Notes by Howitt on Kulin from Barak

Transcription - Page 35

23
How Būnjil went up aloft

[Long ago - crossed out]
Būnjil was like an old man. Long ago he
called the blacks to him and said
he will not stop any longer here but he
will go up into the clouds. He ordered the
old man [Burin Burin - crossed out] Belin Belin to open his bags
and let out the wind. He did so and a big wind [came, and - crossed out] blew so that the trees
flew up in the air roots and all. Būnjil said
“that is not enough – let out some more
wind”. Then [Burin Burin - crossed out] Bellin Bellin opened more
bags and there was a still stronger wind
so that Būnjil and all the people flew
up into the air, up to the clouds. But the
Njarang was left down on the earth. ———

The world props
Paiara (news) once came from Maneroo by
way of the Ovens and Mansfield that the world
was like two houses, one propped up by wood.
(Kalk = wood = props) The news said that the
props were rotten and it would tumble down.
I heard this more than once. The old people
said that the “tharangalk” (sky) [and clouds - crossed out] were held up the props
and that if [they - crossed out] these were rotten [the - crossed out] it would fall
and the clouds would drown every body.
(Tharan = any kind of tree - galk = wood = prop)
____________________________________________________________
Burning the dead

I have heard it said that at the Ovens River
when a person died they rolled him into a fire
and burned him up so as not to feel sorry.
I never saw this – it is not the way of my people.
___________________________________________________________
game bag
The bag in which a man put his game
– possum or kangaroo +c was made of
Kangaroo skin and called “marūk”.

[written in left side margin]
For Njarang
see p.

for world props
see Buckley p 57

World props