batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l1741-l1837
---
record_id: batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l1741-l1837
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
passage_locator:
label: CONTENTS / PREFACE / INTRODUCTION / ANDREW LANG.; lines 1741-1837
start: '1741'
end: '1837'
translation: 'Australian Legendary Tales: folk-lore of the Noongahburrahs as told
to the Piccaninnies'
notes: Generated from OpenAI Batch run motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority;
human review required.
canonical_text:
quote: ''
summary: 'The passage first recounts Mullyan the eagle hawk, a cannibal who kills
lone hunters and brings their bodies to a house in a yaraan tree, where women
cook the flesh. The victims'' companions track him, summon skilled climbers, and
the climbers hide a smouldering stick in the tree-house. The resulting fire kills
Mullyan and the women; the legend then identifies Mullyan with the morning star,
accompanied by stars representing his arm and his wife Moodai. The passage then
begins another tale: Goomblegubbon the bustard refuses to lend his wives a grinding
stone, so they plan revenge, make opossum-skin water bags, empty the water hole,
and flee with children toward a river, where two men approach them.'
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Mullyan the eagle hawk is described as a cannibal who lives apart from the
other people.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Mullyan uses an unusually large spear to kill lone hunters and takes their
bodies to a house in a yaraan tree.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:3
text: The Moodai and Buttergab cook the bodies, and the women as well as Mullyan
eat the flesh.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:4
text: Companions of the slain track a missing man to the foot of the yaraan tree
but cannot climb it.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:5
text: Two renowned climbers, Bibbee and Murrawondah, climb the yaraan tree and enter
Mullyan's humpy.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Bibbee and Murrawondah hide a smouldering stick in one end of the humpy and
descend unseen.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:7
text: The people move away from the tree because they fear it may fall when Mullyan
is burned out.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- id: obs:8
text: When Mullyan returns, his spear falls repeatedly, fire bursts from the humpy,
and attempts to extinguish it fail.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: obs:9
text: Mullyan loses an arm to the fire; the Moodai have their feet burned; Buttergah
is badly burned; the roof falls on them, leaving charred bones.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: obs:10
text: The legend says Mullyan lives in the sky as Mullyangah the morning star, with
a little star as his arm and a larger star as Moodai his wife.
category: other
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:11
text: Goomblegubbon the bustard, his wives Beeargah and Ouyan, and Beeargah's two
children camp in the bush near a small water hole.
category: setting
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:12
text: The wives ask Goomblegubbon to lend them the dayoorl stone for grinding doonburr
to make durrie, but he refuses several times.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:13
text: The wives decide to take revenge by making water bags, emptying the water
hole, taking the children, and running away.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:14
text: The wives make opossum-skin water bags, fill them, empty the dungle, and travel
toward the river.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:15
text: At the river, two men from the opposite side swim over and ask the runaway
wives and children where they came from and where they are going.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Mullyan / Mullyangah
description: An eagle hawk, described as a cannibal; after the fire, the legend
says he lives in the sky as the morning star.
role_refs:
- role:1
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:6
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: Moodai
description: A woman associated with Mullyan's tree-house; later identified as Moodai
the opossum, Mullyan's wife, represented by a larger star.
role_refs:
- role:2
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: Buttergab / Buttergah
description: A woman in Mullyan's tree-house who helps cook the bodies and is badly
burned in the fire.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: three women in Mullyan's humpy
description: Women who are cooking when Mullyan calls to them for help against the
fire.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: friends of the slain black fellows
description: A collective group who track a missing man, summon climbers, and watch
for Mullyan's destruction.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: Bibbee
description: A young climber from a tribe noted for climbing powers; he helps climb
the yaraan tree and hide the smouldering stick.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: Murrawondah
description: Bibbee's friend from the climbing rat tribe; he helps climb the yaraan
tree and hide the smouldering stick.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: Goomblegubbon
description: A bustard and husband of Beeargah and Ouyan; he refuses to lend the
dayoorl stone.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Beeargah
description: A hawk, one of Goomblegubbon's wives, and mother of two children.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Ouyan
description: A curlew and one of Goomblegubbon's wives.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: fig:11
name_or_label: Beeargah's two children
description: Two children who leave with the wives when they run away from Goomblegubbon.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: fig:12
name_or_label: two black fellows across the river
description: Two men seen on the opposite side of the river who swim over to question
the runaway wives and children.
role_refs:
- role:10
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
roles:
- id: role:1
label: cannibal killer
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: Mullyan kills lone hunters and takes their bodies to his tree-house to be
cooked and eaten.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: role:2
label: cannibal accomplices in tree-house
assigned_to:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
basis: The women in the tree-house cook and eat the flesh and later try to help
put out the fire.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: role:3
label: avenging trackers
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: They track the missing man to Mullyan's tree and summon skilled climbers
to help.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:4
- id: role:4
label: climbers and infiltrators
assigned_to:
- fig:6
- fig:7
basis: They climb the tree, enter the humpy, hide the smouldering stick, and descend
unseen.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:6
label: celestial transformed figures
assigned_to:
- fig:1
- fig:2
basis: The legend says Mullyan becomes the morning star and Moodai appears as a
larger star beside him.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: role:7
label: withholding husband
assigned_to:
- fig:8
basis: Goomblegubbon refuses repeated requests to lend the dayoorl grinding stone.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: role:8
label: runaway wives
assigned_to:
- fig:9
- fig:10
basis: The wives plan revenge, make water bags, empty the dungle, and flee toward
the river.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: role:9
label: children taken in flight
assigned_to:
- fig:11
basis: The wives plan to take the children and are later seen with the two children
at the river.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:10
- id: role:10
label: river questioners
assigned_to:
- fig:12
basis: The two men swim over and ask where the runaway group came from and where
they are going.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: yaraan tree
literal_form: A high, straight yaraan tree containing Mullyan's house.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- tree
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: sym:2
label: big spear
literal_form: A spear about four times as big as an ordinary spear, used by Mullyan
when seeking victims.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:5
- id: sym:3
label: smouldering stick and humpy fire
literal_form: A smouldering fire stick hidden in Mullyan's humpy, later becoming
a destructive fire.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:6
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- fire
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: sym:4
label: morning star and companion stars
literal_form: Mullyangah the morning star, a little star identified with Mullyan's
arm, and a larger star identified with Moodai.
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:2
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: sym:5
label: dungle / gilguy water hole
literal_form: A small water hole that supplies Goomblegubbon's camp and is emptied
by the wives.
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:6
label: dayoorl stone
literal_form: A grinding stone requested by the wives for grinding doonburr to make
durrie.
associated_figures:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:7
label: opossum-skin water bags
literal_form: Water bags made from opossum skins, filled before the wives empty
the water hole and leave.
associated_figures:
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: sym:8
label: river
literal_form: The river reached by the runaway wives and children, where two men
swim over to them.
associated_figures:
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
taxonomy_refs:
- water
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Mullyan's cannibal killings
summary: Mullyan lives apart, hunts lone men with a large spear, and brings their
bodies to his yaraan-tree house, where the women cook and eat them with him.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: scene:2
label: Tracking to the tree and summoning climbers
summary: The slain men's companions track the last missing man to the yaraan tree,
fail to climb it, and summon Bibbee and Murrawondah.
figure_refs:
- fig:5
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:3
label: Hidden smouldering stick
summary: Bibbee and Murrawondah climb to Mullyan's humpy, hide a smouldering stick
inside, and descend without being seen.
figure_refs:
- fig:6
- fig:7
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: scene:4
label: Burning of the tree-house and star ending
summary: Mullyan returns, the hidden fire overtakes the humpy, Mullyan and the women
are burned and crushed by the roof, and the legend identifies Mullyan and Moodai
with stars.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:5
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
- sym:3
- sym:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:5
label: Refusal of the dayoorl stone
summary: Goomblegubbon's wives ask to borrow the grinding stone, but he refuses
although his own food is already cooking.
figure_refs:
- fig:8
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: scene:6
label: Water-bag revenge and departure
summary: The wives plan revenge, make opossum-skin water bags, fill them, empty
the water hole, and leave with the children toward the river.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
symbol_refs:
- sym:5
- sym:7
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
- id: scene:7
label: Encounter at the river
summary: At the river, two men swim over from the opposite bank and ask the wives
and children about their origin and destination.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
- fig:11
- fig:12
symbol_refs:
- sym:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: Cannibal predator in elevated tree dwelling defeated by hidden fire
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: A cannibal eagle hawk kills people and brings them to a tree-house; skilled
climbers hide a smouldering stick there, causing the fire that kills him and his
companions.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:5
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: The taxonomy list has no direct cannibal-ogre or monster-slaying category;
the motif label is passage-specific.
- id: motif:2
label: Ascent by specialist climbers to reach a dangerous elevated dwelling
taxonomy_refs:
- ascent
basis: Bibbee and Murrawondah are summoned because of their climbing powers and
ascend the high yaraan tree to reach Mullyan's humpy.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The ascent is practical rather than explicitly ritual, cosmic, or spiritual.
- id: motif:3
label: Death followed by celestial identification
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: After the fire leaves charred bones, the legend says Mullyan lives in the
sky as the morning star, with adjacent stars representing his arm and Moodai.
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly names star-transformation or
constellation origin.
- id: motif:4
label: Refused household resource prompts revenge and departure
taxonomy_refs:
- departure
basis: Goomblegubbon refuses the dayoorl stone; the wives make water bags, empty
the water hole, take the children, and run away.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: Only the beginning of the tale is included, so later consequences of the
departure are not available in this passage.
- id: motif:5
label: Control and removal of water as retaliation
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The wives plan to fill water bags and empty the small water hole so that
Goomblegubbon returns to find both his family and the water gone.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: The act is literal retaliation in the passage; broader symbolic or ritual
meaning is not stated.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: 1741-1750
quote_or_summary: Mullyan the eagle hawk is a cannibal who lives apart, kills lone
hunters with a large spear, and brings their bodies to a yaraan-tree house where
Moodai and Buttergab cook them and the women eat with him.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: 1750-1760
quote_or_summary: The victims' friends track a missing man to the yaraan tree, cannot
climb it, and summon young Bibbee and Murrawondah of the climbing rat tribe.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: 1761-1772
quote_or_summary: The climbers reach Mullyan's home, enter the humpy, hide a smouldering
stick inside, and descend without being seen; the women hear crackling but do
not notice the hidden fire.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:4
type: summary
locator: 1773-1779
quote_or_summary: After hearing the plan to burn out Mullyan, the people move some
distance away to watch because they fear the tree might fall.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: 1780-1794
quote_or_summary: Mullyan returns, his spear falls twice, fire bursts from the humpy,
and he calls the women to help; the fire grows brighter, burning off Mullyan's
arm, burning the Moodai's feet, and badly burning Buttergah.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: 1794-1802
quote_or_summary: The roof falls on the occupants, leaving charred bones; the legend
says Mullyan lives in the sky as Mullyangah the morning star, with a little star
as his one arm and a larger star as Moodai his wife.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: 1804-1815
quote_or_summary: Goomblegubbon the bustard, his wives Beeargah and Ouyan, and Beeargah's
two children camp near a small dungle or gilguy water hole; the wives ask several
times to borrow the dayoorl stone to grind doonburr, but he refuses.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: 1815-1823
quote_or_summary: The wives decide to make opossum-skin water bags, fill them with
water, empty the dungle while Goomblegubbon hunts, take the children, and run
away so he will be sorry.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: 1824-1834
quote_or_summary: The wives catch and skin opossums, prepare the skins as water
bags, fill them, empty the dungle, and start toward the river.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: 1835-1837
quote_or_summary: After reaching the river, the wives and children see two men on
the other side; the men swim over and ask where they have come from and where
they are going.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; summarized.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: The passage gives clear narrative actions and figures. Motif mapping is partly
limited because the supplied taxonomy lacks direct categories for cannibal antagonists,
star origins, and domestic resource-retaliation episodes.
reviewer_status:
status: needs_review
reviewer: ''
reviewed_at: ''
notes: Machine-generated draft from OpenAI Batch; not human-reviewed.
extracted_by: openai_batch:gpt-5.5
extracted_at: '2026-04-28'
notes: |-
Names and spellings are retained as they appear in the supplied passage, including Buttergab/Buttergah and Mullyan/Mullyangah.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg__l1741-l1837
passage_sha256=745d84e9fe96171368afbc4fc868a3b1bcaf3071c670924422b66ac597b41877