The Booandik Tribe of South Australian Aborigines - A Sketch of Their Habits, Customs, Legends, and Language also an account of the efforts made by Mr and Mrs James Smith to Christianise and civilise them
Mrs James Smith
E Splller Government Printer S.A. 1880
Mrs James Smith
E Splller Government Printer S.A. 1880
INFANTS arc betrothed to one another by their parents.
Girls are betrothed by the father, with the concurrence
of his brothers, into some family which has a daughter
to give in exchange. They term this ‘wootambau’
(exchanging). As they grow up to maturity, the youth-
ful pair are spoken of in terms of the warmest friendship and
respect by all parties — especially by the female portion of the
tribe. Presents are expected by the mothers, either directly or
indirectly, from the lovers or their nearest relatives. This gains
a goodwill towards the intended son-in-law — although the
mother is bound not to mention his name as long as she lives.
A pair of ducks, a leg of a wombat, or a young emu — whatever
is eatable — is acceptable to the craving appetite. The father,
of course, is the lord of the soil; and when the food is cooked
in the hot ashes, or broiled, he receives his allotted share. He
throws what he cannot eat over his shoulder to his female part-
ner, who sits in the dark shade.
Once while out pleasuring towards the Woakwine, with my
family and an aged couple, Mary Ann asked me what I thought
of her "m'rado" (land), and said with a smile of pleasure,
"There is the swamp; yonder is the lake. Here is the country
where I followed my husband when I was a 'burrich burrich'
(a girl). Thereare my good swans, 'lapps lapps' (small fish),
'gnarps' (apples), 'nroite' (honey), 'carlic paron marton'
(plenty plenty good). I am old, and am the only wife he
loved. He was the lord of Lake George (Narhter)."
Their marriage customs clearly indicate their sense that
virtue is honor. Each tribe, as I have said, is divided into two
distinct classes, the Kumite and Kroke. If a man is a Kumite,
his wife must be a Kroke ; and if a man is a Kroke, his wife must
be a Kumite. The children belong to the mother’s class. The
young men sometimes exchange their sisters for wives; and woe
to anyone that breaks his vows - his sister is taken back by force
and given to another. Parents do not allow any familiarity be-
tween the boys and girls. If a strange boy comes on a visit with
his friends to the family, the young and bashful girl turns her
back, hangs her head down, or covers herself in her mother’s rug.
The youth sits down sullenly, as if he had no eyes to see, or
understanding, now that she honored him; and partly through
fear of the future, and partly out of respect to virtue, he is
bound to leave her company and retire to the "natmul wurla"
(male house). An old man said to me one day that I should
not allow my boys and girls to play together. "He was," he
said, "an old man, and knew better than me. The whites were
'stupid' and he would like me to take care of my daughters."
The preliminaries concluded, the time for the ceremony at
length comes, and the council meet the parents, who give up
their daughter. The bride is about ten or twelve years of age,
and ripe for marriage. A company, consisting of all the males
and the bride, proceed to the bridegroom’s wurla, where he is
lying on the ground, every limb and nerve in motion at the idea
of the approaching ceremony. The company approach the
wurla and halt; all eyes are fixed on the bridegroom lying on
the ground. One of the honored men of the tribe takes his
seat beside him; the father takes the bride by the hand, and
says to the bridesmen, "You give my daughter with the
consent of all her males you see standing around." The young
men turn to the bridegroom, and say, "Here is your wife."
She then places herself beside him, and the bridesmen politely
walk away. The whole company then return to their wurlas,
and leave the young couple to themselves. For five nights she
sleeps about two yards from her husband; the fifth night her
father goes to her, and persuades her to give up all her bashful-
ness. The ceremony is ended, and the married couple roam
the woods in search of food. Each one lives apart.
The mother-in-law and son-in-law must not speak to each
other, or even come into each other's presence. Those persons
connected by marriage (excepting husband and wife) talk to
each other in a low whining tone, and use words different to
those in common use. I may state that polygamy was the rule;
most of the men had two wives, but some had as many as five.
The Booandik words for marriage are "wooen" (given), and
"manen" (taken).
family and an aged couple, Mary Ann asked me what I thought
of her "m'rado" (land), and said with a smile of pleasure,
"There is the swamp; yonder is the lake. Here is the country
where I followed my husband when I was a 'burrich burrich'
(a girl). Thereare my good swans, 'lapps lapps' (small fish),
'gnarps' (apples), 'nroite' (honey), 'carlic paron marton'
(plenty plenty good). I am old, and am the only wife he
loved. He was the lord of Lake George (Narhter)."
Their marriage customs clearly indicate their sense that
virtue is honor. Each tribe, as I have said, is divided into two
distinct classes, the Kumite and Kroke. If a man is a Kumite,
his wife must be a Kroke ; and if a man is a Kroke, his wife must
be a Kumite. The children belong to the mother’s class. The
young men sometimes exchange their sisters for wives; and woe
to anyone that breaks his vows - his sister is taken back by force
and given to another. Parents do not allow any familiarity be-
tween the boys and girls. If a strange boy comes on a visit with
his friends to the family, the young and bashful girl turns her
back, hangs her head down, or covers herself in her mother’s rug.
The youth sits down sullenly, as if he had no eyes to see, or
understanding, now that she honored him; and partly through
fear of the future, and partly out of respect to virtue, he is
bound to leave her company and retire to the "natmul wurla"
(male house). An old man said to me one day that I should
not allow my boys and girls to play together. "He was," he
said, "an old man, and knew better than me. The whites were
'stupid' and he would like me to take care of my daughters."
The preliminaries concluded, the time for the ceremony at
length comes, and the council meet the parents, who give up
their daughter. The bride is about ten or twelve years of age,
and ripe for marriage. A company, consisting of all the males
and the bride, proceed to the bridegroom’s wurla, where he is
lying on the ground, every limb and nerve in motion at the idea
of the approaching ceremony. The company approach the
wurla and halt; all eyes are fixed on the bridegroom lying on
the ground. One of the honored men of the tribe takes his
seat beside him; the father takes the bride by the hand, and
says to the bridesmen, "You give my daughter with the
consent of all her males you see standing around." The young
men turn to the bridegroom, and say, "Here is your wife."
She then places herself beside him, and the bridesmen politely
walk away. The whole company then return to their wurlas,
and leave the young couple to themselves. For five nights she
sleeps about two yards from her husband; the fifth night her
father goes to her, and persuades her to give up all her bashful-
ness. The ceremony is ended, and the married couple roam
the woods in search of food. Each one lives apart.
The mother-in-law and son-in-law must not speak to each
other, or even come into each other's presence. Those persons
connected by marriage (excepting husband and wife) talk to
each other in a low whining tone, and use words different to
those in common use. I may state that polygamy was the rule;
most of the men had two wives, but some had as many as five.
The Booandik words for marriage are "wooen" (given), and
"manen" (taken).
