Ten Canoes Page #4

At first that stranger

didn't believe Ridjimiraril,

but Ridjimiraril would not

change his words.

The only thing to do was to follow the law.

We'll settle it with a payback.

With him.

Me's responsible.

Ridjimiraril could not refuse the Makaratta,

the payback ceremony,

where the stranger and his men

could throw spears at him until he got hit.

As the two groups worked out the Makaratta,

Ridjimiraril knew he was in a danger

he couldn't get away from.

Night is coming to the tree platforms.

The men sit near their little fires...

the smoke helps to keep mosquitoes away.

They talk about the hunting...

there are lots of gumang eggs this year.

the telling of the destiny of Ridjimiriril must wait

until night become empty of black

Now it is morning.

The men go out to do more hunting,

of gumang and their eggs.

Minygululu wants to know

if Dayindi has learnt anything yet.

Dayindi says, only thing he

learnt is Mingylulu take long

time to tell that story.

Minygulu answers, a good story must have proper telling.

Back then, all that time ago,

it was also time of goose egg gathering.

The payback, the makaratta,

was to be at this time,

far across the other side of the swamp.

Ridjimiraril was heavy in his heart...

This time Yeeralparil could go,

to lend his spirit to his older brother.

The wives were afraid they would

never see their husband again.

Birrinbirrin could not go...

he was too fat

to cross the swamp in a canoe.

Come, come. Mand it to me.

This is yours and this is mine.

We'll share.

It was a bad time.

The men were thinking of what

Ridjimiraril had to face

as they set out to cross the swamp.

Maybe that stranger's mob

could throw their spears good and straight.

Then Ridjimiraril would have a spear

right through him pretty soon.

But that was the law.

Ridjimiraril knew that law.

He knew it was the way of his people.

He knew the people needed the law,

so they could stay living the right way,

with the right land.

And he knew he had broken the law.

Let's go.

Without the makaratta, there would be

a bad war between the two tribes.

There was no turning back.

- Missed again.

- That was the last goose on the swamp.

And you missed it.

What's up?

Tell the story.

About the payback they went to?

Minygululu tells Dayindi

that Ridjimiraril needed a makaratta partner

to someone face the spears with him.

The other tribe was satisfied

whichever one got speared.

It was a dangerous thing

to be makaratta partner.

He could be the one to get speared.

Yeeralparil knew it

and waited his time.

Who's going to be

Ridjimiraril's partner?

For the payback?

One of us on this platform might!

Maybe me!

What about you?

I've got a boil on my bum!

- What about him?

- No, him over there!

Somebody has to do it!

Quiet! Quiet! Quiet!

I'll do it!

You know nothing!

I know how to avoid spears!

- You've got weak knees!

- Somebody older!

- You're too young!

- You're too inexperienced!

Yeeralparil argued with the men.

If he couldn't have any wifes or if he coluldnt have Munandjarra,

he might as well be speared

or dead

Finally Ridjimiraril agreed.

My goose got away.

Got all the eggs though.

The goose egg hunters

come together to eat.

Is the fire going yet?

Almost.

I could eat a whole goose.

When can we cook?

Mey everybody!

Are you all here?

We're about to start cooking.

Is the fire burning?

Nearly there!

I'm looking forward

to filling my stomach!

I got a goose!

Dayindi is proud of his hunting success.

The story will go on when they're eating.

We won't wait, because it is time

for the makaratta spears to start flying.

Ridjimiraril and Yeeralparil

danced like ghosts between the spears.

They danced so hard

they were nearly invisible.

The spears seemed to be

passing right through them.

The warriors from the other tribe

threw their spears

until their arms got tired.

That's how hard the two brothers danced.

But Ridjimiraril was not a ghost.

He was a human being.

His legs were human,

and one spear too many came flying.

The goose egg hunting

is nearly over for now.

But there is still some of

this story left for me to tell you.

That one spear too many

had hit Ridjimiraril right in his guts.

He was injured all right,

but not so bad that he should die.

The other tribe's anger was over.

The law had been followed.

The justice had been done.

We speared your man.

After we'd speared yours.

It's all over... finished with.

Ridjimiraril still believed

it was the stranger who took Nowalingu.

It made him too proud

to let the men carry him back.

He wanted to show the stranger,

and his own men,

he was strong, and angry.

But he was not strong enough

to pole all the way across the swamp.

And the blood that leaving his body

made him too weak to walk by himself.

Banalandju knew the leaves

to use to make the wound better.

Get some fresh bark.

She knew what to get

to make her husband stronger.

The men are near the end

of their journey.

Dayindi is now interested in all the story.

He waits to hear

what happened to Ridjimiraril.

Ridjimiraril did not get stronger.

In his weakness, he called out

for Nowalingu, to bring him water.

But Nowalingu did not come.

A bad spirit took over Ridjimiraril's body.

He did not have the strength to fight it off.

That stranger's tribe

might have used some sorcery.

Maybe on the spear

there was some sorcery...

... or maybe on Ridjimiraril himself.

And there's only one way to fight sorcery.

Go away. Who told you to come here?

I haven't seen this before,

this strange magic.

The sorcerer could do no more.

He was overcome by a great sadness.

Ridjimiraril, you are going to die.

The spirits are waiting.

And the people know...

... see? They know.

They come out of the bush,

from everywhere.

They come for Ridjimiraril.

And see how Ridjimiraril

makes one very big effort...

... maybe his last effort.

Slowly he gets up.

Look at him get up

while he still has the strength.

Slowly he walks to the middle

of the space in the camp.

And there, near the fires

so that everyone can see...

Ridjimiraril begins to dance...

his own death dance.

Soon the clapsticks will join in,

and the didgeridu,

and then singing.

Hear the clapsticks start.

And now the didgeridu

... as Ridjimiraril dances

... his own death dance.

He is becoming weaker.

But see?

See how he keeps dancing

until all his strength is gone.

Now he is getting tired.

Now his strength is finished,

and he lies down on the ground.

And now the warriors

finish the death dance for Ridjimiraril.

Ridjimiraril is waiting for them

to start singing again.

He wants them to sing

his death song for him,

so that all his fathers

will know that he is dying,

and come to him.

Hear now.

They are starting to sing.

You think he might be dead,

but he's only waiting for this singing.

See? See?

His hand... his hand is moving.

His hand moves

like his brown python totem.

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