Western Desert Aboriginal Carved Wooden Churinga Bullroarer

‍This carved wooden sacred bullroarer is from the Aboriginal people of the Western Desert region, which encompasses parts of Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory. It is patterned, most probably using stone tools or tools edged with animal teeth, with zig-zags, angles and transverse lines. The ends are slightly pointed, and one is drilled with a hole to allow the device to be whirled around overhead from a string. This would produce a loud humming sound which some tribal groups interpreted as the voice of a dangerous spirit.

Bullroarers belong to a class of sacred objects all of which are carved boards of this form and decoration but of varying sizes known as churingas or tjuringas. The carving on each one represents the ancestral and the individual spirit of its owner. Mostly, churingas come from Western Australia and can be as long as five metres.

It is likely that the wood used for most churingas is mulga wood (Acacia aneura).

Churingas are sacred and can be seen only by initiated men during the time of ceremony. At other times they were wrapped carefully in bark or skins and hidden in sacred places. Women, children and uninitiated men were not allowed to see them.

The example here most probably was collected during colonial times. It is in fine condition.