Marram, the kangaroo and Wariin, the wombat were once great djirrap and shared everything. One garrimiin when wariin made a yilam for himself in a mirring underground and guwambi there in comfort during the muda berrin nights.

One very daaban garrimiin, marram came to his djirrap and asked to be allowed to yilam in the mirring, to dry his yarri by the wiinj. But wariin would not let him wandja in. A djilba ensued, in which marram cut off wariin-birrm moibo with a blow of his gagiin, but as he was running off wariin drove his guyon at the base of his ngarrak where it stuck fast. This is the reason why marram-birrm carries a heavy moibo which sticks straight out behind them, and wariin-birrm has no moibo.

Told by Aunty Lee Healy (Patterson-Edmonds)

Further Information

Taungurung word list

berrin Winter
daaban wet
djilba quarrel
djirrap friend
gagiin axe
garrimiin day
guwambi sleep
guyon spear
marram kangaroo
mirring hole
moibo tail
muda cold
ngarrak spine
ngarrak back
wandja come
wariin wombat
wiinj fire
yarri fur
yilam shelter, home

The sounds of Taungurung

a as in but
aa as in cart
o as in hot
u as in put
i as in bit
oor as in core
iy as in eye
e as in bed
ii as in sleep
ng as in sing
nj as in new
dj as in gem