Kinship Organisations and Group Marriage in Australia Part 4

[44] Bunce, _23 Years Wanderings_, p. 116.

[45] _J.R.G.S._ IV, 171, p. 88, _Narrative of a Voyage round the World_ p. 88.

[46] _Discoveries_ (1846), I, 393; cf. _Kamilaroi and Kurnai_, p. 64.

[47] Cf. the local groups of the Yuin, the Wiradjeri and other tribes, Howitt, _pa.s.sim_.

CHAPTER IV.

TABLES OF CLa.s.sES, PHRATRIES, ETC.

In order to facilitate reference and to diminish the necessity for footnotes a survey of cla.s.ses and phratries is here given. It will be well to explain how they are arranged.

In the two-phratry system the rule of intermarriage is clear; a man of phratry _A_ marries a woman of phratry _B_ and _vice versa_. The direct descent of the kinship name is obviously the rule.

The four cla.s.ses are arranged according to the phratries; the normal rule is that a man _A1_ marries _B1_, _A2_ marries _B2_; their children are in matrilineal tribes _A2_ and _B2_, in patrilineal _B2_ and _A2_.

In the patrilineal Mara and Anula, by exception, the rule of descent is direct; it will be remembered that a dichotomy of the cla.s.ses prevails, so that they really belong to the eight-cla.s.s system.

In the eight-cla.s.s system and among the nominally four-cla.s.s southern Arunta the intermarriage and descent is as follows, according to Spencer and Gillen;

_A1_ _B1_ ------ = _A4_, ------ = _B3_, _B1_ _A1_

_A_2 _B2_ ------ = _A3_, ------ = _B4_, _B2_ _A2_

_A3_ _B3_ ------ = _A2_, ------ = _B1_, _B3_ _A3_

_A4_ _B4_ ------ = _B4_, ------ = _B2_.

_B4_ _A4_

In each case the male is the numerator, the woman the denominator, and the = shows the child.

Tribes with conterminous territories usually know what phratries and cla.s.ses are equivalent in their systems. In the tables which follow the phratries and the cla.s.ses of matrilineal tribes are arranged to show this correspondence so far as it is known. A * shows that no information on the point is to hand. A rearrangement of patrilineal cla.s.ses is necessary to make them equivalent to the organisations of matrilineal tribes; this cannot be shown in the tables; but full details will be found in the works of Spencer and Gillen. A indicates patrilineal descent.

Where the names of phratries and cla.s.ses are translated, the meanings are shown in the tables; where the authorities do not give the translation but a word of the same form is in use in the tribe or group of tribes the meanings are given in round brackets; words in use in neighbouring tribes are put in square brackets.

TABLE I.

_The Cla.s.s Names._

_Cla.s.s names_ _Feminine_ _Meaning_ I. Muri (Bya)[48] Matha (Red kangaroo) Kubi Kubitha (Opossum) k.u.mbo (Wombee)[49] Butha Ipai Ipatha (Eaglehawk)

These cla.s.s names are found in the following tribes:

Kamilaroi (Howitt, p. 107); Wiradjeri (_ib._ 107); Wonghi (_ib._ 108); Euahlayi (Mrs L. Parker, _Euahlayi Tribe_, p. 13); Ngeumba (Mathews in _Eth. Notes_, p. 5); Murawari (_id._ in _Proc. R.G.S. Qu._, 1906, 55); Moree (_R.G.S. Qu._ X, 20); Turribul (_R.S. Vict._ I, 102); Wollaroi (Howitt, 109); on Narran R. (Curr, I, 117); Pik.u.mbul (_ib._); Unghi (Howitt, 217); Peechera (Curr, III, 271); Wailwun (_ib._ I, 116); Wonnaruah (_Sci. Man_, I, 180); Geawegal (Howitt, 266).

a.s.sociated with these cla.s.s names are the following phratry names:

(_a_) Kamilaroi, etc. Dilbi Kupathin (_b_) Wiradjeri to N. of Budthurung Mukula Lachlan (_c_) Wonghibon Ngielb.u.murra Muk.u.murra (Howitt) (_d_) " & Ngeumba {Ngumbun Ngurrawan (Mathews) {Numbun (_e_) Euahlayi Gwaigullean Gwaimudthen (_f_) Murawari Girrana Merugulli

_Cla.s.s names_ _Feminine_ II. Kurbo Kooran Marro Kurgan Wombo Wirrikin Wirro Wongan

The proper arrangement of these names is unknown.

_Tribe_: Kombinegherry (_J.A.I._ XIII, 304; Howitt, 105).

_Science of Man_ (IV, 8) gives:

Carribo Gooroona Maroongah Carrigan Womboongah Werrican Weiro Warganbah

For the Anaywan, Thangatty, etc., R.H. Mathews gives (_J.R.S.N.S.W._ x.x.xI, 169):

Irpoong Matyang Marroong Arrakan Imboong Irrakadena Irroong Palyang

_Cla.s.s name (Fem. termination, -an or -gan)_ _Meaning_ III[50]. Parang (Moroon) (Black wallaby. Emu) Bunda [Kangaroo]

Balgoin (Banjoor, (Red wallaby. Native Pandur) bear) Theirwain (Kangaroo)

_Tribes_: Maryborough tribes (Howitt, 117); Kabi (Curr, III, 163): Kiabara (_J.A.I._ XIII, 305); ? (Hodgson, 212; Mathew, _Eaglehawk_, 100); Wide Bay (Curr, I, 117).

For the Emon, Howitt (p. 109) gives:

Barah Bondan Bondurr Taran

With these cla.s.ses are a.s.sociated the phratries:

(_a_) The Maryborough tribes Dilbi Kupathin.

and the Kiabara (_b_) Dippil Deeajee Karpeun

are the forms given by Mathews (_Proc. Am. Phil. Soc._ x.x.xVIII, 329).

_Cla.s.s names (Fem. termination, -an)_ _Meaning_ IV. Karilbura Barrimundi Munal Hawk Kurpal Good water Kuialla (Koodala) Iguana

_Tribes_: Kuinmurbura (_J.A.I._ XIII, 341; Howitt, 111). The Taroombul have the form Koodala (_Proc. R.S. Qu._ XIII, 41).

For the Kangulu, Mathews (_J.R.S.N.S.W._ x.x.xIII, 111) gives:

Banniar[51]

Banjoor Koorpal Kearra

With these may be compared Howitt's (p. 111):

Kairawa Bunjur Bunya Jarbain (? Tarbain)

The phratries a.s.sociated with these are: