Purukupali and Bima are husband and wife in Tiwi tradition. Their son Jinani's death, caused by Bima's neglect while she dallied with Japara the moon man, triggered Purukupali's decree that death would be permanent for all living things.
Banaitja, the creator who shaped the Tiwi Islands with forests, freshwater, and law, fathered Purukupali, the ancestor whose grief at his infant son's death would bring mortality to all living things.
⚠ Not all Tiwi accounts specify Purukupali's parentage; Mountford (1958) records Banaitja as father, while some oral variants leave the genealogy implicit.
Purukupali fought Japara the moon man after discovering that Japara had seduced his wife Bima, leading to the death of their infant son Jinani. When Japara offered to restore the child within three days, Purukupali refused and attacked him, wounding Japara and driving him into the sky as the moon.
The Pukumani mortuary ceremony originated from the funeral rites performed after the death of Purukupali's son Jinani. Purukupali established these rites before walking into the sea to his own death, decreeing that all Tiwi must honour their dead with proper ceremony.
We use cookies to understand how you use our site and improve your experience. Learn more