File:Natives of Australia (1906) (14582177728).jpg

Identifier: nativesofaustral00thomuoft (find matches)
Title: Natives of Australia
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Thomas, Northcote Whitridge, 1868-
Subjects: Ethnology -- Australia Australia -- Social conditions Australia -- Description and travel
Publisher: London : A. Constable
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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-sentation of a cattle-raid by the blacks. In the firstact the cattle, represented by blacks, were lying in theforest chewing the cud; then a party of blacks wasseen creeping up to them. Two head were spearedand the carcases cut up exactly as in real life; thenwas heard the sound of horsemen—these were thewhites ; again blacks figured as their representatives.A desperate fight ensued, and finally the victory fell tothe blacks to the immense delight of the spectators. In other cases the dramatic element is lessprominent. Angas describes the canoe dance of theRufus. Both men and women, painted with red andwhite ochre, join in the performance ; they were rangedin a double row, each with a stick behind his arms ;the legs are moved in time to the song. Suddenlythey all removed the sticks from behind their arms,held them up in front, and began swaying their bodiesalternately from side to side in the most gracefulmanner, imitating their movements when they paddletheir bark canoes. Plate 22
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DANCES 125 Other so-called dances, frequently performed in con-nection with initiation ceremonies, consist in theimitation of the movements of animals, sometimeswith the addition of tails or other attire to increasethe resemblance to the animal represented. Theunderlying idea is perhaps that the performers are insome way assimilated to the species whose life theymimic, exactly as the Central Australian believes him-self to be able to control the totemic animal, whoseflesh he partakes of as a magical rite. The magicalmeaning of the mimetic dance is better seen in someAmerican and African customs, where the mimicryimmediately precedes the hunt. Collins has described to us portions of the initiationceremonies at Port Jackson. In one scene the boys tobe initiated were seated all together ; the actors, twentyin number, paraded round them, running on theirhands and knees in imitation of the dingo; the tailwas a wooden sword stuck in the back of the girdle.As they passed the boys they threw

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