44 AM 4951/07
Bill Harney Warritja (Crocodile) Dreaming 2007
Natural ochre & pigment & acrylic on Galacia linen 895 x 1235mm $4950
Narguna came down from cave to the water. Narguna is from Marabeena family. She came from the cave and
went to the water. Warritja saw her. When she was down at the water Warritja sang her with wooditju - the
attraction song. Then Narguna went back to the cave. Later Narguna wen back again to get the water. The song
made her go back. When she went in to get the water, Warritja jumped up and grabbed her and took her in the big
cave inside. He took her very fast and made sure she didn't drown. When he had her in the cave he married her.
And she had some some children from Warritja and he said "I'll go down and get some food for us". He went to
the lily pond and picked up some kardi - lily plants. When he was there gathering the food Narguna was digging at
the roof to get away. She made a big hole in the roof and went through the hole and was heading back to
Marabeena and her family. On the way back walking, she kept stopping and dropping eggs of the crocodile
children. And Marabeena was there with Dilawud and she dropped another egg. And Marbeena said "What!
You've been to married to Warritja!". And Dilawud said "Well, he'll come back and follow you. We'd better get
spears ready to spear him". And Warritja came back and Narguna was gone and he was disappointed and he was
looking around and found a hole in the roof of the cave. And then he finally went though the cave and followed
Narguna's tracks. As he was following he found all these crocodile children as he went along. He picked up many
of the crocodile eggs and he left them halfway. And Dilawud said to Narguna "Get up in the high place and start
shouting real loud so Warritja can hear you up here". Then Narguna was shouting real loud and Warritja could hear
her. He was running real fast and when he got closer Dilawud was getting ready with the spear and all the others.
When they came closer Dilawud threw the spear and hit Warritja. Never killed him straight away and Warritja ran
back to his cave in the water picking up his children, carrying them all, and took them back to the cave. Then he
was sitting down there worrying because his wife had gone. Then Bingun the bream fish came across and said "You
can't marry anyone from inland - you're breaking the law. You can only marry people from the water. And
Warritja said "I've got to sing this King Brown (snake) to go after them and kill them all. The Bingun said "You
can't do that You have to marry from the water - not from dry land". And Warritja sang King Brown to go and
kill the others - Dilawud mob. King Brown took off after them but little Bingun went across in front of them and
saw the King Brown come. Bingun said "You can't kill them - you're from dry land. He's from the water so he has
to marry people from the water". And King Brown said "I''ll take your word. I won't do anything". Bingun went
back and told Warritja. "He's not going to kill them because they're his mob". Warritja got very cranky and had a
big fight. After they had their fight they said "All right. We are going to get along together in the water". That's
the Warritja Dreaming.