Milnguya

An aboriginal dreamtime story about Milnguya, the Milky Way.

"Walik, the crow, and Bari Pari, the cat, built a fish trap on the beach. On the first day the trap caught Balin the barramundi, and some of his friends and relatives. Walik and Bari pari decided to have a dance ceremony to show their happiness at catching so many fish. As they danced Balin called out to other clans to come and help him. When they came they speared and ate Balin and all the other fish. When the crow people and the cat people came to collect the fish all that was left was Balin's bones on the sand.

They said they had to fight the people who ate the fish, but first they buried the bones because he was a friend and totem, as they would not have eaten Balin. They planteda hollow pole, painted it, put Balin's bones in it, and set it in the sand. When they caught up with the people who had eaten the fish they had a fight, but they were losing because there were too many people in the group who ate Balin. The cat people and the crow people decided to fly up to the sky with the pole containing Balin's bones, camping beside the river that flows across the sky. The twinkling in Milnguya, the Milky Way, is really the many camp fires and the small spots on the cats. Walik the crow and the pole containing Balin's bones are also there. Swimming in the river is Ying-arpaya, the great crocodile, the spines on his back and the curve of his tail are marked by big stars."

Done