Mirinyuŋu | The Whale
During the Waŋarr, two spirit men from the Munyuku clan hunted and killed a whale called Mirinyuŋu. The hunters were called Wurramala or Matjitji. Following Yolŋu systems of kinship, which extend to all living things, the whale belonged to the Munyuku clan, so Mirinyuŋu was their brother. Its body washed up onto the beach at Yarrinya, contaminating it with blood and fat. The hunters used stone knives to sever the whale’s tail and cut its body into long strips. Disgusted by their own actions, they threw their knives into the sea, forming a dangerous hidden reef. The bones of the whale are also said to have become a part of the rocks in the ocean. The whale’s tail is referenced in raŋga (sacred objects used in ceremony).
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