Chapter 7 Songs and Songmakers

Transcription - Page 7

5

the other. (Note) I might perhaps more properly say, success-
ively from "perternal to filial groups", for the brothers all
participate in the custody of the quarry.
was the custody of the quarry from which the surrounding tribes
obtained the stone for their tomahawks. The bard who composed
this song came of a poetic stock. His farther [sic] and his fathers
father befor [sic] him are said to have been " the makers of songs
[which made men sad or joyful when they heard them. The old man - crossed out]
[who- crossed out] Berak when he sang this song to me was moved almost to tears by the melan-
choly which the words conveyed to him as he chaunted it.

[One must be struck by the existence in an Australian tribe of - crosssed out]
[a family of bards, the prototypes of the "sacred singers" of olden- crossed out]
[times.- crossed out] The song is a good instance of this class of composition
and also a [good- crossed out] example of the belief held by these "sacred
singers" that they were inspired by something more than mortal
when composing them. In this case it is "Bungil" himself who
"rushes down" into the [hert - crossed out] breast of the singer.

[The words of the song are as follows, and in the appendix will - crossed out]
[be found another slightly different version - crossed out.] I am under very
great obligations to the Rev Dr. Torrance [M.A. Mis. D- crossed out] for most
kindly writing down the music of this and two other songs from the lips of the singer Berak
and for the most valuable remarks which he has made upon them
[songs given in the appendix - crossed out] and on the singers, musical powers.
[To the Rev Lorimer Fison, M.A. my valued fellow worker in this - crossed out]
[part of the anthropological field, I am also greatly obliged for - crossed out]
[the trouble he has taken in bringing about the meeting between - crossed out]
[Dr. Torrance and the native bard, and for writing down with such- crossed out]
[care the words of the songs.- crossed out]

Wenberi's Song

Nge tuigar ngala ngibnba ngaluga
We go all (the) bones to all of them