The Dangu (Dhaŋu, Dhangu) are an Aboriginal Australian people of

Arnhem Land Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around from the territorial capital, Darwin, Northern Territory, Darwin. In 1623, Dutch East India Compa ...

, in the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

, one of many Yolŋu peoples. They are, according to Norman Tindale, to be carefully distinguished from the Djaŋu. Two prominent clans of the Dangu are the Rirratjingu and Galpu clans.

Country

The extent of Dangu territory could not be established by Tindale, who located them in the general area of Yirrkala Mission, Cape Arnhem, Melville Bay, and Port Bradshaw.

Social organisation

Like all Yolŋu societies, the Dangu, identified as a grouping of clans sharing similar dialects, were organised according to the ''Dhuwa'' and ''Yirritja'' (''Jiritja'') moieties. Their

ethnonym An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...

ic identity as a unified group was based on their common word for the demonstrative pronoun "this". They are divided into six clans according to which moiety they belong to, of four Dua, and six Yirritja. The Dua moiety: * ''Galpu'' (Gälpu, Galbu, Kalpu) * ''Golumala'' * ''Ngajimil'' (Ngayimil, Ngeimil, Makkanaimulmi) * ''Riratjingu'' (Rirratjingu, Rirraljinga, Riraidjango, Wurrulul, Woralul, Urorlurl) The Yirritja moiety: * ''Lamami'' (Lamumiri) * ''Wanguri'' (Wangurri, Wonguri, Wan:guri)

Mythology

In the Gälpu clan legends, Wititj, the huge ancestral rainbow serpent, was said to create thunder and lightning as it moved across the land, but is also associated with the calm

freshwater Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. The term excludes seawater and brackish water, but it does include non-salty mi ...

systems where the spirits reside, among water lilies and palm trees.

Alternative names

* ''Yirgala'' (a

toponym Toponymy, toponymics, or toponomastics is the study of ''wikt:toponym, toponyms'' (proper names of places, also known as place names and geographic names), including their origins, meanings, usage, and types. ''Toponym'' is the general term for ...

)

Notable people

* Djalu Gurruwiwi, highly respected elder, maker and player of the yiḏaki, of the Galpu clan, and other members of the Gurruwiwi family * Many members of the Marika family, of the Rirratjingu clan

Notes

Citations

Sources

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