Wuriupranala, the Sun-woman

Wuriupranala (Wuriupranili) is the Sun-woman of the Tiwi, one of the two daughters of the creator Mudungkala and sister of the culture hero Purukupali. In one telling it was Purukupali who, recognising the benefit of light and warmth, lit a bark torch and gave it to her, charging her to keep it burning. Each morning she kindles her stringybark torch in the east, which mortals see as the first glow of dawn, then paints her face and body with red ochre, some of which she blows into the air to stain the clouds and redden the sunrise. She carries the torch the Sun across the sky and, descending in the west, again powders herself with ochre to colour the sunset before passing into the underworld. With her sister Murupiangkala she forms the pair of Sun-women of Tiwi cosmology.

Parentage

• parent: Mudungkala

Domains

• the sun
• dawn and dusk

Powers

• to carry the burning bark torch that is the Sun from east to west each day
• to colour the dawn and sunset by powdering herself with red ochre

Epithets

• WuriupraniliHamacher, D.W. & Banks, K. (2018). Twin Suns in Australian Aboriginal Traditions. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21(2&3), 107-114. (secondary)

Relations

• sibling: PurukupaliWuriupranala, a daughter of Mudungkala, is the sister of Purukupali, who entrusted the Sun-torch to her.Hamacher, D.W. & Banks, K. (2018). Twin Suns in Australian Aboriginal Traditions. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21(2&3), 107-114. (secondary)
• sibling: Murupiangkala, the second Sun-womanWuriupranala and Murupiangkala are the two sister Sun-women, both daughters of Mudungkala.Hamacher, D.W. & Banks, K. (2018). Twin Suns in Australian Aboriginal Traditions. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21(2&3), 107-114. (secondary)
• sibling: Tjapara, the Moon-manAs children of Mudungkala, the Sun-woman Wuriupranala and the Moon-man Tjapara are sister and brother.Hamacher, D.W. & Banks, K. (2018). Twin Suns in Australian Aboriginal Traditions. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21(2&3), 107-114. (secondary)

Sources

• Wuriupranala is the elder Tiwi Sun-woman, a daughter of Mudungkala and sister of Purukupali, who carries the burning stringybark torch that is the Sun across the sky and whose red-ochre body-paint colours the dawn and dusk.: Mountford, C.P. (1958). The Tiwi: Their Art, Myth and Ceremony. London: Phoenix House. (secondary); Hamacher, D.W. & Banks, K. (2018). Twin Suns in Australian Aboriginal Traditions. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 21(2&3), 107-114. (secondary)