Baijini
Encyclopedia
Baijini are a race of people mentioned in the Djanggawul
song cycle of the aboriginal Yolngu
people of Arnhem Land
in Australia's Northern Territory
.
According to Ronald M. Berndt, who studied the mythology of the indigenous people of Arnhem Land
in Yirrkala
and Milingimbi Island
in the late 1940s, "the Baijini, although partially mythological are, rather, historical; for they are said to have been pre-Macassans, primarily traders and aliens to the coast, and not in any way creative as were the Djanggawul. They are, however, treated in the myth as if contemporary with these Ancestral Beings".
Similar to the Makassan trepang fishermen in Australia known to the historians, the Baijini of the Djanggawul myth are said to be "cooking trepang
, where the tamarind trees stand to-day". (Tamarind trees, of course, are thought to have been introduced by Australia by the Makassans
).
The Baijini are also said to have grown rice
and built stone houses. The word "Baijini" itself is said to have been derived from a Makassarese root with the meaning "women", which would fit with the fact that the Baijini of the myths have women among them, unlike the historical Makassan trepang fishermen.
While the exact origin and timing of the Asian visitors to Australia who served as the prototype for the mythological Baijini is uncertain,
it has been suggested that they may be identified with the Bajau
, or Sea Gypsies, the fishing folk of South East Asia who traveled with their families.
Other scholars suggested that the account of the Baijini in the Aboriginal folklore are in fact a mythological reflection of the experiences of some Aboriginals who have traveled to Sulawesi
with the Macassans and came back.
Some historians have hypothesized that the Baijini may have been visitors from China.
Joseph Needham
even wondered if the word Baijini could have been derived from Chinese bai ren (白人, "white people" (i.e., those with lighter skin than the originals)), bei ren (北人, "northern people"), or even Beijing ren (北京人, "people from Beijing"). The Chinese origin hypothesis for the Baijini has been recently popularized by the American journalist Louise Levathes.
Djanggawul
In Aboriginal mythology, the Djanggawul are three siblings, two female and one male, who created the landscape of Australia and covered it with flora. They came from the island of Baralku, and were eventually eaten by Galeru. The two female Djanggawul made the world's sacred talismans by breaking...
song cycle of the aboriginal Yolngu
Yolngu
The Yolngu or Yolŋu are an Indigenous Australian people inhabiting north-eastern Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia. Yolngu means “person” in the Yolŋu languages.-Yolŋu law:...
people of Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
The Arnhem Land Region is one of the five regions of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is located in the north-eastern corner of the territory and is around 500 km from the territory capital Darwin. The region has an area of 97,000 km² which also covers the area of Kakadu National...
in Australia's Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
.
According to Ronald M. Berndt, who studied the mythology of the indigenous people of Arnhem Land
in Yirrkala
Yirrkala, Northern Territory
Yirrkala is a well-known indigenous community in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory of Australia, at , 18 km South-East from the large mining town of Nhulunbuy...
and Milingimbi Island
Milingimbi Island
Milingimbi Island is an island off the coast of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia. It is located approximately 500 km east of Darwin and 250 km west of Nhulunbuy. Its largest community is also called Milingimbi. The island is approximately half a kilometer off the mainland and forms part...
in the late 1940s, "the Baijini, although partially mythological are, rather, historical; for they are said to have been pre-Macassans, primarily traders and aliens to the coast, and not in any way creative as were the Djanggawul. They are, however, treated in the myth as if contemporary with these Ancestral Beings".
Similar to the Makassan trepang fishermen in Australia known to the historians, the Baijini of the Djanggawul myth are said to be "cooking trepang
Trepang
Trepang may refer to:*trepang, a marine invertebrate harvested by trepanging, thus:**a common name for species of the holothuroidea class of animals*Trepang , a World War II submarine sunk in 1967....
, where the tamarind trees stand to-day". (Tamarind trees, of course, are thought to have been introduced by Australia by the Makassans
Makassar
Makassar, is the provincial capital of South Sulawesi, Indonesia, and the largest city on Sulawesi Island. From 1971 to 1999, the city was named Ujung Pandang, after a precolonial fort in the city, and the two names are often used interchangeably...
).
The Baijini are also said to have grown rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and built stone houses. The word "Baijini" itself is said to have been derived from a Makassarese root with the meaning "women", which would fit with the fact that the Baijini of the myths have women among them, unlike the historical Makassan trepang fishermen.
While the exact origin and timing of the Asian visitors to Australia who served as the prototype for the mythological Baijini is uncertain,
it has been suggested that they may be identified with the Bajau
Bajau
The Bajau or Bajaw , also spelled Bajao, Badjau, Badjaw, or Badjao, are an indigenous ethnic group of Maritime Southeast Asia...
, or Sea Gypsies, the fishing folk of South East Asia who traveled with their families.
Other scholars suggested that the account of the Baijini in the Aboriginal folklore are in fact a mythological reflection of the experiences of some Aboriginals who have traveled to Sulawesi
Sulawesi
Sulawesi is one of the four larger Sunda Islands of Indonesia and is situated between Borneo and the Maluku Islands. In Indonesia, only Sumatra, Borneo, and Papua are larger in territory, and only Java and Sumatra have larger Indonesian populations.- Etymology :The Portuguese were the first to...
with the Macassans and came back.
Some historians have hypothesized that the Baijini may have been visitors from China.
Joseph Needham
Joseph Needham
Noel Joseph Terence Montgomery Needham, CH, FRS, FBA , also known as Li Yuese , was a British scientist, historian and sinologist known for his scientific research and writing on the history of Chinese science. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1941, and as a fellow of the British...
even wondered if the word Baijini could have been derived from Chinese bai ren (白人, "white people" (i.e., those with lighter skin than the originals)), bei ren (北人, "northern people"), or even Beijing ren (北京人, "people from Beijing"). The Chinese origin hypothesis for the Baijini has been recently popularized by the American journalist Louise Levathes.