Page:Native Tribes of South-East Australia.djvu/507

VIII averted, the result of their deliberations being a petition to the Mura-mura (good spirit), in answer to which he ordered that the tribe should be divided into branches, and distinguished one from another by different names, after objects animate and inanimate, such as dogs, mice, emu, rain, iguana, and so forth; the members of any such branch not to intermarry, but with permission for one branch to mingle with another."

It is much to be regretted that Mr. Gason did not give his legend, as nearly as possible, in the words of his informants, rather than in the above anglicised version.

The other version which we have obtained is as follows: "The several families of Murdus married in themselves without shame. This occasioned great confusion, and sexual disorder became predominant. The Pinnarus (elders) observing this, came together to consider how these evils might be avoided. They agreed that the families should be divided, and that no member of a segment should marry within it. In accordance with this it was ordered that 'Yidni padi madu (murdu) wapanai kaualka kuraterila, yidni kaualka wapanai warugatti kuraterila, etc.' That is, 'Thou grub totem, go to produce crow; thou crow totem, go to produce emu, etc.,' and so on for the other totems."

These two legends differ in a very material matter. That of Mr. Gason says that the Murdus were established for the purpose of regulating marriage, while that of Mr. Siebert says that the Murdu families existed, but that they married within themselves, and that the evils which were experienced therefrom were avoided by establishing what was, in fact, exogamy. By it marriage, which pre-existed, was regulated, and this was done by the Pinnarus, not by the order of a Mura-mura, but by their own will. If we accept this as having been done in the Mura-mura times, then both legends are, to a certain extent, reconciled, for the Pinnarus then were the Mura-muras.

It seems to me that this view not only falls into line with the general conclusions which may be drawn from all the legends given here regarding the beliefs of the Lake Eyre tribes, and the sequence of the several stages of their