Ngurunderi

Ngurunderi and Pondi © Jacob Stengle 2021

Ngurunderi is the most powerful Ancestral Being for Tanganekald people. Listen to a short section of the Ngurunderi song, which was sung by Milerum in 1937. Milerum's research partner Norman Tindale wrote down some of the Tanganekald lyrics with a description in English. 
AA 338/11/12 Track 10 Norman Barnett Tindale collection
For permission to use this song, please contact the South Australian Museum Archives.

Song


Thungareinar narimeingg parlpawulinar
Yeraiyanganamp mininggund n'deitjundal
thungareinar narimeingg parlpawulinar
ha! a! Yeikkeinin ngeregei nyunumpudungg
ngeilin nanganabin Yekeyeril yaragarangeil.
 
This song celebrates the time Ngurunderi, the most powerful of Ancestral Beings, came to Rawarungald, now called Port Elliot. At Rawarungald he met Yekeyere, a lesser Ancestral Being, who had just completed making fishing grounds there. Ngurunderi was very complimentary, telling Yekeyere that his efforts were worthy of comparison to Ngurunderi's own great work.
 
According to Milerum, 'Ngurunderi's words were obeyed, the hill was formed near the shore so that we can see the moving shoals of fish. Yekeyere made an early morning start and left a wonderful place for us.The country had to be nursed; everything was made so nicely that the fish would always come in towards the shore there and could be caught in nets'.
 
This Tanganekald song was made by Tanganekald man Maramandangunuru. His country was called Punganditjing. It was an area south of Cocoanut Well but on the paringari (seaward shore of the Coorong channel).