Story by Tina Mayulwuy and Daphne Gumiyalawuy. Transcription and translation by Emma Smolenaers.
Illustrations by Kenisha Gurruwiwi. Design by Llani Caffery Panuve.
Page 2
Baman'tja yolŋu'-yulŋu gan nhinan raŋiŋur, ŋathi, ŋama', mäḻu, wuḻman märi'mu ga djamarrkuḻi'.
Once, yolŋu were sitting at the beach, grandfather (maternal), mum, dad, old man grandfather (paternal), and the children.
Page 3
Maṉḏany mäḻuny ga ŋathiny marrtjin ṉakuy miyapunuw runu'lil.
Father and Grandfather went by canoe to the island for turtle.
Page 4
Ga ŋamany' waŋan, "Way, Wuḻman! Galki roŋiyirra dhu ŋathiny ga mäḻuny miyapunuŋurnydja. Wanha yikiny?"
And mum said, "Hey, old man! Soon grandfather and father will return with turtle. Where's the knife?"
Page 5
"Galkurr ŋarra märram warraw'ŋur," bitjarr wuḻman waŋan. Marrtjin ḻarruŋal ŋayi ga bäyŋu.
"Wait and I'll bring one from the shelter," said the old man. He went and looked but found nothing.
Page 6
Bala walal dhu djamarrkuḻiny' waŋan, "Ŋama'! Bäyŋun yikiny, nhaltjana limurr dhu?"
Then the children said, "Mum! There's no knife, what will we do?"
Page 7
Ga wuḻmandja waŋan, "Manymak, ŋarran dhu djäma nhä napurr gan bäki ŋäthil."
The old man said, "It's okay, I'll make one how we use to in the old days".
Page 8
Djamarrkuḻiny' waŋan, "Wuḻman, nhä nhuma gan ŋäthildja bäki?" Wuḻmandja waŋan, "Go marrtji walal. Ŋarra dhu milkum nhä napurr gan bäki.
"The children said, "Old man, what did you use in the old days?"
The old man said, "Come, lets go. I'll show you what we used."
Page 9
Bala walal marrtjin guṉḏan wapmaraŋal bala djäman yikin ga ḏakulnha.
Then they went and collected rocks to make a knife and an axe.
Prepared by J. Galpagalpa, D. Wanymuli, M. Wilkinson and L. de Veer.
Illustrations by Andie Clements, Jo-Anne Thorne, Zhou Xiaoping, and
Kenisha Gadatharryurwuy.
Compiled by Emma Smolenaers, Sherilyn Dhamarraṉdji, Assistant Teachers and Andie Clements with assistance from Daisy Goṉḏarra and Fred Munyirinyir.
Design by Andie Clements.
Published in 1984 as the chapters 'Human Classifications' and 'Artifacts' in Dhuwal Djambarrpuyŋu Dhäruk Mala Ga Mayali' printed and published by Yirrkala Community School LPC. Additional entries compiled into 'Buku-Djuḻkmaranhamirr' chapter by Emma Smolenaers, Assistant Teachers and Andie Clements from Alan Walkers' Macassan influence on Aboriginal languages and culture of Northern Australia paper July 1987.
First published in 1984 as the chapters 'Food, Cooking and Fire', 'Artifacts - For Camp Use', 'Land and Sky' in Dhuwal Djambarrpuyŋu Dhäruk Mala Ga Mayali' printed and published by Yirrkala Community School LPC. Additional entries compiled into Chapters from Dhuwal Djambarrpuyŋu Dhäruk Mala Ga Mayali' by Andie Clements
Prepared by J. Galpagalpa, D. Wanymuli, M. Wilkinson and L. de Veer. Compiled by Emma Smolenaers, Andie Clements, Fred Munyirinyir, Classroom Assistant Teachers and Learning on Country Staff.
Illustrations by Jo-Anne Thorne, Margaret Muṯuwili, Andie Clements and Emma Smolenaers.
Yo. Dhuwal dhu ŋarra gurrupan dhäwu miny'tjipuy, miny'tji ŋalitjalaŋ, Dhuwa ga Yirritja miny'tji. Miny'tji ŋayi ŋalitjalaŋ ga ŋorra, gamunuŋgu, djalkiri, wäŋaŋur mala ŋarakaŋur, ga bulu ŋayi ŋuli miny'tji buku-law'maram ŋali bäpurruŋur, ga bulu ŋayi miny'tji ga ŋorra ŋunha manikayŋur ŋalitjalaŋ. Dhuwaliyi mala ŋalitjilaŋ ḻuku miny'tji ŋunhi ŋali ŋuli buku-dhawaṯmaram. Ga yindi ŋunha Ŋärraŋur. Dhuwaŋur Yirritjaŋur Ŋärraŋur, miny'tji ŋayi ga ŋorra. Ga nhämuny' ŋalitjalaŋ riŋgitj miny'tji wäŋaŋur mala, ŋunhi ŋalitjalaŋ ga miny'tji maŋutji-lakaram ŋalitjalaŋ Dhuwaw ga Yirritjaw. Balanya. Warrpam' ŋayi dhuwali, ŋayi ga gungam miny'tjinydja wanha ŋayi garramat gäpaḻaḻyu ga ŋayatham ŋanyan maŋandhu Dhuway ga Yirrijtay.
Dhuwali ŋalitjalaŋ miny'tjiny. Ga ŋunha munathay. Balanya. Dhuwaw ga Yirritjaw.
Daŋataŋawuŋ
Our Colours
I am about to tell a story about miny'tji, our miny'tji, Dhuwa and Yirritja miny'tji. Our miny'tji is here, ancestral designs, ancestral foundation, in lands, and also miny'tji lies across clan groups, and lies in our songlines. Such ancestral miny'tji is what we enact (we make ancestral past appear in the present).
There in the big ceremony, Ŋärra, in Dhuwa and Yirritja Ŋärra, miny'tji is there. Miny'tji is associated with our sacred, ancestral places, that is what the miny'tji shows us, Dhuwa and Yirritja. Like that. All miny’tji is held, where miny'tji is in the water, in the land, or in the clouds up above, Dhuwa and Yirritja clouds hold it.
This is our miny'tji. And the earth holds and protects it, it’s just like that. For Dhuwa and Yirritja.
Daŋataŋa
Earlier books in this series:
Body parts and Products
Ganyu, Gäḏany and Guṉḏa
Ground work for part of the section "Food, Cooking and Fire" of this book comes from the work of Wanymuli 1 and Melanie Wilkinson in 1980. Over 1981/82 many people from Galiwin'ku have further contributed to the information in this booklet and I would like especially to mention Galpagalpa 1 and his wives, the Yolŋu teachers at school, Garriṉba, Warrayak and other friends at the hospital and Gulipawuy.
If you think I have misunderstood any of the words, or if you think there are important words missing, etc., please let me know or write them down in the book itself. Thankyou.
L. de Veer
This wordlist has been complied by Fiona Taylor and Helen Rrikawuku using R. D. Zorc, "Yolŋumatha Dictionary", 1986 and Melanie Wilkinson's "Djambarrpuyl)u: A Yolŋu Variety of Northern Australia", 1991.
Illustrations by Cynthia Venn (c1970s) and Andie Clements (2021).
First published in 1993.
Digitised and reprinted in 2021.
Page 4:
Ŋurruŋuny nhuma ŋuli marrtji ga dharpuŋ miyapunu, bala nhuma ŋuli roŋiyin bala miyapununy raŋilil rulwaŋdhurr.
First you go and spear a turtle, then you bring it back and put the turtle on the beach.
Page 6:
Beŋurnydja nhuma ŋuli gurthan ga guṉḏirrnha wapmaraŋ, bala dhaŋalkkuŋun gurthany ga
guṉḏirrnha ŋal'-ŋalmaraŋ gurthalilnydja. Bala dhuŋgur'yurra, bäy ŋuli gi gurtha nhäri.
Then you collect fire materials and termite mounds, then make the fire for cooking, and raise the termite mounds onto the fire. Then burn, until the fire is ready.
Page 8:
Dhuwandja bawu mulmu, dhiyaŋ ŋuli dhäkaymirriyamany miyapununy.
This is the type of grass we use when cooking turtle, it makes the turtle more flavoursome.
Page 10:
Bala nhuma ŋuli wutthurra miyapununy muḻkurrnydja ga mitthurra. Bala buḏurrutjtjurra bala gali'lila ŋurrkuŋ muḻkurrnydja.
Then you hit the turtle on the head and cut it. Then twist it and the head falls to the side.
Page 12:
Bala nhuma ŋuli biyapiya, ḻirrarawu, djalpurr', gaḏayarrŋu ga biḏilan märraŋ miyapunuŋurnydja.
Then you take the intestines, stomach, oesophagus, peritoneum and liver from the turtle.
Page 14:
Ga wiripuynydja yolŋuy walal ŋuli rurrwuyuna biyapiyany marrtji, moṉukŋura gapuŋur.
Someone else will go and wash the intestines in the salt water.
Page 16:
Dhuwandja guḻun miyapunupuy yäku ḻirrarawu.
This is the turtle stomach, its name is ḻirrarawu.
Page 18:
Dhuwana ŋunhi biḏilany napurr ŋuli bondi bathan, bala marrtji ḻukan.
This is the liver, we usually cook it quickly and then eat it.
Page 20:
Ga dhuwal banikindhuny ga nhära ḻirra gäna ga bathan bili ḏamurruŋ, ga ḏoṯurrktja ŋunha ŋurrŋgitjŋura. Biḏilany ga nhära bondi napurr ŋuli ḻuka matha-yalwu.
This bucket is cooking the duodenum (part that joins stomach to the rest of intestine) separately because it is salty, and the heart is there on the coals. We cook the liver quickly because we crave to eat it.
Page 22:
Bala nhuma ŋuli dhuḏi-nhirrpula miyapununy, ga gawatjark man'tjarr ŋuli galkan guḻunlil dhäkaymirriyanharaw miyapunulil.
Then you usually stand the turtle on its base and put leaves of the Grey Boxwood tree inside to flavour the turtle.
Page 24:
Ga beŋuryiny nhuma ŋuli marrtji galkurr biyapiya ga djalpurr' miyapunulila, ga guṉḏirrnha manapul.
Then you put the intestines and oesophagus that you saved back into the turtle, and add termite mounds.
Page 26:
Biyak nhakun dhuwal, ga yan bili ga dhawar'yun dhu.
Do it like this until the end.
Page 28:
Bala wirwirmaraŋun dharpay ga bäy ŋayi dhu marrtji buŋbuŋdhun.
Then stir it with a stick until it boils.
Page 30:
Bala gunguŋun bawuynha gulmaraŋ ŋawulul. Märr ŋayi dhu djinawa miyapunu ŋunha nhära.
Then create smoke by covering with grass. So that it will cook inside the turtle.
Page 32:
Ga beŋuryiny ŋuli gumurr-waŋgapunuman miyapununy. Bala ŋuli miyapununy nhäran ga.
Then place chest-down on the fire. And cook the turtle.
Page 34:
Ga dhuwana ŋunhi manipuynydja ŋanak miyapunu ga gaḏayarrŋuny.
This is the flesh around the turtle's neck and the peritoneum.
Page 36:
Bala ŋuli warryuna gurthaŋurnydja bala guyŋarrkuman.
Then pull it from the fire and cool it down.
Page 38:
Bala beŋuryiny waṉan ga ḻukuny ŋuli mitthuna.
Then cut the arms and legs.
Page 40:
Gumurr ŋuli mitthun ŋanakkun.
Cut the chest away from the flesh.
Page 42:
Dhuwal ŋuli mitthunnydja gumurrpuy ŋaraka ŋurruŋuny ŋanakkuny.
Here we are cutting the chest bone first away from the flesh.
Page 44:
Ga bäy ŋuli warrpam'nha ŋanak maḻŋ'thun.
Until all the flesh appears.
Page 46:
Ga bala dhu gaŋga guyŋarrthirr, ga yurrnha dhu mitthunnydja.
Then when it has become a little cooler, we will cut it.
Page 48:
Ga dhiyak napurr ŋuli ga wanaŋirrtja djukurr'mirriw miyapunuwnydja.
We really like this part here, the fatty part of the turtle.
Page 50:
Dhirrithirri gumurrpuy ŋanak maṉḏany ŋuli ŋurruŋuny mitthun.
Cut the two parts of the chest flesh first.
Page 52:
Beŋuryiny baḻarra maṉḏany ŋuli mitthun.
Then cut the two parts of breast flesh.
Page 54:
Ga dhuwandja ga mitthun gumurrpuy ŋanak ga wiripuny dhuwal yäku dhirrithirri.
This is cutting the chest flesh, which has the other name of dhirrithirri.
Page 56:
Dhuwandja dhirrithirri ga ŋayatham bala dhu rulwaŋdhuna.
Here is the chest flesh we are taking and putting aside.
Page 58:
Ga dhuwandja ḻoŋgun maṉḏany ga mitthun.
And here is cutting the two ḻoŋgu.
Page 60:
Ga gumurrnydja ŋuli mitthun bala dhawar'yuna. Bala ŋuli bawuny wo gawatjark man'tjarr märram dhawaṯmaraman.
Cut the chest until it is finished. Then take out the grass or leaves.
Page 62:
Bala biyapiyany marrtji ŋuli dhawaṯmaraman bala yolŋuny walal marrtji ŋuli gurrupanmirra.
Then take out the intestines and give them to people.
Page 64:
Bala guṉḏirrnydja marrtji ŋuli djalkthun beŋur miyapunuwal ŋarakaŋur ŋurukun wiyikaw yenhuwnha.
Throw away the termite mound out of the turtle shell so that you can get the juice.
Page 66:
Warrpam' yan, märr wiyika dhu ga bulyun, ga banba ŋuli mam'thun bala guṉḏirrlil.
Take them all out so that the juice is there floating, and the dark clumps in the soup stick to the termite mounds.
Page 68:
Bala ŋuli yenhuny marrtji rarryu'-rarryuna rupa'lilnydja yolŋunydja walal.
Pour the turtle soup into a cup for people.
Page 70:
Dhuwal mala ŋunhi ŋanaktja beŋurnydja miyapunuŋurnydja warrpam'nha.
This is all the flesh taken from the turtle.
Page 72:
Ga buluny mundaka maṉḏany ŋuli mitthun.
Then cut the two fleshy parts from the base.
Page 74:
Bala dhuriyuriŋun ŋuli mitthun.
Then cut the rectum.
Page 76:
Ga djukurr' ŋuli mitthun ŋuruk dhiliŋinygu maṉḏaŋgalaŋaw.
The fatty part is cut from the two breasts.
Page 78:
Beŋuriny ŋuli burrwutjnha ḻaw'maram. Ga dhawar'maramany ŋuli mitthun ŋäriŋun. Bala marrtji ŋuli gurrupanmirra miyapununy.
Then lift the lungs out. And finish cutting the part at the bottom. Then go and share out the turtle.
Page 80:
Dhiyalnha ga dhawar'yundja miyapunupuynydja dhäwu nhä ŋuli yolŋuy walal märram ga nhä walal ŋuli gurrupan gurruṯumirriny walalany.
This is the end of the story about how yolŋu go and get turtle and what they share out with their family.
I will record this story from long ago. It has been recorded, but I am going to record it again. I will record the story of those two, Gandji (Jabiru) and Wurrpaṉ' (Emu). They related to each other as uncle and nephew. They were descendents of the one family. Jabiru was married to Emu’s daughter. Jabiru’s other name was Gaḏakaḏa. Those two lived at Buḻmanŋur close to Dhäraŋay. Yes, there they lived. They camped there long ago.
