Notes on Kurnai 150 pages

Transcription - Page 104

2 72
Bobby Brown +c
and the blacks dreaded lest it might
fall on them and kill their
children. When after dark the [Kun – crossed out] a Kŭrnai
heard a Quail flying over the camp he would
say to his wife – there “that tells that you have a
baby inside you”- and if he felt very
tired in his shoulders and in his thighs
he would know it also – this would also
be a sign to him.
Crows. The Kŭrnai thought much of the crows.
There were only three birds that were very near to
the Kurnai – Yeerŭng, Djeetjun and

[no one w – crossed out] The crow was as much thought
of by men as by women. No one would think
of hunting it – if any one did there would
be a great quarrel with him by the other
people. The crow could give warning to
the blacks and could give them warnings
- it had their language. A black
would say to it “[?honmands?]
kurnai – it would
reply – looking down at him –
ngā (yes). Another bird has the
Kurnai language also – a kind of
[??] with very silky feathers. It
always at night says “Borun Borun”(the
jagged spear) then the Kŭrnai look out
for danger.

When a black fellow sleeps he sometimes
hear a knock under his head, this
is the ground giving him warning
- he is then very “jiran (Tabūngolong) – jirakan / Brataua
= frightened) and keep good watch.
The quail hawk is called Tadjalk.

[written in left side margin]
old totem

crows

omens