3. Yes, they did have special costumes for ceremonies such as body
paintings.
These were used on annual dates (like what we call Christmas)
4. Ceremonies
There are three
main ceremonies
where the
Numbulwar people
live.
There is the
Mardayin ceremony
, Ngarrag and the
Yalkawaru
ceremony.
These are celebrated
regularly and are
greatly considered.
5. The Yalkawaru
Ceremony
For ceremonies the men are
painted in white designs and
bits of cotton wool.
These days, the cotton wool is
pasted on by painting the body
in sugar water.
During the Yalkawaru people
ceremony, paperbark
headdresses are worn and the
ceremony closes by dancing
around a pole that represents
the deceased.
6. The Mardayin
Ceremony
This is one of the
other ceremonies
celebrated by the
Arnhem land
people. On the
right you can see
the picture of the
Mardayin
Ceremony.
They are dancing
around the pole.
7. The Ngarrag
Ceremony
Last but not least, the Ngarrag
ceremony.
This is probably the most
serious ceremony, but it is still
fun.
The everyone including the
children are invited to join this
ceremony.
Everybody dances in the
sea, washing off the ochre and
clay that were ritually painted.
They are painted by the each
other and these paintings
represent a time in the
dreamtime.
This is the same as the
Mardayin Ceremony.