40:
160:. Because these relics are considered sacred, their availability is limited to a small number of people. During the early 20th century and before, only initiated males were able to see or touch these sacred objects. Women and uninitiated males were not allowed to touch them or see them, except from a far distance. The tjurunga were kept separately from the rest of the clan in a sacred location that was also unavailable to the uninitiated and women.
192:
were thought to have magical properties. They would be rubbed on the body to confer sacredness onto the subject and to do things such as heal wounds. While tjuringa were useful to the individual, the clan's collective fate was also considered to be tied up with the items. After all, it was the totemic image that provided representation for the group on the tjuringa.
287:
shrieked with pain; the torment was unbearable. I have not forgotten it: the pain was not slight; it was exceedingly great. When the nail had been loosened, he took a sharp opossum tooth, forced it into the living flesh through the base of the thumb-nail, and tore the nail off from behind. Blood spurted over his hand. The man chanted:
219:
of the great ancestor of the totem in question. The body of the ancestor merely undergoes a transmutation into something that will weather all the assaults of time, change and decay. Stone tjurunga were thought to have been made by the ancestors themselves. The wooden tjurunga made by the old men are
231:
In 1933, Strehlow noted that after the advent of white men to
Central Australia, the young men employed by the foreign intruders were watched very closely by the old men of their group. In many cases, unless the young men were outstandingly generous in their gifts towards their elders, no ceremonies
191:
properties of these tjurungas. The ancestor regarded his tjurunga as portions of his own being; and is always worried that strangers might come and rob him of the very essence of his life. Accordingly, legends abound with stories of theft and robbery, and the very fierce vengeance exacted. Tjuringa
163:
While some theorists, such as
Strehlow, have suggested these relics are amongst the very few forms of property which may be owned legitimately by individual persons in Central Australia, Durkheim and Kempe contend that the tjurunga cannot be owned by an individual. For example, Durkheim writes, "As
286:
An old man produced a sharp kangaroo bone (ntjala). He stabbed my thumb with it, pushed the bone deeply underneath the nail. He drew the point out; the rest kept up the chant. He thrust it under the nail in a different place. He gradually loosened the thumbnail. It was slippery with blood. I almost
244:
artists transferred the same symbols and designs found on tjurunga onto painted canvas and board. These early paintings contained the same secret sacred knowledge as found on tjurunga incised boards and stones. This practice only lasted a short time before these secret sacred symbols were hidden by
103:
stone or wooden objects possessed by private or group owners together with the legends, chants, and ceremonies associated with them. They were present among the
Arrernte, the Luritja, the Kaitish, the Unmatjera, and the Illpirra. These items are most commonly oblong pieces of polished stone or
265:
matters; no account of his past experiences could be spoken within the hearing of women and children. His own marriage had to conform to the laws of the group. One day the old men, sitting in a circle, would call him in to sit down in their midst. They began to chant. One man told
Strehlow:
223:
At the time of receiving his tjurunga-body a young man may be twenty-five years of age. He will often be thirty-five or forty years of age before the most sacred chants and ceremonies that are linked with it have passed into his possession. As he grows older and continues to demonstrate his
306:
Nowadays we make a great concession to the young men in our group. We no longer tear off their finger-nails. The price is too high; we give the tjurunga to them at a much lower cost. Besides, the young men of the present generation are no longer hardy enough to endure such
112:
of the group to which it belongs. Tjurunga are highly sacred, in fact, they are considered so sacred that only a few are able to see them and likewise it is considered sacrilegious to publish a picture of them.
261:
The old men would carefully note a young man's conduct. He had to be respectful towards his elders; he had to be attentive to their advice in all things. He would know the value of silence in
557:
documentary in which the
Director of the South Australian Museum tries to return Aboriginal tjurungas to their original communities, along the way exploring their significance and mystery.
195:
The acquisition of sufficient knowledge leading to possession of personal tjurunga was long, difficult and sometimes extremely painful. Practices differed amongst the various groups.
168:, that seems very doubtful. The ceremonies of the Emu belong to all the members of the Emu clan; all can participate in them; they are not the personal property of any member."
232:
or chants of power and importance were handed on to this unworthy younger generation. With the death of the old men such chants and ceremonies passed into oblivion.
228:
clan. Eventually he may become a member of the assembly of senior Lawmen who are honoured trustees for the ancient traditions of the whole clan.
566:
regions are respectfully advised that viewing or displaying images of sacred objects may be considered inappropriate by their communities.
220:
symbolical of the actual tjurunga which "cannot be found". These "man-made" tjurunga were accepted without reservation as sacred objects.
187:
themselves are said to have used them and stored them away as their most treasured possessions. Such myths emphasise the life-holding
171:
In recent decades there have been moves to repatriate these sacred objects from museum collections back to their traditional owners.
589:
338:
240:
Early
Papunya artists like Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa and Anatjari Tjakamarra show tjurunga in their paintings. Other early
39:
88:
594:
253:
from this region like concentric circles, U shapes and wavy lines all come from earlier designs on tjurunga.
117:
suggests that the name "churinga" is normally a noun, but can also be used as an adjective meaning "sacred".
246:
458:
604:
563:
554:
91:
paintings, in ceremonial poles, in ceremonial headgear, in sacred chants and in sacred earth mounds.
520:
Kempe, H. “Vocabulary of the Tribes
Inhabiting the Macdonnell Ranges,” RSSA, v.XIV, 1898 p. 1–54
250:
31:
484:
17:
432:
388:
79:. Tjurunga often had a wide and indeterminate native significance. They may be used variously in
325:
132:
means "that which is personal to me". Kempe argued against this translation and suggested that
60:
336:
all studied tjurunga. Durkheim discusses the nature of tjurunga throughout his seminal work
329:
8:
579:
80:
614:
584:
382:
188:
152:
groups was determined largely by "the conception site" of every individual member of a
105:
599:
333:
324:, who were studying the nature of totemic religion and the sacred. Scholars such as
609:
104:
wood. Some of these items have hair or string strung through them and were named "
550:
547:
Documented sales of
Tjurunga with descriptions collated from online auction sites.
224:
worthiness, he receives an ever-increasing share in the tjurunga owned by his own
200:
149:
64:
459:"Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa | sell Kaapa Mbitjana Tjampitjinpa| Karpa Mbitjana"
59:, is an object considered to be of religious significance by Central Australian
317:
544:
573:
121:
27:
Object of religious significance to some
Central Australian Aboriginal people
517:, trans. Karen Fields, The Free Press, 1995 (Originally Published in 1912)
196:
485:"Aboriginal art meaning | Meaning of Aboriginal art | Churinga | Tjuringa"
419:
Ceremony Men: Making
Ethnography and the Return of the Strehlow Collection
321:
303:
Then they seized my left hand and removed the thumb-nail in like manner.
153:
262:
204:
84:
404:
The Elementary Forms of Religious Life, trans. Karen Fields (1995 ed.)
387:. Translated by Clare, Lilian A. Tr. Unwin Brothers Limited. p.
343:
216:
184:
180:
114:
241:
225:
67:(Aranda, Arunta) groups. The word derives from the Arrernte word
433:"Aboriginal Art of Anatjari Tjakamara Indigenous Australian Art"
270:
The old men seized my hand. They all struck up the chant-verse:
249:
behind veils of dots. Most of the symbols people associate with
203:
groups were put on probation for several years after their last
100:
199:
describes how the men from the Northern, Southern and Western
109:
316:
These sacred relics were of high interest to early European
281:
With fierce eyes, with glowing eyes, they rip off the nail.
157:
275:
With fierce eyes, with glowing eyes, they seize the thumb;
215:
The tjurunga were visible embodiments of some part of the
311:
298:
Blood flows like a river, rushes along like a river.
124:to mean something similar to secret and personal.
380:
571:
534:, Melbourne University Press, 1947. p. 85-6
136:means "great", "powerful", or "sacred" and that
527:, Macmillan, London, 1927. Vol. II, p. 571
292:They rip off the nail, they tear off the nail;
235:
342:(1912). He considered the tjurunga to be an
148:The ownership of sacred tjurunga amongst the
370:. Melbourne University Press. pp. 85–6.
256:
140:did not translate into personal ownership.
525:The Arunta – A Study of a Stone Age People
361:
359:
210:
108:" by Europeans. Upon each tjurunga is a
401:
365:
38:
356:
14:
572:
515:The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
416:
339:The Elementary Forms of Religious Life
562:Aboriginal readers from Central and
174:
120:The term Tjurunga was translated by
99:Generally speaking, tjurunga denote
374:
312:Relationship to historical research
24:
25:
626:
538:
164:concerns the meaning of the word
128:means "hidden" or "secret", and
507:
421:. SUNY Press. pp. 211–338.
590:Australian Aboriginal clothing
523:Spencer, B., & Gillen, F.
477:
451:
425:
410:
406:. The Free Press. p. 119.
395:
13:
1:
349:
143:
43:Tjurunga exposed in a museum
7:
236:Influence on Aboriginal art
10:
631:
381:Lucien LĂ©vy-Bruhl (1922).
94:
29:
489:Aboriginal Bark Paintings
463:Aboriginal Bark Paintings
437:Aboriginal Bark Paintings
384:The Soul Of The Primitive
366:Strehlow, T.G.H. (1947).
32:Tjurunga (disambiguation)
402:Durkheim, Emile (1915).
257:Acquisition of knowledge
211:Ceremonial significance
417:Gibson, Jason (2020).
332:, Strehlow, Kempe and
309:
44:
595:Religion in Australia
268:
42:
346:of the sacred item.
30:For other uses, see
491:. 7 September 2019
45:
605:Religious objects
532:Aranda Traditions
530:Strehlow, T.G.H,
513:Durkheim, Emile,
465:. 18 October 2018
368:Aranda Traditions
175:Religious aspects
81:sacred ceremonies
16:(Redirected from
622:
501:
500:
498:
496:
481:
475:
474:
472:
470:
455:
449:
448:
446:
444:
439:. 9 October 2018
429:
423:
422:
414:
408:
407:
399:
393:
392:
378:
372:
371:
363:
21:
630:
629:
625:
624:
623:
621:
620:
619:
570:
569:
545:Flight of Ducks
541:
510:
505:
504:
494:
492:
483:
482:
478:
468:
466:
457:
456:
452:
442:
440:
431:
430:
426:
415:
411:
400:
396:
379:
375:
364:
357:
352:
318:anthropologists
314:
293:
276:
259:
247:Clifford Possum
238:
213:
177:
146:
97:
35:
28:
23:
22:
15:
12:
11:
5:
628:
618:
617:
612:
607:
602:
597:
592:
587:
582:
564:Western Desert
559:
558:
551:Sacred Journey
548:
540:
539:External links
537:
536:
535:
528:
521:
518:
509:
506:
503:
502:
476:
450:
424:
409:
394:
373:
354:
353:
351:
348:
313:
310:
301:
300:
295:
284:
283:
278:
258:
255:
251:aboriginal art
237:
234:
212:
209:
176:
173:
145:
142:
96:
93:
63:people of the
26:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
627:
616:
613:
611:
608:
606:
603:
601:
598:
596:
593:
591:
588:
586:
583:
581:
578:
577:
575:
568:
567:
565:
556:
552:
549:
546:
543:
542:
533:
529:
526:
522:
519:
516:
512:
511:
490:
486:
480:
464:
460:
454:
438:
434:
428:
420:
413:
405:
398:
390:
386:
385:
377:
369:
362:
360:
355:
347:
345:
341:
340:
335:
331:
327:
323:
319:
308:
304:
299:
296:
294:
290:
289:
288:
282:
279:
277:
273:
272:
271:
267:
264:
254:
252:
248:
243:
233:
229:
227:
221:
218:
208:
206:
202:
198:
193:
190:
186:
182:
172:
169:
167:
161:
159:
155:
151:
141:
139:
135:
131:
127:
123:
122:Carl Strehlow
118:
116:
111:
107:
102:
92:
90:
89:sacred ground
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
51:, also spelt
50:
41:
37:
33:
19:
561:
560:
531:
524:
514:
508:Bibliography
493:. Retrieved
488:
479:
467:. Retrieved
462:
453:
441:. Retrieved
436:
427:
418:
412:
403:
397:
383:
376:
367:
337:
322:sociologists
315:
305:
302:
297:
291:
285:
280:
274:
269:
260:
245:artist like
239:
230:
222:
214:
197:Ted Strehlow
194:
178:
170:
165:
162:
147:
137:
133:
129:
125:
119:
106:bull roarers
98:
76:
72:
71:which means
68:
56:
52:
48:
46:
36:
205:initiations
154:patrilineal
85:bullroarers
580:Ceremonies
574:Categories
350:References
263:ceremonial
61:Aboriginal
615:Talismans
585:Fertility
344:archetype
217:fertility
185:ancestors
144:Ownership
69:Tywerenge
600:Arrernte
334:Durkheim
201:Arrernte
179:In many
156:totemic
150:Arrernte
115:Durkheim
77:precious
65:Arrernte
57:Tjuringa
53:Churinga
49:Tjurunga
18:Tjuringa
610:Amulets
495:14 July
469:14 July
443:14 July
326:Spencer
242:Papunya
226:totemic
189:magical
95:Meaning
330:Gillen
101:sacred
73:sacred
307:pain.
181:myths
166:runga
138:runga
130:runga
110:totem
87:, in
83:, as
497:2021
471:2021
445:2021
320:and
183:the
158:clan
55:and
555:ABC
553:An
389:188
134:Tju
126:Tju
75:or
576::
487:.
461:.
435:.
358:^
328:,
207:.
47:A
499:.
473:.
447:.
391:.
34:.
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
