CPM1958P172F6C

Title: A message stick from Melville Island, reproduced by Mountford (1958)

Description: Fig. 6c is an engraved message stick sent to members of the fire totemic group at Wuriupi, eastern Melville Island. The disc, a, indicates the sun-woman, Wuriupranala, travelling across the sky, the radiating lines, b, the beams of light at sunrise,! and g, the mid-day camps of the sun-woman (p. 172). The long line, d, is the path of the sun­woman across the firmament. Pandanus trees in the Milky Way are indicated at c, c, and similar designs and breaks in the galaxy by the transverse lines, e, e.

Message: The disc, a, indicates the sun-woman, Wuriupranala, travelling across the sky, the radiating lines, b, the beams of light at sunrise,! and g, the mid-day camps of the sun-woman (p. 172). The long line, d, is the path of the sun­woman across the firmament. Pandanus trees in the Milky Way are indicated at c, c, and similar designs and breaks in the galaxy by the transverse lines, e, e.

Date Created: 1954

Notes on date created: Year of the National Geographic Expedition to Melville Island

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

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: NT

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Tiwi Austlang: N20 - Tiwi Glottolog: tiwi1244

Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with the members of the fire totemic group at Wuriupi, eastern Melville Island. Cannot find Wuriupi on any map. Approximate coordinates are given for eastern Melville Island.

Cultural region: TopEnd_tiwi

Term for 'message stick' (or related) in language: purunkita

Sources:

Charles P. Mountford (1958). The Tiwi: their Art Myth and Ceremony. London Phoenix Melbourne: Georgian House.

Source types: book article

Coordinates: 11°28'13.699200"S,131°22'15.600000"E  (-11.470472, 131.371)

Notes on coordinates: Approximate location of eastern Melville Island

Media Files:

Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh