A Journey to Heaven: Burrumarra’s Return to Gulirra

Authors

  • Ian S. McIntosh Indiana University

Keywords:

Folkloristics, Mythology, Religion,

Abstract

David Burrumarra died at Elcho Island on October 21, 1994 at the age of 77. His extensive dialogue with the author has been covered in Australian Folklore and elsewhere. This article covers the events and discussions surrounding the elderly Burrumarra’s return to what had been his childhood paradise in order to die there. It addresses the differences between the mythic power of the place and the reality of its present appearance. Burrumarra’s reaction, and then his decision, opens the way for a reconfiguring and then reinforcement of the myths.

Author Biography

Ian S. McIntosh, Indiana University

Adjunct Professor of Anthropology, Indiana University, 24 W. Hampton Dr., Indianapolis, Indiana, IN 46208, USA.

References

Macknight, C.C., The Voyage to Marege (Carlton, Vic: Melbourne University Press, 1976).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘Pre-Macassans at Dholtji?: Exploring One of North-East Arnhem Land’s Great Conundrums’ in Strangers on the Shore. Early Coastal Contacts in Australia, ed. by P. Veth, P. Sutton and M. Neale (2008).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘The Totemic Embrace (2): A Sacred Lens, A Vision of Wholeness’, Australian Folklore 21 (2006).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘The Totemic Embrace: Belonging and Otherness in the Australian Bush’, Australian Folklore 20 (2005).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘Personal Names and the Negotiation of Change: Reconsidering Arnhem Land’s Adjustment Movement’, Anthropological Forum, (2004).

McIntosh, I.S., Aboriginal Reconciliation and the Dreaming. Warramiri Yolngu and the Quest for Equality. Cultural Survival Series on Ethnicity and Change (Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon, 2000).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘Allah and the Spirit of the Dead: The Hidden Legacy of Pre-Colonial Indonesian/Aboriginal Contact in North-East Arnhem Land’, Australian Folklore, 11 (1996).

McIntosh, I.S., ‘Maluku Totem Hunters and Sama-Bajau in North Australian Aboriginal Mythology?’, Australian Folklore, 10 (1995).

McIntosh, I.S., The Whale and the Cross: Conversations with David Burrumarra. M.B.E. (Darwin, NT: Northern Territory Historical Society, 1994).

Downloads

Published

2010-11-05

Issue

Vol. 25 (2010): A Celebratory Issue

Section

Studies in Australian Folklore

License

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

  1. Copyright of items in their Australian Folklore format, and any associated fees (e.g.CAL), remains the property of the Association. This includes making articles freely available on the journal's website. 
  2. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g. in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
  3. Authors are welcome to archive their pre-print and post-print pdf copies of their articles under the SHERPA RoMEO 'Green' copyright classification.
  4. Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.