Word Detail

(N)

This was greatly feared by Wembawemba people. Only one man in the group, the 'wurrətyil-manuk' was allowed to light such a fire. A piece of a garment, covered in sweat, or anything that came directly from the intended victim was put together with some sticks into a deep hole and set alight. If no fresh air was allowed to penetrate into this hole, the victim would fall ill, and groans would be heard from the magic fire; the victim would slowly die. A 'wurrətyil' was lit at the end of the last century as a punishment for Mrs Morrison, a Wembawemba woman who had married a squatter at Murrabit. A white man heard about it, he heard the groans from the fire and dug it up, and Mrs Morrison recovered, cf nyil-ngani.

Belief, Ceremony