62

29

xxx Among the Kurnai, under the influence of the initi-
ation ceremones the knowledge of the attributes of the being who
is the equivalent of Benji is almost entirely restricted to the
initiated men. The old women know that there is a supernatural
being in the sky, byt only as Mungan-ngaua "our father". It is
only at the last and most sacred of the stages of the secret part of the cere-
monies that the novices are made aware of the teachings as to
Mungan-ngaua, and then is the only name for this being, which the
Kurnai had. They are told as followss:

Long ago (there was a great being called) Mungen-ngaua who
lived upon the earch and (who) taught the Kurnai of that time to
make implements, nets, canoes, weapons - infact everything they know.
He also gave them the names they hear. Mungan ngaua had a son
called Tŭndūn, who was married and who is the direct ancestor, xxx
the Weintwin, or fathers father, of the Kurnai. Mungan-ngaua insti-
tuted the Jeraeil, which was conducted by Tundun, who made the instru-
ments which bear the names of himself and his wife.

Some tribal traitor revealed the secrets of the
Jeraeil to xxx women, and thereby brought down the anfer of Mungan
upon the Kurnai. He sent fire (1), which filled the whole space betwee
the earth and sky. Men went mad with fear, and speared each other
fathers killing their children, husbands their wives, and brethren
each other. Then the sea rushed over the land and nearly all mankind
were drowned. Those who survived became the ancestors of the Kurnai.
Some of them turned into animals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and Tundun
and his wife became porpoises. Mungan left the earth and ascended
to the sky, where he still remains.

All I can sat as to the beliefs of the Theddora, is
from an old woman one of the sole survivors of that tribe. When I
asked her if she knew who Daramulun was, she answered, “All that I
know of Tharamulun is that he comes down with a noise like thunder,
to make the boys into men. We call him “papang”. The word papang is
father.

29

xxx Among the Kurnai, under the influence of the initi-
ation ceremones the knowledge of the attributes of the being who
is the equivalent of Benji is almost entirely restricted to the
initiated men. The old women know that there is a supernatural
being in the sky, byt only as Mungan-ngaua "our father". It is
only at the last and most sacred of the stages of the secret part of the cere-
monies that the novices are made aware of the teachings as to
Mungan-ngaua, and then is the only name for this being, which the
Kurnai had. They are told as followss:

Long ago (there was a great being called) Mungen-ngaua who
lived upon the earch and (who) taught the Kurnai of that time to
make implements, nets, canoes, weapons - infact everything they know.
He also gave them the names they hear. Mungan ngaua had a son
called Tŭndūn, who was married and who is the direct ancestor, xxx
the Weintwin, or fathers father, of the Kurnai. Mungan-ngaua insti-
tuted the Jeraeil, which was conducted by Tundun, who made the instru-
ments which bear the names of himself and his wife.

Some tribal traitor revealed the secrets of the
Jeraeil to xxx women, and thereby brought down the anfer of Mungan
upon the Kurnai. He sent fire (1), which filled the whole space betwee
the earth and sky. Men went mad with fear, and speared each other
fathers killing their children, husbands their wives, and brethren
each other. Then the sea rushed over the land and nearly all mankind
were drowned. Those who survived became the ancestors of the Kurnai.
Some of them turned into animals, birds, reptiles, fishes, and Tundun
and his wife became porpoises. Mungan left the earth and ascended
to the sky, where he still remains.

All I can sat as to the beliefs of the Theddora, is
from an old woman one of the sole survivors of that tribe. When I
asked her if she knew who Daramulun was, she answered, “All that I
know of Tharamulun is that he comes down with a noise like thunder,
to make the boys into men. We call him “papang”. The word papang is
father.