Long ago on Yermalner (Melville Island), Purrukupali lived with his wife, Bima (also called Wayayi), and their young son, Jinani. One day, Bima took Jinani with her into the mangroves to gather mussels and other food. While she was away, Purrukupali’s brother, Moonman (Tapara), descended from the sky. Tapara was in love with Bima, and while they were together she left her baby resting in the shade.
She stayed away too long. The sun grew hot, and Jinani cried for milk. By the time Bima returned, he had died in the heat. Grief struck both parents. When Tapara came down again, he begged to take Jinani for three days, promising he could heal him. Purrukupali refused, and the two brothers fought. Purrukupali struck Tapara on the leg, leaving a wound. Ever since, the scars of that injury have been visible in the crescent moon when it rises in the sky.
Carrying his son, Purrukupali walked to Yipali beach. He waded into the sea with Jinani in his arms until a whirlpool swallowed them both, never to be seen again. From that moment, death entered the world and became part of human existence.
Bima was left behind, crying endlessly for her lost child. And still today, when the tide goes out at Yipali, Purrukupali’s footprints can be seen pressed into the sand.
For Tiwi, this story explains the balance between life and death and the origin of mortality. Moonman’s scars remain written on the face of the moon, and Purrukupali’s footprints mark the sands of Yipali. It is a foundational story, representing the beginning of human mortality, much as the story of Adam and Eve does in Christianity.
