Bill Harney

The artist has depicted the Gilling Gilling people dancing and singing in a big ceremony. They are dancing the Gujingga – the male ceremonial dance detailing the big song line. The Gilling Gilling people live in the caves above the Victoria River at the southern part of the Wardaman country. Bill will tell you that you can hear them all, making a big racket, if you go that way in the early evening. In 2008 Bill painted 30 small works depicting individual Gilling Gilling people dancing. He described one similar to this large group as “Two Gilling Gilling young boys. No hair on ’em – they’re Bumbul – baldy head men. These are not initiated at all – just taught to Bumbul – young boys. They are taught to paint and dance Gujingga song. One had 2 stripes (tribal marks) Marbun and the other had 3 stripes on the belly – Buderoo. 3 on left hand side and right hand side – lots of body marks. They are dancing with elbow down and hand up and both got two knee up and feet down. Straight line forehead band – red in the middle – called Levin – red ochre. The Gilling Gilling are all at Victoria River in Wardaman country in the caves. They still live in the caves today and they come out at night time and make a lot of noise. They’re downstream from the pub and bridge at Victoria River. There’s lots of white paint on the walls of those caves and in the Creation time they’re dancing and doing all sorts of tricks.”