Peter Justin Guyula
Mukarr Turtle Story, 2021
natural ochres on eucalyptus tetrodonta
125 x 12 cm
49 1/4 x 4 3/4 in
49 1/4 x 4 3/4 in
'My name is Peter Guyula, I enjoy painting Yidaki, Hollow Log, Bark Painting, making spear and womera with my wife Stephanie Garrmu.' This is the Mukarr Story There were three...
"My name is Peter Guyula, I enjoy painting Yidaki, Hollow Log, Bark Painting, making spear and womera with my wife Stephanie Garrmu."
This is the Mukarr Story
There were three Mukarr (Turtle Ancestors) at Guykadala. They were good hunters and they said "lets go and hunt turtle". One threw his spear and he looked up and saw a cloud in the shape of a Miyapunu (turtle) in the direction of Mirrngatja. He said to the other two I'm going in the direction of the spear. The spear landed and grew into a Warraga (cycad palm). The spear he threw near Mirrngatja was a Dindi spear. The Miyapunu (green turtle) changed into a Madalatj (freshwater short necked turtle).
All the Yolngu were sitting at Badapaday and the two hunters came to meet them. There were two women who were making a turtle
rope. On one side was a big anthill that was growing up for them. From there the two Mukarr came in a canoe with two turtles they
caught, one had a lot of fat and one had no fat. The one with fat they shared with the women and everyone shared the turtle meat the women had.
The rock, that is the turtle shell, is still there at Badaypaday.
The sisters gave the Mukarr the new rope, and the old one was rolled up and left there at Badapaday.
The Mukarr and the Women and all the kids packed up their gear and left by canoe. They stopped where there was a big long Lanapu (Cyprus pine). They climbed up the Lanapu and looked around at the country for where to go. They looked back to towards Dhuwalkitj.
This is the Mukarr Story
There were three Mukarr (Turtle Ancestors) at Guykadala. They were good hunters and they said "lets go and hunt turtle". One threw his spear and he looked up and saw a cloud in the shape of a Miyapunu (turtle) in the direction of Mirrngatja. He said to the other two I'm going in the direction of the spear. The spear landed and grew into a Warraga (cycad palm). The spear he threw near Mirrngatja was a Dindi spear. The Miyapunu (green turtle) changed into a Madalatj (freshwater short necked turtle).
All the Yolngu were sitting at Badapaday and the two hunters came to meet them. There were two women who were making a turtle
rope. On one side was a big anthill that was growing up for them. From there the two Mukarr came in a canoe with two turtles they
caught, one had a lot of fat and one had no fat. The one with fat they shared with the women and everyone shared the turtle meat the women had.
The rock, that is the turtle shell, is still there at Badaypaday.
The sisters gave the Mukarr the new rope, and the old one was rolled up and left there at Badapaday.
The Mukarr and the Women and all the kids packed up their gear and left by canoe. They stopped where there was a big long Lanapu (Cyprus pine). They climbed up the Lanapu and looked around at the country for where to go. They looked back to towards Dhuwalkitj.