Mombarai was the Gomeroi word used for the cicatrix/ cultural scars displayed on the upper body. It’s thought the clan’s mark or “drawing’ was also inscribed on a tree where an important person was buried.
. In some cases a piece of bark was
removed from a tree south of the grave and marks similar
to the cicatrices on the chest of the deceased were cut
into the bark (Dunbar, 1943:14)
I wrote a blog about mombarai back in Feb 2018 but have recently found a TinT with 2 or possibly 3 “eagle” marks. I have seen this mark a few times now around the camps & even over on Wailwun land. The mark looks a bit like the Nike tick but I think it’s the sign for the eagle totem
Eagle at the Moonal hole some years ago
If you google scarification on Wikipedia you can find this information –
“It was common in indigenous cultures of Africa (especially in the west), Melanesia, and Australia.”
&
Many people in certain regions of Africa who have “markings” can be identified as belonging to a specific tribe or ethnic group
Here is the Rosewood TinT at the moonal hole along the Walgett – Cumborah songline (Gingie Rd) ..
This is a very old camp as you can see by this double ring tree (also dead) about 300 metres away.
The older trees at this natural depression have been killed by prolonged artesian waterlogging. The original bore drain tailed out here years ago & 95% of the eucalypts are dead. This is the reason the eagle mark is preserved ie the tree cant grow over the wound to protect itself. The carved trees at Yuranigh’s grave have all grown over now too – except the dead one obviously. Unfortunately to preserve scars you need to kill the tree to stop it’s natural self-preservation mechanisms.
This rosewood TinT with eagle ‘drawing’ could be a memorial for an important man or possibly woman?) of the Maira ( paddy melon ) totem group. However the great “Dhe”, or totem system would be different here than at “Bangate” on the Narran – The Euahlayi Tribe A Study of Aboriginal Life in Australia by K. Langloh Parker;
Maira, a paddy melon, claims as multiplex totems—
Wahn THE CROW
Mullyan THE EAGLE-HAWK
Gooboothoo DOVES
Goolayyalilee PELICAN
Oonaywah BLACK DIVER
Gunundar WHILE DIVER
Birriebungar SMALL DIVER
Mounin MOSQUITO
Mouninguggahgui MOSQUITO BIRD
Bullah Bullah BUTTERFLIES
Tucki A KIND OF BREAM
Beewerh BONY BREAM
Gulbarlee SHINGLEBACK LIZARD
Budtha ROSEWOOD
Goodoogah YALLI
Wayarah WILD GRAPES
Garwah RIVERS
Gooroongoodilbaydilbay SOUTH WIND.
Langloh Parker says “The totem kins numerically strongest with us were the Dinewans (emu), Beewees (brown & yellow goanna), Bohrahs (kangaroo), and Gouyous (bandicoot). Further back in the country, they tell me, the crow, the eaglehawk, and the bees were original totems, not multiplex ones, as with us.”
Ive heard the Mullyan (eagle) was a powerful totem of the Gomeroi/ Kamilaroi & interestingly the rosewood is part of this group here. I originally thought she must have her trees mixed & “BUDTHA” was Budda (Eremophila mitchellii) but in my “Bushtucker Boomerangs & Bandages” book the yuwaalaraay (Euahlayi) word for Budda is “BADHA” – quite different. The BB&B book was produced in the Border rivers / Gwydir CMA & doesn’t include whitewood & rosewood unfortunately.
Langloh Parker goes on to say “The totem system is part of the whole marriage laws – that the Euahlayi are in the Kamilaroi stage of social organisation. They reckon descent in the female line: they have ‘phratries’ and four matrimonial classes, with totems within the phratries. In their system of ‘multiplex-totems’ or ‘sub-totems’ they resemble the Wotjobaluk tribe. [Howitt, NATIVE TRIBES OF SOUTH-EAST AUSTRALIA, pp. 121, 125, 453, 455.] The essence of the ‘sub-totem’ system is the division of all things into the categories provided by the social system of the human society.”
Another thing about memorial TinTs is the popularity of Wilga guests (except in coolibah hosts) especially on Wailwun land & here to a lesser extent. Wilga ( dhiil or dheal ) belongs to the Dinewan (emu) group of totems – a girl born under a Dheal tree, for example, was called Dheala. (Langloh parker). Allan Tighe considers himself Dinewan – King Rory of the Gingie tribe was known as Ippai Dinewan – Ippai being his phratry & Dinewan his totem. (the 4 Gomeroi phratry/intermarrying groups are Cubby Kumbo Murray & Ippai) This is a quote from King Rory who was referred to as ‘old’ by the reverend William Ridley in 1871 “Kamil ηaia ηummi Baiame ; ηaia winuηulda (I have not seen Baiame ; I hear him).” Ippai Dinewan known as King Rory by the whites would have been buried in the traditional manner appropriate to his status. If you highlight & google the transcript below you can read other stories about this wonderful Kamilaroi leader from the State Library.
ITEM 02: KAMILAROI, AND OTHER AUSTRALIAN LANGUAGES, BY REV. WILLIAM RIDLEY, 2ND ED. (SYDNEY, 1875) – PAGE 148
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Another fantastic finding Jane! It’s always such an experience reading your blogs and stepping back in time to see how our first people interacted with the land and each other. Absolutely fascinating. Thank you!