batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l2400-l2492
---
record_id: batch.motif.indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg-l2400-l2492
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
passage_locator:
label: CONTENTS / PREFACE / INTRODUCTION / ANDREW LANG.; lines 2400-2492
start: '2400'
end: '2492'
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: An old woman named Bougoodoogahdah lives with many dingoes and tricks groups
of men into ambushes so that she and the dogs can eat them. Watchers discover
the pattern and the surrounding tribes kill her and the dogs. After death her
heart cries out and a little night bird comes from it; the bird is associated
with rain-making. The dead dingoes become poisonous snakes, the two small dogs
become non-poisonous carpet snakes, and white stones at the killing places are
identified as fossilised bones. The passage then begins a new tale in which Byamee
takes his two sons to a tribal gathering for a borah initiation.
language: English
quote_policy: summarized
literal_observations:
- id: obs:1
text: Bougoodoogahdah lives alone with four hundred dingoes and two little dogs.
category: relationship
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- id: obs:2
text: Bougoodoogahdah and the dogs eat human flesh, and she obtains victims by deception.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: obs:3
text: She tells men that paddy melons are on a ridge and directs them to wait there
with weapons while she claims she will round the animals toward them.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: obs:4
text: Her call “Birree, gougou” signals the dingoes to come out and attack.
category: speech
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: obs:5
text: The dingoes surround, bite, and kill the men, after which the bodies are dragged
to camp and cooked for food.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- id: obs:6
text: Hidden watchers observe the ambush and report it to their tribe.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- id: obs:7
text: A large armed group attacks during the attempted ambush and kills Bougoodoogahdah,
the dingoes, and the two little dogs.
category: action
evidence_refs:
- ev:6
- id: obs:8
text: After Bougoodoogahdah is slain, her body continues to cry out her name until
a man sees her heart move and a little bird come from it.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: obs:9
text: The little bird calls at night, is described as greyish, and is called a rain-maker
because its cry can precede rain.
category: attribute
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: obs:10
text: The dead dingoes are changed into many poisonous snakes, while the two little
dogs become a small non-poisonous carpet snake.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: obs:11
text: White stones at the ridge points are said to be the fossilised bones of the
massacred men.
category: object
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: obs:12
text: In the next tale opening, Byamee is described as a great Wirreenun who takes
his two sons to a gathering where they are to be made young men.
category: sequence
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
figures:
- id: fig:1
name_or_label: Bougoodoogahdah
description: An old woman who lives alone with four hundred dingoes and uses cunning
to obtain human flesh for herself and the dogs.
role_refs:
- role:1
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: fig:2
name_or_label: four hundred dingoes
description: Dogs living with Bougoodoogahdah; they respond to her signal, surround
and kill men, and are later killed and changed into poisonous snakes.
role_refs:
- role:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
- ev:9
- id: fig:3
name_or_label: two little dogs
description: Bougoodoogahdah’s two small dogs, present during her deceptions; they
are later killed and changed into a small non-poisonous carpet snake because they
had not bitten the men.
role_refs:
- role:3
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:6
- ev:9
- id: fig:4
name_or_label: black fellows / massacred men
description: Groups of men tricked into waiting at ridge points, attacked by the
dingoes, and killed.
role_refs:
- role:4
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- ev:10
- id: fig:5
name_or_label: watchers and assembled tribes
description: Men who hide to observe Bougoodoogahdah’s actions and later gather
armed forces to kill her and the dogs.
role_refs:
- role:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: fig:6
name_or_label: little rain-making bird
description: A small greyish night-calling bird that emerges from Bougoodoogahdah’s
heart and is associated with rainfall.
role_refs:
- role:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: fig:7
name_or_label: poisonous snakes
description: Many different poisonous snakes into which the dead dingoes are changed.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:8
name_or_label: dayall minyah
description: A very small non-poisonous carpet snake into which the two little dogs
are changed.
role_refs:
- role:7
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: fig:9
name_or_label: Byamee
description: A great Wirreenun who plans to take his two sons to the gathering of
the tribes.
role_refs:
- role:8
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: fig:10
name_or_label: Ghindahindahmoee and Boomahoomahnowee
description: Byamee’s two sons, who are to be made young men at the gathering.
role_refs:
- role:9
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
roles:
- id: role:1
label: deceptive cannibal old woman
assigned_to:
- fig:1
basis: She lives on human flesh and obtains victims through a false invitation to
hunt paddy melons.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:2
- id: role:2
label: ambushing killer pack
assigned_to:
- fig:2
basis: The dingoes respond to the old woman’s signal, surround the men, and kill
them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: role:3
label: attendant non-biting dogs
assigned_to:
- fig:3
basis: The two little dogs accompany Bougoodoogahdah and are distinguished from
the other dogs as not having bitten the men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:9
- id: role:4
label: deceived victims
assigned_to:
- fig:4
basis: They follow Bougoodoogahdah’s directions and are attacked at the ridge point.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
- id: role:5
label: witnesses and avengers
assigned_to:
- fig:5
basis: They observe the attacks, report them, and join in the armed retaliation.
evidence_refs:
- ev:4
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: role:6
label: rain-making bird
assigned_to:
- fig:6
basis: The bird is explicitly called a rain-maker and its cry is connected with
coming rain.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: role:7
label: transformed animal form
assigned_to:
- fig:7
- fig:8
basis: The passage says the dead dingoes and two little dogs were changed into snakes.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: role:8
label: Wirreenun and father
assigned_to:
- fig:9
basis: Byamee is called a great Wirreenun and is said to take his two sons to the
gathering.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
- id: role:9
label: young men to be initiated
assigned_to:
- fig:10
basis: The sons are to be made young men so they may marry, eat emu flesh, and learn
to be warriors.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
symbols:
- id: sym:1
label: calling heart
literal_form: Bougoodoogahdah’s moving heart, which cries her name after her body
is slain and broken
associated_figures:
- fig:1
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- id: sym:2
label: rain-making bird
literal_form: small greyish bird that calls “Bougoodoogahdah” at night and in daytime
when chased
associated_figures:
- fig:6
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
- id: sym:3
label: poisonous snakes
literal_form: many different poisonous snakes transformed from dead dingoes
associated_figures:
- fig:2
- fig:7
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:4
label: non-poisonous carpet snake
literal_form: dayall minyah, a very small kind of carpet snake
associated_figures:
- fig:3
- fig:8
taxonomy_refs:
- serpent
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- id: sym:5
label: white stones as bones
literal_form: heaps of white stones at the points of the Moorillahs
associated_figures:
- fig:4
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
- id: sym:6
label: borah gathering
literal_form: tribal gathering at Googoorewon where the sons are to be made young
men
associated_figures:
- fig:9
- fig:10
taxonomy_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
scenes:
- id: scene:1
label: Bougoodoogahdah’s deceptive lure
summary: Bougoodoogahdah approaches men, promises knowledge of paddy melons, and
directs them to wait at a ridge while she says she will round the animals toward
them.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:3
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- id: scene:2
label: Dingo ambush and cannibal feast
summary: Bougoodoogahdah gives a signal, the dingoes surround and kill the men,
and the bodies are taken to camp, cooked, and eaten.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:4
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:3
- ev:4
- id: scene:3
label: Discovery and vengeance
summary: Hidden watchers see the ambush and inform the tribe; surrounding tribes
gather and kill Bougoodoogahdah and all the dogs during another attempted attack.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:5
symbol_refs: []
evidence_refs:
- ev:5
- ev:6
- id: scene:4
label: Cry from the dead body and emergence of bird
summary: After Bougoodoogahdah is killed and her bones are broken, her heart continues
to cry out; a little bird comes from the heart and is later connected with rain.
figure_refs:
- fig:1
- fig:6
symbol_refs:
- sym:1
- sym:2
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
- ev:8
- id: scene:5
label: Transformations of dogs and traces at the ridges
summary: The dead dingoes become poisonous snakes, the two little dogs become a
non-poisonous carpet snake, and white stones at the killing places are said to
be fossilised bones of the victims.
figure_refs:
- fig:2
- fig:3
- fig:4
- fig:7
- fig:8
symbol_refs:
- sym:3
- sym:4
- sym:5
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
- ev:10
- id: scene:6
label: Opening of the borah of Byamee
summary: Word passes between tribes about a good season and a gathering at Googoorewon;
Byamee says he will take his two sons because the time has come for them to be
made young men.
figure_refs:
- fig:9
- fig:10
symbol_refs:
- sym:6
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
candidate_motifs:
- id: motif:1
label: deceptive lure into ambush
taxonomy_refs:
- trickster_boundary
basis: Bougoodoogahdah uses a false promise about paddy melons to position men where
her dingoes can surround and kill them.
evidence_refs:
- ev:2
- ev:3
confidence: medium
cautions: The passage presents deception and boundary-crossing predation, but does
not label Bougoodoogahdah as a trickster figure.
- id: motif:2
label: human-eating old woman with animal pack
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Bougoodoogahdah and her dogs live on human flesh, repeatedly obtaining bodies
through the same plan.
evidence_refs:
- ev:1
- ev:3
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly names cannibal-ogress or man-eating
monster motifs.
- id: motif:3
label: postmortem emergence of bird from heart
taxonomy_refs:
- death_rebirth
basis: After Bougoodoogahdah is killed, her heart cries and a little bird comes
out of it.
evidence_refs:
- ev:7
confidence: medium
cautions: The episode is a transformation or emergence after death; the passage
does not frame it as rebirth in doctrinal terms.
- id: motif:4
label: rain-making animal cry
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: The bird’s cry is said to bring rain when its eggs are stolen or when it
is chased during drought.
evidence_refs:
- ev:8
confidence: high
cautions: No available taxonomy reference directly covers weather-making animal
cries.
- id: motif:5
label: animals transformed into snakes
taxonomy_refs:
- shapeshifter
- serpent
basis: The dead dingoes become many poisonous snakes, and the two little dogs become
a small non-poisonous carpet snake.
evidence_refs:
- ev:9
confidence: high
cautions: This is a metamorphosis event rather than voluntary shapeshifting.
- id: motif:6
label: landscape stones as remains of the dead
taxonomy_refs: []
basis: Heaps of white stones at the killing sites are said to be fossilised bones
of the massacred men.
evidence_refs:
- ev:10
confidence: high
cautions: No supplied taxonomy reference directly covers etiological fossil or stone-bone
motifs.
- id: motif:7
label: male initiation at tribal gathering
taxonomy_refs:
- initiation
basis: Byamee’s sons are to be made young men at a borah, after which they may marry,
eat emu flesh, and learn to be warriors.
evidence_refs:
- ev:11
confidence: high
cautions: This motif appears only in the opening lines of the next tale within the
supplied passage.
comparison_claims: []
evidence:
- id: ev:1
type: summary
locator: lines 2400-2404
quote_or_summary: Bougoodoogahdah is an old woman living alone with four hundred
dingoes; she and the dogs live on human flesh obtained by her cunning.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:2
type: summary
locator: lines 2404-2412
quote_or_summary: She goes out with two little dogs, meets men going to the creek,
and tells them where to wait on a ridge for paddy melons while she claims she
will round them up.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:3
type: summary
locator: lines 2414-2423
quote_or_summary: Instead of rounding up paddy melons, she returns toward camp and
calls the dogs; they surround, kill, and drag off the men, whose bodies are cooked
and eaten.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:4
type: quote
locator: lines 2432-2437
quote_or_summary: "“Birree gougou” is heard, followed by dingoes coming out of the
bush in hundreds and surrounding the men at the point."
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; short quotation used.
- id: ev:5
type: summary
locator: lines 2425-2445
quote_or_summary: Because many friends are missing, men hide and observe Bougoodoogahdah
speaking to their friends, leaving, giving the cry, and joining the dogs after
the killing.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:6
type: summary
locator: lines 2447-2455
quote_or_summary: The watchers report back; surrounding tribes assemble armed forces,
attack during the attempted massacre, and kill every dog, Bougoodoogahdah, and
the two little dogs.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:7
type: summary
locator: lines 2457-2467
quote_or_summary: Although slain and with every bone broken, Bougoodoogahdah continues
to cry her name; a man sees her heart move and a little bird come out of it.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:8
type: summary
locator: lines 2467-2476
quote_or_summary: The little greyish bird runs on the ridges, calls at night, is
called a rain-maker, and its cry is connected with rain after egg theft or during
drought.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:9
type: summary
locator: lines 2478-2483
quote_or_summary: When the bird flies from the woman’s heart, all the dead dingoes
become poisonous snakes, while the two little dogs become dayall minyah, a small
non-poisonous carpet snake.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:10
type: summary
locator: lines 2483-2486
quote_or_summary: At the ridge points where the killings occurred, heaps of white
stones are said to be the fossilised bones of the massacred men.
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
- id: ev:11
type: summary
locator: lines 2488-2492
quote_or_summary: 'The next tale begins: tribes are called to a gathering at Googoorewon;
Byamee, a great Wirreenun, says he will take his sons so they can be made young
men.'
source_text_path: texts/public-domain/indigenous-australian/project-gutenberg/australian-legendary-tales-parker.md
rights_note: Public domain source; concise summary used.
confidence:
extraction: high
motif_candidates: medium
comparison_claims: uncertain
notes: Extraction is based directly on the supplied passage. Motif taxonomy mapping
is partly approximate where available taxonomy lacks exact labels for cannibal
predator, etiological animal origin, rain-making bird, or fossil-stone explanation.
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: |-
No comparison claims were added because the passage itself does not explicitly support cross-text or cross-tradition comparison.
batch_run_id=motif-extraction-2026-04-28-high-priority
custom_id=motif_extract:indigenous-australian-australian-legendary-tales-parker-gutenberg__l2400-l2492
passage_sha256=b162f341384a04385b95d4a519b67f37c04a83080b9f8cb824967b954c5a8ef1