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[Page 149]
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TRADITIONS
Mirirul, whose name is apparently derived from "mirīr" the sky, whom therefore we venture to call the Australian Zeus, –is said by the blacks of Illawarra to have made all things. When people die they are brought up to a large tree, where Mirirul examines and judges them. The good he takes up to the sky. The bad he sends to another place to be punished. The women say to their children, when they are naughty, "Mirirul wirrin muniη," (Mirirul will not allow it.)
A "Colonial Magistrate," the author of "Remarks on the probable origin and antiquity of the Aboriginal Natives of New South Wales," published at Melbourne, by J. Pullar & Co., says "The Murray (River) natives believe in a Being with supreme attributes, whom they call Nourelle. Nourelle never dies ; and blackfellows go to him, and never die again." From the same writer we learn that the natives of the Loddon ascribe the creation of man and of all things to Binbeal. They say that Binbeal subjects the spirits of deceased persons to an ordeal of fire, to try whether they are good or bad. The good he liberates at once ; the bad a confined and punished.
At Western Port, in Victoria, there was a tradition that Bonjil, Pundyil, created men. He formerly lived at the falls of Lallal on the Marabool River ; and is now in the sky. Pundyil seeing the earth overrun with serpents, sent his good daughter Karakarok with a long staff to destroy these tormentors of men. Karakarok killed many ; but this good work was stopped by the breaking of her staff. As the staff snapped in two, fire came from it, the first fire even given to man. Presently, however, Wang, an evil spirit in the form of a crow, flew away with the fire ; but the good Karakarok restored it.
Mr. Beveridge, in the evidence he gave before the Select Committee of the Legislative Council of Victoria, in 1858, said of the Aborigines "They believe in one all-presiding good Spirit," whom they call "Gnowdenont" ; and "they have an idea of a very wicked spirit called Gunambucootchaly."
II. - GOOD AND EVIL SPIRITS
The Aborigines believe in many spirits. "Wunda" is the common name for these among the Kamilaroi and neighbouring tribes. Anything mysterious or supernatural is called "wunda." One of the chief of these is Turramūlan, who acts as the agent of Baiame. In some places, however, Turramūlan is spoken of as an evil being, or an enemy of man. His name signifies "leg-only-on-one-side" or lame. He has a wife called "Mūnī Burrebean" (egg-like, nourishing-with-milk.) She has the duty of instructing women ; for they may not see Turramūlan on pain of death. And even when mention is made of Turramūlan, or of the Bora at which he presides, the women slink away, knowing that it it [sic] unlawful for them so much as to hear anything about such matters.