Emu In Night Sky, Australia

Dinawan Mulaa Wir-ra (Emu in Night Sky)

Knowledge Holders: The Wiradjuri People.

If you want, you can read while you listen to the video so you can better understand Wiradjuri words.

The gillang (story) starts next.

Dinawan Mulaa Wir-ra , (emu in night sky) tells Wiradjuri Mayiny (people) what is happening down below on Wiradjuri ngurambang (country)

The Wiradjuri mayiny (people) see a Dinawan (Emu) either running or sitting, depending on the season, in this ancient giilang (story) in the Mulaa Wir (night sky).
It's the giilang (story) of the Bilabang (Billabong)---(Milky Way) and Dinawan (Emu)

What the Dinawan Giilang (Emu Story) is doing tells Wiradjuri mayiny (people) about what is happening on and in Ngurambang (country).
It notifies Wiradjuri about a change of season but also when Dinawan (emu) are having their bubadyi (babies).

As summer is getting ready to sleep and the colder months are waking up, Dinawan mulaa wir-ra (Emu In Night Sky) starts to turn its balang (head) around to Ngurambang (country) and its bubul (tail/bottom) comes up from the south and spins around.

Around this time Durrawan (currawong bird), the cold season bird, turns up on Wiradjuri Ngurambang (country) and will begin singing their Gudhi (Song) telling Wiradjuri that the season is changing and reminding us to look up to the mulaa wir (night sky) and be prepared for change.

Wiradjuri people babirra gudhi (Sing Song) of the Durrawan (Currawong) to the sky. Songs aren't always words.

It's important to make the sounds of the country, so that ngurambang (country) knows that Wiradjuri mayiny (people) are here, with her, and that we are understanding and listening to what ngurambang (country) is telling us.

The change of season messages reminds Wiradjuri that they need to change the way we heat our traditional Gunyah (home), change our ways of living to suit the season, and be prepared to plant our next food crops.

The Dinawan (emu) in the mulaa wir (night sky) also tells Wiradjuri Mayiny (people) when to collect or not collect Dinawan gabuga (emu egg)

When the Dinawan Buyu (Emu Legs) are down in the mulaa wir (night sky) Wiradjuri know that Dinawan Gunhi (Emu Mother) is running and not nesting yet. This is the right time to collect gabuga (egg)

Very soon, when the season is right, the Dinawan Buyu (Emu Legs) will disappear from the Mulaa Wir (Night Sky) and that is when Dinawan (Emu) is sitting.

When that happens, Wiradjuri do not touch the gabuga (eggs) because they have become fertile.

What happens next is that Gunhi Dinawan (Mother Emu) leaves the nest and gabuga (Eggs) and goes about collecting food and keeping predators away from Babiin (Father) who sits on the nest for 60 to 70 days.

When the bubadyi (babies) are born, they're attached to Babiin (Father), and he teaches them how to live and survive in sometimes what can be a very harsh world.

The Budhu (stars) are also used to teach Wiradjuri Gudha (children) important life lessons.

At bedtime when Wiradjuri Gudha (children) look up to the Mulaa Wir (night sky) they are warned about when to stay away from the Babiin Dinawan (Father emu) and his gabuga (eggs) because he will attack Wiradjuri Gudha (children) if they get too close to his nest at the wrong time in this special season.

Mulaa Wir-ra (In night sky) the gudha (children) can also see and learn about the Wiradjuri Gibir (man) chasing the Dinawan (emu), in what some call, Orion's belt or the saucepan in the sky, which is the warrior shield, but the warrior never catches Dinawan (Emu), as Dinawan (Emu) is waiting for him and ready to run.

This story is a reminder that calendars go around in circles, never ending, and that everything is connected — the sky, the land, the water, the people, Wiradjuri culture and our spiritual world.

We must never forget our gillang (stories) and must always Yalmambirra Gudha Marang (Teach Children Well)

Guwayu (Safe Travels)

Videos, Artwork, Yidaki (Didgeridoo) and Photos copyright Mark Saddler

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