Churinga
ancestor earth Arunta (Australia) single tradition · 1
A wooden soul‑token used by the Arunta people of Australia. It is believed to contain the souls of deceased tribe members, which are stored in hills or caves and carried into battle to aid the living. The token is anointed, fondled and invoked as a powerful spirit object.
When
- First attested
- 500 BCE
- Attested period
- -500 – 2020
- Historical notes
- Documented among the Arunta in ethnographic reports of the 19th‑20th centuries.
Relationships
Mentioned by
Sources
encyclopedia (1)
- peer reviewed
Source passages
“The Aruntas among them are said to have no idea of paternity, but believe that local spirits of tree, rock or stream enter women as they pass by their haunts. In doing so they drop a wooden soul-token called a Churinga.”
#44045 · extracted by openai/gpt-oss-120b:free