churingan.
/tʃəˈrɪŋɡə/ Cultural Anthropology.
A sacred object, an amulet.
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the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > non-European magic (miscellaneous) > [noun] > amulet
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churinga1899
1899 W. B. Spencer & F. J. Gillen Native Tribes Central Austral. 123 The sacred stones, which are called by the Arunta natives Churinga. [Note] This Churinga is the equivalent of the bull-roarer or whirler of other authors.
1905 Daily Chron. 25 July 3/2 The ‘churingas’ used to-day by Australian savages.
1925 A. S. Alexander Tramps across Watersheds 101 The similarly marked shells and stones of Dumbuck are found to-day in the corresponding marks upon the sacred stone or stick, ‘churinga’, of the Australians.
1928 C. Dawson Age of Gods iii. 47 The churingas or ‘ancestor stones’ of the modern Australian natives.
1947 T. G. H. Strehlow Aranda Trad. iii. 84 The Aranda word tjuruŋa is an indefinite term covering a great variety of meanings.
1953 A. Upfield Murder must Wait xix. 169 Aboriginal relics..stone and wood churingas, ancient dilly-bags, rain stones.
1953 A. Upfield Murder must Wait xxii. 199 A set of pointing bones and a skin bag containing many precious churinga stones.
1959 S. H. Courtier Death in Dream Time viii. 111 The place is the Snake's tjurunga or churinga cave.
1959 S. H. Courtier Death in Dream Time viii. 112 The tjurunga, the flat stones inscribed with secret symbols.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1933; most recently modified version published online June 2018).
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