Prupe and Koromarange

Prupe

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).