiation of women & parts played by women in other ceremonies; words given of few songs, myths behind ceremonies; traditions dealing with origin of the Alcheringa ancestors of the Arunta (maps show tracks followed by the four groups of Achilpa and the spots at which they camped and of the various groups of Udnirringita & of Emu men, their tracks, & other localities concerned with traditions; customs concerning the knocking out of teeth, nose boring, growth of breasts, blood, blood letting, blood giving, blood drinking, hair, childbirth, food restrictions, cannibalism; customs of Kurdaitcha & Illapurinja & the avenging party or Atninga; types of burial, mourning, ceremony to remove ban of silence, body painting; spirit individuals - Iruntarinia & Arumburinga; making & powers of medicine men, forms of magic - pointing bone, love magic, magic to secure growth of beard, magic objects used to cure, sympathetic magic; methods of obtaining wives - charming by magic, capture, gives punishments for elopement, regular method; clothing & personal adornment, general remarks on implements & weapons (spears, spearthrowers, shields, boomerangs, stone knives, stone hatchets, adze, fighting club; musical instruments; types of pitchis (wooden containers); rock paintings & their designs, body decoration sacred & secular; Appendix A; Names of natives gives sub class, totem, personal name in ordinary use, sacred or ritual object name; Appendix B; Wilyaru ceremony of the Urabunna tribe; Appendix C; Table of measurements - Arunta (20 males, 10 females) [this table missing from edition scanned].

Across Australia

by Baldwin Spencer, Francis James Gillen

1912

V.1, chap.2; Lake Eyre region & the Urabunna tribe; Tjantjiwanperta camp; two classes, marriage regulations, totems, descent; account of ceremony for increase of snakes, gives two lines of song (no translation); final ceremony of initiation scarification, myth relating to scars representing the bell bird, three lines of song; chap.3; From Oodnadatta to Charlotte Waters; chap.4; Animal and plant of the Lower Steppes - notes on the water bearing frog; origin of the dingo; chap.5; Charlotte Waters to the Macdonnell Ranges (Arunta) collection of Claytonia seeds for foods, use of grinding stones; tradition relating to site at Engurdina; totem centre at Undiarra (east of Henbury), legend, rock paintings, kangaroo increase ceremony; chap.6; The desert region of Lake Amadeus - rock paintings George Gill Ranges; pitchuri plant used as narcotic & for catching emus, trading; names of native wells; Ayers Rock - Luritja family; paintings - description given of 17 figures, drawings in caves; digging for honey ants; Mount Olga - setting fire to grass to aid catching animals, method of cleaning & cooking kangaroo, division of food; chap.7; The Higher Steppes lizards as food; Finke River Gorge (Arunta & Luritja tribes); chap.8; The Arunta natives and some of their customs and beliefs - methods of carrying children, childhood training, physical characters, hair form & dressing, body ornaments (men & women), notes on moieties, marriage rules, relationship terms; Arunta origin belief, totemic groups; Ertnatulunga place for keeping ritual objects, nature and meaning of designs on 16 ritual objects of Arunta, Warramunga, Kaitish, Urabunna, Luritja tribes; rain making ceremony at Charlotte Waters, body decorations described; chap.9; Alice Springs and the Arunta - native family at Ooraminna, camp life, fire making (2 methods given), weapons - stone axe, flaked stone knife, spear & spearthrower, boomerangs; description of corroboree (Altherta) called Tjitjingalla; account of avenging expedition, tribal fights.