IDNO

LS.109217.TC1

Description

On Catalogue Card: "Australia.
Arunta.
Atninga or Avenging Party.
Women testing the shields of the men who have taken part in the killing. The woman on the right being in deep mourning is daubed all over with pipe-clay. Spirit of dead man in the form of a little bird follows party to injure the man by evil magic. If shield struck by the 2 women gives not a hollow sound the owner will not live long." [manuscript in ink]

On Catalogue Card for duplicate print P.371.ACH1: "Atringa [sic Atninga], Alice Springs. Return of the avenging party North T.C.A. fig.162."

Group of Aranda (Arunta) men who have taken part in the Atninga avenging party. Two women, one daubed all over in white pipe clay because she is in mourning, are testing the shields of the men who have taken part in the killing. The men are armed with spears, boomerangs, and shields and are wearing ilkunta (flaked sticks). Each man is painted black with charcoal and has twigs of Eremophila hanging down his forehead and inserted through the nasal septum, a sign that the atninga was successful. [WV 5/2/2009, from record P.371.ACH1, JD 24/8/2012]

Place

Oceania Australasia; Australia; Northern Territory; near Alice Springs; Yuendumu

Cultural Affliation

Arunta

Named Person

Photographer

Baldwin Spencer, Walter; or Gillen, Francis James

Collector / Expedition

Northern Tribes of Central Australia fieldwork by Baldwin Spencer, Walter and Gillen, Francis James [March 1901 - March 1902]

Date

March 1901 - March 1902

Collection Name

Teaching Slide CollectionHaddon Unmounted Collection

Source

?Haddon, Alfred Cort (Dr)

Format

Lantern Slide Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

Publication: Image published in Baldwin Spencer, W. and F. J. Gillen, 1904. The northern tribes of central Australia. (London), p. 565, fig. 162 with the following caption:
"Atninga. Arunta tribe. Women testing the shields of the men who have taken part in the killing. the woman on the right being in deep mourning is daubed all over with pipe-clay." [WV 5/2/2009]

Photographer: Note in Baldwin Spencer, W. and F. J. Gillen, 1927, p. xiii states all photos were taken by the authors. [WV 23/1/2009]

Context: The return of the atninga, avenging party was described as follows:
"Following up the bed of the creek, the party came on through a gap in the hills. They approached in the form of a square, every man holding his spear upright in one hand and the shield in the other, and at the same time prancing along with the usual exaggerated high-knee action. An old woman, who, being in mourning, was bedaubed from head to foot with white pipe-clay, met them before they reached the camp, and, with a fighting club in her ‘hand, went through a series of grotesque dancing movements in front of them. As she did so they stood still in perfect silence, but after a minute or two danced on and then came to a final halt in the bed of the creek. Once more the old woman pranced about in front of them, haranguing them loudly (Fig. 161); then, without speaking a word, the immirinja men - that is, those who had actually taken part in the killing - came forward and stood in the front line, each man with his spear resting on the ground and his shield held with its convex side outwards. The old woman and a younger one struck each of them in turn with a fighting club (Fig. 162). This ceremony (called ulquita atuma; ulquita, shield; atuma, to strike) is regarded as being of considerable importance. The spirit of the dead man is supposed to be following up the party in the form of a little bird called chichurkna, which is watching its opportunity to injure the men by evil magic. If, when the shield of any man be struck, it gives out a hollow sound (atalaia), the owner is under some evil influence and will not live long; but if, on the other hand, the sound be firm and strong (ilatilkima), then all is well and the evil magic has not affected him." (Baldwin Spencer, W. and F. J. Gillen, 1904. The northern tribes of central Australia. (London), p.564-566). [WV 5/2/2009]

Cultural Group: The group photographed have been identified as belonging to the Warlpiri language group by Joe Neparrnga Gumbula, Arnhem Land. [JD 10/7/2012]