Ochre & Initiation
Yidumduma outlines part of the boys Initiation Ceremony and Law as it applies to teaching the boys to respect the girls/women. The women Elders dance in front of boys and they must look at them. The Elders are painted up in black and white ochre. The boys throw a firestick in the air and call out for clearance. Yidumduma shares the ceremonial Bandimi Song sung by all the Elders.
Yadjagurru janja warraban dunyu, bardugu badu
Old women foot stamping, dancing for the young boys, clapping legs together.
Transcript
Bandimi Song
Wadidi, yadjagurru janja warraban dunyu, bardugu badu
Old women foot stamping, dancing for the young boys, clapping legs
wadidi dancing (sometimes used but not in this version)
yadjagurru foot stomping
warraban dunyu dancing
bardugu badu clapping legs
When a young boy went to ceremony or initiation…
They say to the young man…
“ You got to know the women now, old lady will dance for you.”
… They get dressed with the white and black (ochre).
They done it for me too.
The song they sing for us, and they make you look at them dancing.
… You not allowed to blink your eyes, not allowed to look around,
you got to see the old lady dance.
And that’s the song they sing…
Bandimi Song
Yadjagurru, janja warraban dunyu, bardugu badu
Old women foot stamping, dancing for the young boys, clapping legs
And old lady sing out, “Ahhh……go, go, go, go”
Bandimi Song
Yadjagurru, janja warraban dunyu, bardugu badu
Old women foot stamping, dancing for the young boys, clapping legs
Many old people sing for them old lady.
And they make that young boy,
“Don’t look down, don’t look around, you look at them…dance.”
“You got to get married, don’t look around. Watch them proper.”
And they’re all looking. We wasn’t allowed to…
If we look around…we get slapped on the jaw.
Make them look up. If you…try to put your head down they lift your head up. Make sure them watching and watch your eyes too…
You’re not allowed to laugh…you got to sit silent,
real mean look about your face, looking at them…
If you laugh you get slapped…
Bandimi Song
Yadjagurru, janja warraban dunyu, bardugu badu
Old women foot stamping, dancing for the young boys, clapping legs
And they say to the young boy,
“Well, that’s it, you seen them now, you clear now,” they say.
“ We can give you a marriage now. You man now,” they say.
“You’re right, you went right through all the stages,
right from the young, you got initiated and right through you seen the old lady dance. You seen the old lady design.”
… That’s what they teach us all the young ones when we grown up,
put us through the Law and we learn then.
“You right now.”
And other young one, (you’re) not allowed to teach them, they say,
because you’ve been over there.
All other young one won’t be there, not allowed to be there.
Only that one person or maybe two young one have to go through.
That’s what, the black and white (ochre) was over.
