Primitive as the natives of Australia are in the scale of humanity, so they appear to us, from a psychological point of view, as but mere children. Being intensely emotional, they are easily moved by rage or grief; they are of a quick temper and the best of friends fall out over the most trivial matter; but in the majority of cases the storm lasts but a very short time and then the friendship is as thick as ever. Happiness seems the essence of their existence, and indeed none but an aboriginal could, or would, keep on smiling under the terrible bondage which our vaunted civilization has imposed upon him.
Among the members composing a tribe, one finds a diversification of character and talent much the same as builds up a modern community—it includes orators, warriors, artists, and clowns. Unauthorized though the action might be, it is not an uncommon occurrence for a man to place himself in a conspicuous position in camp and hold forth on matters of current interest to an enthusiastic and, at times, spell-bound audience; the man of skill and courage becomes the hero of the hour when the tribe goes to war; whilst talents in tune or colour are called upon whenever the occasion demands something out of the common. Some of the men have the reputation of being the jesters; their antics and jokes keep the camp in roars of laughter. Under the last-named category also come the mentally defective and half-witted persons; they are generally followed around by a band of mischievous children, who enjoy, with shameless glee, all the absurd pranks of the imbecile.
CHAPTER XXVI
INITIATION
No person exempt from initiation rites—Piercing the septum of nose—Tooth rapping—Children trained to become hardy—Fire-walking—Body scars—Different patterns described—Sky-shying—Circumcision—Convalescence and return to camp—Deserters drastically dealt with—The sacred “Wanningi”—Biting the initiate’s scalp—Subincision—Operation simultaneously performed upon old men—Sacred pole erected at ceremonial site—Initiation ceremonies without mutilation—Mythical origin of mutilation—Female initiation—Enchantment of breast—“Smoking” ceremony—Mutilation of female.
Throughout Australia it is required of a person, before he reaches adolescence, to pass through certain rites and ceremonies, without which he would not be considered mature and would not be allowed the privileges enjoyed by the rest of the adult community. This rule applies to both sexes, and is particularly stringent in the case of the male; we refer to a series of mutilations, which are committed by the elders upon the persons of the rising generation at regular stages of their lives, and always accompanied by pompous, secret, and demonstrative ceremonial. These functions naturally vary in different parts of so large an area as is included in the continent of Australia, but, nevertheless, the differences are not so considerable that one could not consider the transactions collectively under the heading of one and the same chapter.
Broadly speaking, the first, and at the same time the least important, ceremony is the piercing of the lower fleshy portion of the septum of the nose. This is performed at a rather early age in the north and south, whilst in central Australia it does not take place until the child has reached maturity. The Larrekiya pinch a hole through the flesh with their finger-nails when the child is still in arms. Central tribes use a sharply-pointed bone or the blade of a spear. The child is laid flat upon its back and its head placed between the thighs of the operator, who is kneeling on the ground. The child is assured that what is about to be done to it will not hurt, and that, when it is over, its body will develop quickly and become strong. Then the operator seizes the columna with the index finger and thumb of his left hand and pulls it well below the nostrils. With the sharpened piece of bone or blade he holds in his right hand, he perforates the tissue beneath the cartilage with a decisive drive, then quickly withdraws the instrument again. The father, or if the father be dead, the father’s brother, usually performs the operation upon a boy, whilst the mother (or mother’s sister) attends to a daughter. For some time after the operation, the perforation is kept open by means of a short rod, which is frequently turned about. Among some of the central Australian tribes, this rite is becoming obsolete; the Aluridja and Arunndta, for instance, do not nowadays insist upon the perforation being made at all, and, if it is, then only late in youth. It is at the option of a man to perforate the septum of the gin he takes to himself; if he does so, it is more for vanity sake, thinking that she is better able to decorate herself for corroborees, than with the idea of making her grow robust and womanly.
Next in the ritual sequence comes the tooth-rapping ceremony. This, too, is or was practised practically over the whole of the continent, and is in parts of great importance, ranking with certain tribes as one of the initiation steps. The ceremony extends over weeks and ends with the knocking out of one or two of the novice’s incisors. Generally a number of lads or girls undergo the ordeal together; but in the case of the girls no particularly great fuss is made. At times a number of adjoining tribes agree among themselves to hold a monster ceremony conjointly, at which all the youths of correct age are dealt with. Such is a really big occasion in tribal affairs, and many weeks are spent in an endeavour to make the event as successful and as impressive as possible. The decision is made at one of the council meetings of the old men, who, having announced the matter to a general assembly, make arrangements to send invitations to any friendly tribes living around them. In the Northern Kimberleys of Western Australia, a pair of men is selected for conveying each invitation to its destination; they are elaborately painted up and are allowed to wear only a forehead band and a pubic tassel; each carries a message-stick and a bull-roarer of a design which is to figure prominently during the ceremony. The stick and the bull-roarer are to be given to one of the old men of the tribe they are going to. When these messengers arrive at their destination, the nature of their visit is immediately recognized. The old man receives the stick and bull-roarer and hands them to one of his fellow-councillors whose crest or “kobong” corresponds to that embodied in the carvings on the bull-roarer; and, in return, the messengers are given similar pieces to take back to the sender. The date for the commencement of the ceremony is fixed about a month in advance, the half moon being favoured; the trysting place is upon the originator’s ground at a place where water and food will be sufficient to supply a great number in attendance throughout the proceedings. In the meantime the ground is cleared and prepared; as in most of their initiation ceremonies, this consists of two large, circular spaces connected by a straight, wide pathway.
While this is being done, the boys are tended by some old men, who keep them at a distance and daily talk to them on matters dealing with manhood’s duties, chivalry, courage, and the social position of women. In addition, they are taught some of the principal songs in which they will be required to join during the subsequent ceremonies in order to please the old men.
By this time it has become quite clear to the women that something extraordinary is about to happen. Indirectly they are made aware of the fact that a tooth-rapping ceremony stands near; and then for the first time music is heard; the women commence chanting periodically to the boys’ teeth, which they thereby hope to loosen in their sockets.