Book contents
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- INTRODUCTORY NOTE
- Contents
- YARRUUN PARPUR TARNEEN
- CHAPTER I TRIBES
- CHAPTER II POPULATION
- CHAPTER III CHIEFS
- CHAPTER IV PROPERTY
- CHAPTER V CLOTHING
- CHAPTER VI HABITATIONS
- CHAPTER VII CLEANLINESS
- CHAPTER VIII DOMESTIC FURNITURE
- CHAPTER IX COOKING AND FOOD
- CHAPTER X TOOLS
- CHAPTER XI LAWS OF MARRIAGE
- CHAPTER XII CHILDREN
- CHAPTER XIII NAMES OF PERSONS
- CHAPTER XIV SUPERSTITIONS AND DISEASES
- CHAPTER XV DEATH AND BURIAL
- CHAPTER XVI AVENGING OF DEATH
- CHAPTER XVII GREAT MEETINGS
- CHAPTER XVIII AMUSEMENTS
- CHAPTER XIX WEAPONS
- CHAPTER XX ANIMALS
- CHAPTER XXI METEOROLOGY, ASTRONOMY, ETC
- CHAPTER XXII NATIVE MOUNDS
- CHAPTER XXIII ANECDOTES
- CONVEYANCE, BY PRINCIPAL CHIEFS TO JOHN BATMAN, OF 100,000 ACRES OF LAND, BETWEEN GEELONG AND QUEENSCLIFF
- VOCABULARIES.—WORDS; ANIMALS; RELATIONSHIPS; NAMES OF PLACES; GRAMMAR AND SENTENCES; NUMERALS
- NOTES
CHAPTER XIV - SUPERSTITIONS AND DISEASES
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 September 2010
- Frontmatter
- PREFACE
- INTRODUCTORY NOTE
- Contents
- YARRUUN PARPUR TARNEEN
- CHAPTER I TRIBES
- CHAPTER II POPULATION
- CHAPTER III CHIEFS
- CHAPTER IV PROPERTY
- CHAPTER V CLOTHING
- CHAPTER VI HABITATIONS
- CHAPTER VII CLEANLINESS
- CHAPTER VIII DOMESTIC FURNITURE
- CHAPTER IX COOKING AND FOOD
- CHAPTER X TOOLS
- CHAPTER XI LAWS OF MARRIAGE
- CHAPTER XII CHILDREN
- CHAPTER XIII NAMES OF PERSONS
- CHAPTER XIV SUPERSTITIONS AND DISEASES
- CHAPTER XV DEATH AND BURIAL
- CHAPTER XVI AVENGING OF DEATH
- CHAPTER XVII GREAT MEETINGS
- CHAPTER XVIII AMUSEMENTS
- CHAPTER XIX WEAPONS
- CHAPTER XX ANIMALS
- CHAPTER XXI METEOROLOGY, ASTRONOMY, ETC
- CHAPTER XXII NATIVE MOUNDS
- CHAPTER XXIII ANECDOTES
- CONVEYANCE, BY PRINCIPAL CHIEFS TO JOHN BATMAN, OF 100,000 ACRES OF LAND, BETWEEN GEELONG AND QUEENSCLIFF
- VOCABULARIES.—WORDS; ANIMALS; RELATIONSHIPS; NAMES OF PLACES; GRAMMAR AND SENTENCES; NUMERALS
- NOTES
Summary
In investigating the superstitions of the aborigines, every care has been taken to exclude any superstitious notions which might have been impressed on their minds since they came in contact with the white race; and those from whom information was obtained were fully aware of the necessity of adhering strictly to the beliefs they entertained before they knew of the existence of Europeans.
It was ascertained that they believe in supernatural beings—celestial, infernal, and terrestrial.
The good spirit, Pirnmeheeal, is a gigantic man, living above the clouds; and as he is of a kindly disposition, and harms no one, he is seldom mentioned, but always with respect. His voice, the thunder, is listened to with pleasure, as it does good to man and beast, by bringing rain, and making grass and roots grow for their benefit. But the aborigines say that the missionaries and government protectors have given them a dread of Pirnmeheeal; and they are sorry that the young people, and many of the old, are now afraid of a being who never did any harm to their forefathers.
The bad spirit, Muuruup, sometimes called ‘Wambeen neung been-been aa,’ ‘maker of bad-smelling smoke,’ is always spoken of with fear and bated breath, as the author of every misfortune. He visits the earth in the form of lightning, knocking trees to pieces, setting fire to wuurns, and killing people by ‘striking them on the back.’
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Australian AboriginesThe Languages and Customs of Several Tribes of Aborigines in the Western District of Victoria, Australia, pp. 49 - 61Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2009First published in: 1881