The Australian bush is beautiful - mostly in a harsh sort of way. Despite popular myth, not every creature or plant is out to kill you - though many might try in self defence. In the spirit of Christmas I'm posting the Aussie version of a 'Christmas Tree'. It's botanical name is nuytsia floribunda. Indigenous people call it the mooojar or kaanya* tree and treat it with great respect because it is associated with the souls of the dead.
‘When I die I shall go through the sea to Kurannup where all my moorurtung (relations) will be waiting on the shore for me, waiting with meat and drink for me…Kurannup is the home of my dead people and I must go to them, and my kaan-ya must be free to rest on the kaan-ya tree (Nuytsia floribunda) before it journeys through the sea. Since Nyitting (cold) times (long time ago) all Bibbulmun kaan-ya have rested on this tree on their way to Kurannup; and I have never broken a branch or flower, or sat under the shade of the tree because it is the kaan-ya tree only winnaitch (forbidden, sacred).’ (Noongar informant Joobaitch, see Bates in Bridge 1992: 14)
‘No living Bibbulmun* ever sheltered or rested beneath the shade of the tree of souls; no flower or bud or leaf of the tree was ever touched by child or adult; no game that took shelter beneath it was ever disturbed.’ (Bates 1938 in Bridge 1992: 153)
'The Swan River Aborigines say that an evil being, called Nyowalong, wanders about in the night-time, in the Banksia forests, collecting the gum of the Nuytsia floribunda, which he puts into bags hanging all round his body. They assert that he is like an old man walking about in half-sitting attitude, and carrying a wanna, or yam-stick, and that he utters a short, sharp screech at every step. I enquired why they never speared him; but they were indignant at the idea and replied – “One might as well try to spear a grass tree, he is so surrounded with gum bags”. Although they eat the gum which exudes from the acacias, hakeas, and other trees, they never touch the Nuytsia gum; for, were they to do so, they say Nyowalong would certainly do them some secret injury; but the fact is, it is not an edible gum – they make a virtue of necessity.”' (Chauncy 1878: 267-268)
The Aussie Christmas tree is hemiparasitic and only grows in Western Australia. It just happens to flower around Christmas time (in Noongar Birak season) and maybe that's why Europeans claimed it for their own celebrations. There are several flowering close to us but we don't have any on our 5 acres.
I'm not a Christian and I don't buy into the commercial hype so Christmas day for me is really about getting together in the bush or at the beach with my partner and a couple of close friends. And while we are on the subject of beaches and quintessential Aussie icons - here's a photo of a joey (kangaroo) chillin' at Bremer Bay 400km east of us.
Whatever your beliefs and wherever you are in the world, I hope you are blessed in whichever way you choose to be during this year's summer Solstice.
*kaanya refers to the 'recently departed souls of the dead'
*Bibbulmun refers to one of several clans that live 'next door' to the Menang, inside the Noongar nation in the SW of WA.
Quotes courtesy of Anthropology from the Shed
Photo of tree: Dougall Topping Photography
Photo of kangaroo: Alice Reddington Photography
*Bibbulmun refers to one of several clans that live 'next door' to the Menang, inside the Noongar nation in the SW of WA.
Quotes courtesy of Anthropology from the Shed
Photo of tree: Dougall Topping Photography
Photo of kangaroo: Alice Reddington Photography
It is so interesting reading of the solstice celebration and stories there. It's always been hard for me to wrap my head around the fact that your summer is our winter and that Christmas there is celebrated in the season of light. Love seeing that kangaroo there. Now that's a sight we'd never see, winter or summer!
ReplyDeleteRobin we are so used to seeing kangaroos we can't appreciate how different it is to others - like driving to the beach and seeing heaps in the paddock lazing in the sun most days. It must be thrilling for overseas visitors.
DeleteRe Christmas in the southern hemisphere: like so many northern traditions it doesn't fit in with traditional culture or our climate! I refuse to engage with Halloween which has become a real thing here. The 'doorway to the other world' it celebrates doesn't work here because it's all about the movement of the sun across the sky and the change of seasons. I also refuse to be held to ransom by kids who probably eat too much sugar already. If they accepted an apple or an orange I might consider it, but most would turn their noses up at such an offering haha.
I hope you and Roger have as nice a Christmas as possible under the current circumstances there in California. I got a bit of insight from the news today about those who refuse to adhere to COVID protocols. Given the amount of deaths and the rampant spread in the US, it's gobsmacking to watch. Stay safe and let's hope 2021 is kinder to us all. X
That joey is just gorgeous and of course it's a great shot!
ReplyDeleteThe flowering tree looks fabulous, what a spectacular sight for the end of the year. Many people on their death beds report seeing their relatives waiting for them so the mythology makes a lot of sense.
Thanks for an interesting post and have a wonderful day, the sights, smells and sounds of the bush will be a great way to relax and forget the cares of the world.
Thanks Kylie. Hope you have a wonderful day with you and yours X
DeleteThanks Michelle and Happy Christmas! That's an amazing image of the iconic Nyutsia. BTW, it's also a sign of when the flathead are spawning. We used to watch out for the tree flowering cos we knew we could net at a certain spot. The sea in one area of the harbour is totally spoofy, full of flathead um semen.
ReplyDeleteInteresting. I had heard that the Melaleuca's (Paperbark) flowering meant the mullet were fat and ready to eat. I remember that because of the link between white flowers and white fat.
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