Notes on Kurnai Creation stories

Transcription - Page 5

The Bula-Kukun (1)

Once there was a large camp of Kurnai
at a place called Turt-willan on the Nicholson
River a little below Sarsfield.

The men were out hunting Kangaroo and
the women were at the camp, having been out
collecting Dūra (2) and were cooking it to be ready
when the men returned.

Two old women the Bula-Kukun were doing this
when a young woman came and took some of
their Dūra. They being enraged attacked her
with their Kunnin (digging stick) and she defended
herself with hers. Then she has knocked down
[and - crossed out] but as she fell she propped herself on her
Kunnin which ran deep into the ground. Then
they continued to fight till the Bula-Kukun again
knocked her down. This time her Kurnin
went so deep into the ground that the young
woman went into the ground out of sight and the
Bula Kunnu also fell in and were no
more seen having gone down to where the
water is. The women in trying to get out make
the water come out as springs all round the country.
One place is at Sarsfield and then at the hill
with her big rocks called Penta Gingata and another
at Clifton's morass.
They were never seen again but made water come up
everywhere.

[written in left side margin]
(1) Kukun
is the maternal
grandmother.

(2) Typha
angustifolia
The rhizomes
and cooked in the
ashes and chewed
to extraact the sweet
tasting starch?

Leen Rukut

Punglā-gingata