The Tiwi Language

93

5 THE FIRST FUNERAL DANCE (I)

milimika pu-u9-k9jimi, milimika r/a rjara alikampwamU apu wuta rjara i^imini
4Jnnce pi they-lk-make dance pi for him pelican well they his brother

jmjkBnarjki. waij aurjwara joi pu-ui-mi kayi milimika, pu-tB-ua-waijajjir-aJiin,
engle now here dance they-lk-do at dance pi they-p-lk-compete-recip

wuta alikampwcun a'wi namini j^at^kanayki, waruma pu'ta-ja-pidn-ani. ap awara
ihcy pelican and that eagle dance they-p-lk-hit-rep that

^^ni wani'tampuf^a kapi-narfki, rfani joi wu-ji-mi, a-wuta kapi-narfki
them-follow pl-here when dance they-lk-do that-they pl-here

tymajii ijarakaraki uatuwati. awarawojja, am-pa-japa-ta-kuja, jir^wampa
(his two island the same she-np-them-fut-die others

Qwarawoya joi wu-ta-ami, j(arakalan-uwi, jtatif^oj-uwi, waij awara jati kayi
the same dance they-fut-do turtle-pl boy-pl now that one where

pu-ja-kauimi wuta alikampwajni wuta jlar^kanaijki, kipima karampi —
ihey-lk-make they pelican they eagle pelican far

amujjkwa pwa^a, rfani kauama Jli-na-ji-piin-ani. wuta iaijkanarjki^ wut
no bone when dance he-loc-lk-hit-rep they eagle they

alikampwajni,^ wut awuta pu-ta-na-ji-pamayi kauama. ap awuta
pelican they those they-p-loc-lk-know dance and those

f^an-tU'Wan-tampun-offimi, ka rjara ma-manta purukupajli, rjara mojntirja
we-p-them-foUow-all to his pl-friend Purukupajli he boss

purukupajli. Jii-mu-kum rjara majani kiijli-ni, purukupajli. apu waij aurjwara
Purukupajli she-him-die his son little-m Purukupajli now here

joi pu-ji-mi. taikuwa-pi wuta'ji rjani jarakapai joi wu-ji-mi. (only)
dance they-lk-do all-pl mixed when crocodile dance they-lk-do only

jati purukupajli majntina. jati majntina purukupajli. jitjkuj-ti majntir}a awara
one Purukupajli boss one boss Purukupajli big-m boss " that

purukupajli. ji-i-mara-mu taikuwa-rja jimpajliffa. wamutiroja^ wamutiroja,
Purukupajli he-lk-with-sit many-f woman ten ten

tjar awara ji-i-mara-mu purukupajli. jitjkuj'ti majntina awara. ju'wan-tojlimpiri
he that he-lk-with-sit Purukupajli big-m boss that he-them-carry

taikuwa-pi kapi-nmjki.
all-pl pl-this

Textual Note

i The informant actually said wuta ^arjkanaijki wuta narakati, *eagle and eagle',
but what he meant to say was wuta ^aijkanarjki wut alikampwojni, *eagle and
pehcan', and I have amended the text accordingly, jarakati (pronounced ijarakati
by this informant) is simply an alternative name for jtarjkanarjki, the white-breasted
sea eagle.

Translatioii

They made a dancing place, a dancing place for Alikampwajni and his brother-
in-law Xagkonagki.! Then they danced at the dancing place. They competed with
one another, Alikampwajni and Xatjksnarjki. They did the waruma.^ And these
people here follow them in that when they dance, these people on these two islands.
And, when they are all dead, others will dance just the same. Women and men will
dance that same one that was made by Alikampwajni and X^ilkonagki.

94

The pelican was by far the best, because he was supple when he did kdjamar>
Xar}k9nar)ki and Alikampwaini, they really knew how to kduama. We have followed
them, Purukupajli's friends. Purukupajli was the boss. His little son was dead.
That was when they danced. Everyone is mixed up when they do the crocodile dance.
Only Purukupajli is boss. Only Purukupajli is boss. He was a big boss that
Purukupajli. He had many women. He had twenty. He was a big boss, that one.
He ruled over all these people.

Explanatory Notes

1 Text 5 is an account of the original funeral dance, held according to Purukupajli's
instructions after the death of his son Xip^ni. All funeral dances held since then,
and all those to be held in the future, are modelled on this original dance and
derive from Purukupajli's command. Alikampwajni (pelican) and Xai)konar)ki
(white-breasted sea eagle) were the original dancers. The dancing place referred
to is a circular space cleared of stumps, roots and stones so that the dancers will
not hurt their feet.

2 waruma is a dance imitative of that performed by pelicans. The legs are kept
wide apart and the arms are bent over the chest and flapped like wings.

3 kamma is an alternative name for waruma.

6 THE FIRST FUNERAL DANCE (H)

kari rjara niBAani, Jiipani, paJiurjwani ji-pinti, apa ji-i-mi nakayi,

when his son Xioani dead he-stand then he-lk-say look

'^na-rU'Wa'ji! r^a-ru-wa'ji tp-ra-kBdimi tutini. na-ru-wa^ji ^d-ra-kauimi tutini.
pl-imp-go pl-imp-go pl-imp-make post pl-imp-go pl-imp-make post

pakiffa jilaniya' — paupau a-wu-ra-apL kUiiini awara — '^apa, kari waija
first" dance clap he-cp-fut-do little that then when already

(finishim)! — j^ari rjam-pd-dd-kuu^ji, kari rfam-pB-uB-piaijaniya jakuiuwini,
finish when you-np-lk-finish when you-np-lk-clear ground

ap aurjwari t^B-ru-waji-pa r^B-rjan-ta-liara.'' pojtua, ^rja-wij^a waija rjani waija
then pl-imp-go-loc pl-me-imp-tell then we-go now as now

jiloti. joi. auikula-ni. joi.* pattuarj ki joi pu-ji-mi. tjira-^tu

final dance big-m dance finished then dance they-lk-do she-too

jimpajlit}a pamatikimi. r}ira-'tu pamatikimi jimpaulina, apa nira Jfi-i-majirjara.
woman" Pamatikimi she-too Pamatikimi woman she she-lk-sit

nira-tu jjorfa ii-i-mi ijdni — r}ira-'tu j^orja p-i-mi — ijara purukupajli
she-too other she-lk-do er she-too other she-lk-do he Purukupajli

rjunanta-ni apu ijara ji-i-mi kiau. pili rjara auikula-ni^ rjara ka/lu
bereaved-m he he-lk-do kiau for he big-m he not

kijijli-n-amaui. rjara auikula-ni. rjara ji-i-'mu aurjwari, joi ji-i-mi. iiira-tu
little-m-not he big-m he he-lk-sit when dance he-lk-do she-too

jimpajli^a Jii-i-mi, pamatikimi. mua nar-uwi, auikula-rja wuta. iiira-tu
woman she-lk-do Pamatikimi our mother-pl big-f they she-too

waijai, waijai jli-i-m-ani. waija wuta rjara punaj-uwi, purukupajli.

Waijai Waijai she-lk-do-rep already they his wife-pl Purukupajli.

95

Textual Note

1 The informant broke off at this point and apologised for using an English word.

Translation

When his son, Jiljani, was dead, he called outi *Go, all of you! You must go and
make grave posts. Go and make grave posts !2 First there will be a preliminary
dance,'3 (that's when they clap.^ It's a httle dance) *then, when you have finished
— when you have finished, when you have cleared the ground,^ come and tell me.'
Then,6 *We're going, as there's a big dance now!? A dance. A big one. A dance.'
Then they danced. She too the woman Pamatikimi.8 She too Pamatikimi the woman.
Then she sat down. Then the other woman — the other woman.^ But first the
bereaved Purukupaali stretched out his arms,io for he was a big man.n He
was not young. He was a big man. First he sat down, then he danced. The woman
Pamatikimi danced as well. Our mothers were big. Waijai as well, Waijai danced.
They were Purukupaili's wives.

Explanatory Notes

1 Both pronouns refer to Purukupaili. The death of Tioani occurs in the story of
Purukupajli and Tapara (Text 1). Text 6, like Text 5, is an account of the original
funeral ceremony — that held by Purukupajli for his dead son.

2 The grave posts are carved painted posts, anything from five to fifteen feet high,
and anything up to fifteen in number, which are stood in the ground around the
grave. The only reason the Tiwi can give for making the posts is that Purukupajli
conmianded it.

3 A Tiwi funeral ceremony consists of a series of dances held at intervals over a
period of several months. There are first a number of small preliminary dances
(called jilaniya), and then the whole series culminates in a big final dance (called
jiloti).

4 The Tiwi clap their hands on their buttocks to provide the rhythmic beat for
dancing.

5 A circular space is cleared for dancing by removing all stones and other objects
which might hurt the dancers' feet. The ground is, of course, only soft dust, so,
once the stones are removed, the dancers can stamp as hard as they like.

^ The reader has to imagine a time interval at this point, during which all the
preliminaries have been gone through and the day of the final dance has arrived.
That is, the final dance, jiloti.

8 Pamatikimi (angel fish) was one of Purukupajli's wives.

9 Waijai.

10 The informant suddenly remembered that, before the women could dance, the
proceedings had to be begun by Purukupajli. Purukupajli begins the ceremony
by extending his arms horizontally in imitation of the outspread wings of
Tai3k3naT)ki (white-breasted sea eagle), and intoning the necessary ritual phrases.
The congregation respond to each phrase with a shout of *ia!\

1 1 Not big in a physical sense, of course, but in the sense of seniority and importance.

7

Osborne, C. R. 1974. The Tiwi Language. Canberra:
Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies.