The Indigenous Ghosts Of My Hometown – Part 2 – Dance & War

We continue from Part 1 with observations from 1890 of Australian Indigenous dance (Boree) and war

NOTE: Please note the language was written in a time of slavery and genocide – we do not wish to offend. Bear in mind this is a historical document (written from an invaders perspective in the 1800′s). It does not represent our views or opinions in any way.

Continued from The Indigenous Ghosts Of My Hometown – Part 1 – Religion & Magic

“Mr. Johnstone then spoke of the Boree, which, he said, was of two kinds.

First,

the creating of youths into men, and of girls into marriageable women (that is a ceremony which has never been seen by an white man); then
at the Boree for war, any one is allowed to be present; even women are allowed to express their views.

It is generally the women who sound the war cry, and as a rule it is they who open the fight. I have often been watching – and it is one of the most picturesque sights you can see – a mob of seven or eight hundred men, not miserable debauched looking men, such as we see around .. (I am now speaking of the blacks of Northern Queensland).

I have seen men 8 feet 8 inches in height; in the North you will not see men of less stature than myself (about 5 feet 9 inches). I have seen men with a club and sword from six to eight feed long, and a handle only just sufficient to be grasped by one hand but which I could not lift with both hands; and I have seen a man split from head to chest by one of these swords.

When the blacks are going to engage in a fight, as soon as the way cry is sounded, the opposing tribes come up to within 150 to 200 yards of each other. They use the wimera, which acts as a third part to the arm for throwing spears. They can throw a spear from 120 to 180 yards; I have seen them drive a spear right through a horse at 60 yards distance. They are not only wonderfully accurate in throwing a spear, but they are also good judges of pace. I have seen them at a distance of 60 yards transfix a kangaroo going at full speed. You will imagine that with such good marksmen a battle would be a sanguinary affair; but the blacks have a good deal of what I may call Scotch caution, and keep out of each other’s reach; but they make up with noise what they may want in courage.

When the gins (women) find that the men are working up to such a state that a battle will ensure – followed of course by a feast – they retire out of the way and sit down till the feast is ready. As soon as the play is over each tribe collects the killed of the opposite tribe, the bodies being cooked and eaten, and those who are anointed with the kidney fat are supposed to possess the valor of the slain. The bones of the killed are carried about by some tribes, and they suppose they are thereby endowed with the instinct of those that have fallen.

It is an acknowledged fact among them that a man never dies; his spirit is always with the tribe which he belonged to. When a whirlwind goes through a black’s camp they all scatter, because it is supposed to be the spirit of a bad men – they never camp in the same place again – even when these degraded men we have about see a whirlwind they turn their backs and will not look at it. When a man dies and they wish to preserve his spirit amongst them, they never bury him except alongside or near running water. I have known them to carry a dead body for days and days to get near water. The idea is prevalent from the lower Murray to Cape York, that when the body becomes decomposed the spirit is carried by the running water to the sea, and then returns to them and watches over all their welfare.”

The references to “debauched men” indicates that even as early as 1890 the indigenous peoples in my home town were completely humiliated – resorting to drinking alcohol to cope with the genocide of their tribe and loss of their land

Next we show where the idea of Australian “mate ship” actually came from as we continue with the next extract from this old historical document.

About Danny Sheehan

Danny lives in Hong Kong but is originally from Australia. He is Married to Maggie and together they have two children with whom they enjoy sharing and enjoying an exciting life with daily. Danny's passions are freedom, adventure and discovery, mainly in nature and science but also spiritually. He is a great believer in living in the NOW.
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