Wuriupranili

In the mythology of theTiwi peopleof northernAustralia,the Sun WomanWuriupranili(orWuriunpranilli) is asolar goddesswhosestringybarktorch is theSun.When she wakes each morning in the east, she lights a small fire, which mankind sees as the first glow of dawn. She then decorates her face and body with redochre.Often, the pigment is blown into the air where it stains the clouds, resulting in a red sunrise. As Wuriupranili prepares herself for her journey across the sky, the birds break into song, waking the men and women. Finally, she lights her stringybark torch from the campfire, then travels across the sky to her evening camp in the west. When she disappears below the western horizon, she puts out her torch and redecorates her body with ochre, causing brilliantly-coloured sunsets. As night settles, she returns to her eastern morning camp via a tunnel.

See also

• List of solar deities

References

• Jennifer Isaacs (2005).Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History.Sydney: New Holland.
• "Wuriunpranilli, the Sun Woman".Questacon.2009.Retrieved14 February2011.