inmintera

The name given to incomplete ancestral men and women. The Unmatjera say that in the Alcheringa an old crow lived at Ungurla, a place on what is now called the Woodford River. One day he saw afar off a large number of inmintera whom he determined to go and make into men and women. Accordingly he did so, separating their limbs, etc., with his bill. Having completed this part of his work he returned to his camp to get his stone knife with which to initiate them. However, while he was away, two Parenthie (large lizard) men, who came from the south, appeared upon the scene and with their teeth circumcised and subincised the men, and performed the operation of atna-ariltha-kuma upon the women, after which they returned to their home again. When the old crow had got his knife ready and was preparing to start off, he looked out and saw that the two Parenthies had been before him, so he stayed at his home at Ungurla, and a big black stone arose to mark the spot at which he died. See also inapertwa.

❧