| Coordinates WGS84 | 15°07'S, 133°34'E -15.12, 133.56 |
RHH1918P32F28
Title: Sketch of a message stick from Roper River by Hamlyn-Harris (1918), and Frank (1940)
Description: Sketch of message stick on p. 32, Fig.28, of "On messages and "Message Sticks" employed among the Queensland Aborigines" by R. Hamlyn-Harris Sketch of message stick (fig. 16) on p. 345 in Maria Frank's "Botenstäbe in Australien"
Message: «Brother is warned that an enemy is planning to spear him [=three vertical lines and three war spears carried by messenger] in conflict over a woman. Due to the wet season enemy is approaching via a long route that avoids flooded regions [=deep gash]. He is expected to arrive in four lunar months [=four vertical marks enclosed in a circle]» "A definite message accompanied this stick, together with three war-spears, specially made and straight. The message was something to this effect:- A brother sends warning to his brother (by a third person) about a coming foe, who had set out to spear him owing to a fight over a lubra, and who was approaching by a given route. Owing to the wet season and the fact that the whole country was in flood ("big fella wata") it would take four moons to cover the journey. The stick, which is made of Leichhardt pine, is covered with significant marks. On the obverse side the flood-waters are indicated by a deep gash whilst the four moons are enclosed in a circle by themselves. On the reverse three lines evidently refer to the three spears which accompanied the messenger. For the remainder, the zigzags with their number and variety cover the surface of the stick with the exception of the two ends, which are unmarked." (p. 32)
Creator of Object: Sender: "brother" Recipient: "another brother" (p. 32)
Date Created: 1918
Notes on date created: terminus ante quem
Item type: image of a message stick (artefact missing)
Subtype: traditional
State/Territory: NT
Linguistic area 1: Chirila: Mangarrayi Austlang: N78 - Mangarrayi Glottolog: mang1381
Notes on linguistic areas: The message stick is associated with Roper River, Northern Territory Inferred from the traditional owners of area comprising Elsey Station, Roper River.
Cultural region: TopEnd
Semantic domains: sd_journey_route, sd_person_brother, sd_person_enemy, sd_person_woman_wife, sd_time_moon, sd_time_wetseason, sd_violence, sd_warning, sd_weapon_spear
Dimension 1: 181mm Dimension 2: 17mm
Materials: leichhardt pine wood
Sources:
Collector: Mr. M. J. Colelough
Coordinates: 15°07'25.687200"S,133°33'35.971200"E (-15.123802, 133.559992)
Notes on coordinates: Chirila centroid coordinates for Mangarrayi
URL source 1: https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/47577#page/64/mode/1up
Media Files:
Data Entry: Julia Bespamyatnykh, Piers Kelly