DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.73431#0064
BEILAGE I
A. W. Howitt. — On some Australian Beliefs. In: The Journal of the An-
thropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. XIII. London 1884.
S. 191. (Bericht von J. C. Muirhead.)
When a strong black dies they think that some other black has put a spell
on him. The corpse is placed upon a frame and covered over with boughs.
These boughs must be of some tree of the same "class" as the dead. Suppose
that he were of the Banbe class division, these boughs of the broad-leaved box
tree would be used, for this tree is Banbe. Men of the Mallera class (of which
Banbe and Kurgila are the subdivisions) would place the boughs over him. After
placing the body on a frame, which is raised on four forked sticks, they care-
fully work the ground underneath with their feet into dust, and smooth it so,
that the slightest mark or print can be observed. Then they make a big fire
close to the spot and retire to their camp. Before leaving they mark a number
of trees so that this "blazed line" leads back to the frame with the corpse. This
is to prevent the dead man following them. The following morning the relations
of the deceased inspect the ground under the corpse. If the track or mark of
some animal bird, reptile, etc., is found, they infer from it the totem of the
person who caused the death of their relative. For all things belong to one or
other of two great classes, Mallera und Wuthera. For instance, if the track
of a native dog were seen they would know that the offender was Banbe-Mal-
lera, for to this sub-class and class does the Dingo belong.
BEILAGE II
A. W. Howitt. — Fürther Notes on the Australian Class System. In: Journal
of the Anthropological Institute. Vol. XVIII. London 1889. S. 62 ff.
Light is thrown upon the structure and the development of the class divi-
sions by considering the mechanical method used by the Wotjobaluk to pre-
serve and explain a record of their classes and totems, and of their relation
to those and to each other.
My informant worked this record out by laying down pieces of stick on
the ground, determing their directions by the sun, and I took the directions
of these sticks by the compass.
The stick No. 1 was first placed in a direction due east then stick 2 was
laid down pointing N. 70° E. They represented the two sub-divisions of the
Ngaui division of Krokich and the people belonging to them or forming them
were called "Ngaui-nga-guli", or "men of the sun". The direction in which the
sticks pointed indicated how the individual was to be laid in bis grave. That
is to say, his head was laid due east, or 20° north of east, as respectively
A. W. Howitt. — On some Australian Beliefs. In: The Journal of the An-
thropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland. Vol. XIII. London 1884.
S. 191. (Bericht von J. C. Muirhead.)
When a strong black dies they think that some other black has put a spell
on him. The corpse is placed upon a frame and covered over with boughs.
These boughs must be of some tree of the same "class" as the dead. Suppose
that he were of the Banbe class division, these boughs of the broad-leaved box
tree would be used, for this tree is Banbe. Men of the Mallera class (of which
Banbe and Kurgila are the subdivisions) would place the boughs over him. After
placing the body on a frame, which is raised on four forked sticks, they care-
fully work the ground underneath with their feet into dust, and smooth it so,
that the slightest mark or print can be observed. Then they make a big fire
close to the spot and retire to their camp. Before leaving they mark a number
of trees so that this "blazed line" leads back to the frame with the corpse. This
is to prevent the dead man following them. The following morning the relations
of the deceased inspect the ground under the corpse. If the track or mark of
some animal bird, reptile, etc., is found, they infer from it the totem of the
person who caused the death of their relative. For all things belong to one or
other of two great classes, Mallera und Wuthera. For instance, if the track
of a native dog were seen they would know that the offender was Banbe-Mal-
lera, for to this sub-class and class does the Dingo belong.
BEILAGE II
A. W. Howitt. — Fürther Notes on the Australian Class System. In: Journal
of the Anthropological Institute. Vol. XVIII. London 1889. S. 62 ff.
Light is thrown upon the structure and the development of the class divi-
sions by considering the mechanical method used by the Wotjobaluk to pre-
serve and explain a record of their classes and totems, and of their relation
to those and to each other.
My informant worked this record out by laying down pieces of stick on
the ground, determing their directions by the sun, and I took the directions
of these sticks by the compass.
The stick No. 1 was first placed in a direction due east then stick 2 was
laid down pointing N. 70° E. They represented the two sub-divisions of the
Ngaui division of Krokich and the people belonging to them or forming them
were called "Ngaui-nga-guli", or "men of the sun". The direction in which the
sticks pointed indicated how the individual was to be laid in bis grave. That
is to say, his head was laid due east, or 20° north of east, as respectively