AMSD - Message Stick CPM1956P472F67

Coordinates WGS84

12°20'S, 133°03'E
-12.33, 133.06

CPM1956P472F67_B

Title: A message stick from Oenpelli reproduced in Mountford's "Art, myth and symbolism" (1956)

Description: A message stick from Miljirina at Oenpelli sent to Jakinuramilja in Darwin

Message: Request form goods and to summon wives to return.

Creator of Object: Miljirina

Date Created: 1948

Notes on date created: American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land

Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: NT

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Mengerr Austlang: N53 - Mengerrdji Glottolog: mang1382

Linguistic area 2: Chirila: Larrakia Austlang: N21 - Larrakia Glottolog: lara1258

Notes on linguistic areas: The origin of the message stick is Oenpelli

Cultural region: TopEnd

Motif transcription: The line a is Miljirina, the sender of the stick, and the line be the recipient, Jakinuramilma; c is Tundara, one of Miljirina's wives, and d, another wife, called Marinja. The lines e and f each represent a bottle of tobacco. Miljirina wanted his friend, Jakinuramilja, to induce his two wives, Tundara and Marinja, to come back to him at Oenpelli; he also wanted two bottles of tobacco. p 473.

Sources:

Charles P Mountford, 'Records of the American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land, 1, Art, Myth and Symbolism' (Carlton: Melbourne University Press, 1956).

Source types: book

Date collected: 1948

Collector: Charles P Mountford and AASEAL

Place collected: Oenpelli

Coordinates: 12°19'31.800000"S,133°03'18.000000"E (-12.3255, 133.055)

Notes on coordinates: Absolute coordinates for Oenpelli (Gunbalanya)

Notes: Mountford wrote that "Whilst at Yirrkalla and Oenpelli I had to fly to Darwin several times on expedition matters. Each time I went one or more aborigines have me message sticks to deliver to their friends at Darwin. My procedure (after I had made a record of the message stick either by a sketch or a rubbing) was to write the meanings of the various symbols on a sheet of paper, wrap the paper round the message stick and enclose it in an envelope, on the outside of which I wrote the name of the recipient as a guide to my memory. When I delivered the message stick, which I did on all but two occasions, I was able to explain to the recipient the significance of the marks on the message stick by referring to my notes." p. 467. This message stick is grouped in Fig67 with "secular message sticks, Yirrkalla", even though it seemingly came from Oenpelli. Figure designed by Jean Truran

Media Files:

Data Entry: Alexandra Roginski