AMSD - Message Stick PM2010P44F57

Coordinates WGS84

16°31'S, 139°24'E
-16.52, 139.41

PM2010P44F57

Title: Sketch of a message stick in P. Memmot (2010)

Description: Sketch of two facets of one message stick in fig3.2 (p131) of Memmott, Paul. 1979. "Lardil artifacts and shelters." Occasional Papers in Anthropology 9:107-142. Also in fig. 57 on p. 44 of "Material culture of the North Wellesley Islands" by P. Memmot

Message: 3.2 A message stick announcing a forthcoming dance made for the author by Fred Jaurth. The decorations consist of grass string binding painted white (A), bands of white ochre paint (B), red ochre paint (C) , marks incised with a piece of glass (D). At one end there is a string handle for carrying whilst at the other end there is attached a bunch of feathers (E). The rectangle represents the dancing ground, and the parallel lines represent individuals from the clan divisions or ‘sociogeographic’ groups of the Lardil. (Memmott 1979, p.131)

"Figure 3.2 shows a typical message stick used for notification of a dance or for practising a new dance. (In the latter case, the stick would be sent by the originator of the dance). The parallel strokes represent important male individuals who must be invited from the different social groups by direction (larumpenta, lilumpenta...etc.). The invitation automatically extended to the members of each man’s domiciliary group. Such sticks were made from any sort of wood, decorated with red ochre, sometimes some white ochre, feathers (from any bird), and a string for carrying." (Memmott 1979, p.132) "lt is typical of the type used to announce a forthcoming dance or the practice of a new dance. The rectangle represents the dancing ground, and the parallel lines represent important individuals from the clan divisions or 'sociogeographic' groups of the Lardil. The invitation automatically extended to the members of each man's domiciliary group." (Memmott 2010, p. 44)

Creator of Object: Fred Jarrarr

Date Created: 1975

Notes on date created: terminus ante quem

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

Subtype: traditional

State/Territory: QLD

Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Lardil Austlang: G38 - Lardil Glottolog: lard1243

Notes on linguistic areas: Lardil language

Semantic domains: sd_ceremony, sd_person_group, sd_place_dancingground, sd_request_invitation_ceremony_dance

Sources:

Memmot, Paul. 2010. Material culture of the North Wellesley Islands. Brisbane: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland.

Memmott, Paul. 1979. "Lardil artifacts and shelters."