 —Prupe and Koromarange
 —Prupe and Koromarange

Prupe, the evil sister © Jacob Stengle 2021
This is an Ancestral time story telling of the struggle between the sisters Prupe and Koromarange. Prupe is almost blind and wants to steal the eyes of Koromarange's granddaughter Koakanggi so she can see again. But Prupe's evil plan fails. Milerum's version of this story is was told to Norman TIndale of the SA Museum in Tanganekald and then in English. The story is broken up below into two sections to make it easier to follow the story and to explore some of the Tanganekald language used by Milerum to tell the story. The first section is an English version of the story. The second section is a Tanganekald version of the story with English glosses of Tanganekald words where recorded by Tindale. You can also download the original text here. Prupe and Koromarange were two Marntandi clan sisters who lived near Magrath Flat on the tenggi - the landward shore of the Coorong channel. They shared the same ngaitji (totem). Prupe lived at a place just behind Magrath homestead, called Prupangawand. Milerum was first shown the place when he was a boy. Back then, it was a big pit in the ground. The other sister lived 1.5 kms away to the west along the Coorong, on Rabbit Island, at a place called Koromaranggul or Kurumarangk. At first Prupe had good eyesight, but she gradually became blind. This turned her into a cruel and heartless person, eating all the children in the area, except for Koakanggi, Koromarange's granddaughter. To prevent Prupe from coming down to her camp, Koromarange began suddenly to take her offerings of fish, food, herbs and grasses. Prupe became suspicious: "Once upon a time I used to go down to Koromarange. That woman is very good to me. I will go down and see what she is doing. I feel she has a granddaughter down there". As time went on Prupe lost her sight altogether. She wanted more than ever to catch Koakanggi so she could take out her eyes, replace them with her own, and see once more. Prupe came down to Koromarange's camp when she was away fishing with nets. At the camp, Prupe heard Koakanggi cry out for water. Prupe gave her water, and then abducted her, fleeing to her own camp at Prupangawand. Koromarange missed her grandchild so tracked Prupe to her camp. She arrived just as her sister was about to gauge out Koakanggi's eyes. Koromarange pretended to be pleased that Prupe had found the child and asked Prupe to fetch water as she was tired from fishing. With a spear Koromarange poked a hole in a merikin, a water-dish, and handed it to her sister, Prupe. The leaking water dish detained Prupe. Meanwhile Koromarange prepared a snare and cried out, pleading for water. Prupe rushed back to her camp. She found Koromarange had fled with the Koakanggi. She had been tricked! She rushed out, was snared and in her rage kicked the fire. The fire blazed up, burnt her and raised the camp to the ground. A great pit is now in its place. Koromarange fled back to her camp and then over the Coorong lagoon, by the shallow water crossing to Yunggurungbar, a high scrub-covered hill on the yurli - the ocean beach. She looked back and saw the raging fire that consumed her evil sister. She had finally perished. (Adapted with minor changes from the published version of 1938)
Nunap panna nyerei nentara yamp prupuna(w)anti pekerat kurupula alporula. Wenyatananam marokeianam marmar. Nunnuk telianu puntunu wanyal nanggi impakabali. Anggalamp wanyal plappai inangg raimurumungg. Weniangg parlu nggarelanggul kundungg kaiparllanggal inal yal lal konggodapaitj. Kandeili kungu inal nggeiral wenyil nangg peinpun parengguki. Mekan nggeir maraparik pakanu. Wenyatanangg peinpu weinyal mutung kaiyereppung puluwuntu wenyatan lammangg waldarap kaltangguru kapuntu taldamading. Malawaiyap leawu kuinggu yenggura enapu pulteinapun. Onkanap pelalamp.Keiandu puntai ippakka pali. Parenggu kannan pakanu ma! Ngginteil palal paka baluntu inang merikin. Wada yau belinyeri nggapun yurukulai. Wanya nggara nggaratun kalyai anta anya pereokunggar. Nunanil winmangguru wanyil nggarakun nunai nelang pultuwapini torotuluwia werukol ilnggeril tumul nggorotoloni talayarinyi enambil yaran kurambil. Wenyankol wandandiland nggakun Yunggurungbar.
                
                    Nunap                
                
                    (Koromarange)                
            
			            
                
                    panna                
                
                    scared                
            
			            
                
                    nyerei                
                
                    was                
            
			            
                
                    nentara                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    yamp                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    prupuna(w)anti                
                
                    Prupe                
            
			            
                
                    pekerat                
                
                    a meal                
            
			            
                
                    kurupula                
                
                    eat                
            
			            
                
                    alporula.                
                
                    baby.                
            
			            
                
                    Wenyatananam                
                
                    To her                
            
			            
                
                    marokeianam                
                
                    took-to-her                
            
			            
                
                    marmar.                
                
                    fish (presents of).                
            
			            
                
                    Nunnuk                
                
                    She (Prupe)                
            
			            
                
                    telianu                
                
                    idea-had                
            
			            
                
                    puntunu                
                
                    sneak down                
            
			            
                
                    wanyal                
                
                    spy                
            
			            
                
                    nanggi                
                
                    on                
            
			            
                
                    impakabali.                 
                
                    grandmother-true [Koromarange].                
            
			            
                
                    Anggalamp                 
                
                    Belonging to me                
            
			            
                
                    wanyal                
                
                    spy on                
            
			            
                
                    plappai                
                
                    inside                
            
			            
                
                    inangg                
                
                    ‘heart’ stomach                
            
			            
                
                    raimurumungg.                
                
                    I feel.                
            
			            
                
                    Weniangg parlu                
                
                    Come down this time                
            
			            
                
                    nggarelanggul                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    kundungg                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    kaiparllanggal                
                
                    she had gone                
            
			            
                
                    inal                
                
                    find                
            
			            
                
                    yal                
                
                    fishing                
            
			            
                
                    lal                
                
                    gone                
            
			            
                
                    konggodapaitj.                
                
                    while out.                
            
			            
                
                    Kandeili                
                
                    Gone                
            
			            
                
                    kungu                
                
                    in                
            
			            
                
                    inal                
                
                    fish                
            
			            
                
                    nggeiral                
                
                    crying                
            
			            
                
                    wenyil nangg                
                
                    drink                
            
			            
                
                    peinpun                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    parengguki.                
                
                    water for.                
            
			            
                
                    Mekan                
                
                    What                
            
			            
                
                    nggeir                
                
                    cry for                
            
			            
                
                    maraparik                
                
                    [said sister]                
            
			            
                
                    pakanu.                
                
                    grandmother.                
            
			            
                
                    Wenyatanangg                
                
                    To her                
            
			            
                
                    peinpu                
                
                    drink gave                
            
			            
                
                    weinyal                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    mutung                
                
                    drunk it                
            
			            
                
                    kaiyereppung                
                
                    satisfied                
            
			            
                
                    puluwuntu                
                
                    slung her                
            
			            
                
                    wenyatan                
                
                    over shoulders                
            
			            
                
                    lammangg                
                
                    carry                
            
			            
                
                    waldarap                
                
                    went away                
            
			            
                
                    kaltangguru                
                
                    very fast                
            
			            
                
                    kapuntu                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    taldamading.                
                
                    home arrived.                
            
			            
                
                    Malawaiyap                
                
                    Soon after                
            
			            
                
                    leawu kuinggu                
                
                    not very long                
            
			            
                
                    yenggura                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    enapu                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    pulteinapun.                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    Onkanap                
                
                    To take (want to)                
            
			            
                
                    pelalamp.                
                
                    eyes good.                
            
			            
                
                    Keiandu                
                
                    Arrived                
            
			            
                
                    puntai                
                
                    [then]                
            
			            
                
                    ippakka                
                
                    grandmother                
            
			            
                
                    pali.                
                
                    good [Koromarange].                
            
			            
                
                    Parenggu                
                
                    Water                
            
			            
                
                    kannan                
                
                    get me                
            
			            
                
                    pakanu                
                
                    grandmother                
            
			            
                
                    ma!                
                
                    go!                
            
			            
                
                    Ngginteil                
                
                    You                
            
			            
                
                    palal                
                
                    go                
            
			            
                
                    paka                
                
                    grandmother                
            
			            
                
                    baluntu                
                
                    other [Prupe]                
            
			            
                
                    inang                
                
                    with                
            
			            
                
                    merikin.                
                
                    skull dipper.                
            
			            
                
                    Wada yau                
                
                    Went                
            
			            
                
                    belinyeri                
                
                    smartly                
            
			            
                
                    nggapun                
                
                    walking                
            
			            
                
                    yurukulai.                
                
                    to bale out [Koromarange].                
            
			            
                
                    Wanya                
                
                    Then                
            
			            
                
                    nggara                
                
                    made                
            
			            
                
                    nggaratun                
                
                    snare                
            
			            
                
                    kalyai                
                
                    false                
            
			            
                
                    anta anya                
                
                    cry sound                
            
			            
                
                    pereokunggar.                
                
                    for water.                
            
			            
                
                    Nunanil                
                
                    Trick                
            
			            
                
                    winmangguru                
                
                    played on her                
            
			            
                
                    wanyil                
                
                    then                
            
			            
                
                    nggarakun nunai                
                
                    snare                
            
			            
                
                    nelang                
                
                    kicked (?)                
            
			            
                
                    pultuwapini                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    torotuluwia                
                
                    rushed out                
            
			            
                
                    werukol                
                
                    strangled [in snare]                
            
			            
                
                    ilnggeril                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    tumul                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    nggorotoloni                
                
                    kicked                
            
			            
                
                    talayarinyi                
                
                    fire                
            
			            
                
                    enambil                
                
                    big                
            
			            
                
                    yaran                
                
                                    
            
			            
                
                    kurambil.                
                
                    blaze of fire.                
            
			            
                
                    Wenyankol                
                
                    Koromarange saw                
            
			            
                
                    wandandiland                
                
                    across (Coorong)                
            
			            
                
                    nggakun                
                
                    looking from                
            
			            
                
                    Yunggurungbar                
                
                    Yunggurungbar (place).                
            
			