Anbangbang gallery Mimi rock art cropped

A cleverman is a

traditional healer A folk healer is an unlicensed person who practices the art of healing using traditional practices, herbal remedies and the power of suggestion. The healer may be a highly trained person who pursues their specialties, learning by study, observa ...

and keeper of culture in many Aboriginal cultures of Australia. The roles, terms for, and abilities of a cleverman vary between different Aboriginal nations. Some clevermen heal bodily injuries and illnesses, while others heal spiritual ailments. They heal using plants, songs, and spiritual knowledge. Exceptionally powerful clevermen are believed to have magical powers and may heal both physical and spiritual ailments. Some sources also refer to clevermen having the ability to kill using magic, although this may be illegal within the culture or a separate form of harmful 'sorcery' from that used by cleverman healers. Clevermen also serve as cultural keepers and are experts in stories and spiritual beliefs. They have a strong understanding of sacred places and lore (which includes cultural heritage, laws, spiritual beliefs, behaviours, and rituals) and a deep connection to

the Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his co ...

. Clevermen may be men or women, depending on the culture. Older clevermen choose a younger community member to take their place as a cleverman, teach them the necessary skills over many years, and conduct initiation ceremonies which are often kept secret. Clevermen are deeply respected members of Aboriginal communities. A cleverman's role bears some similarities to overseas traditional roles commonly referred to as shamans, witch-doctors,

medicine men A medicine man is a traditional healer and spiritual leader among the indigenous people of the Americas. Medicine Man or The Medicine Man may also refer to: Films * ''The Medicine Man'' (1917 film), an American silent film directed by Clifford S ...

, and other practitioners of cultural-based healing and spirituality. For this reason, some sources also refer to clevermen by these names. Upon European colonisation of Aboriginal lands the traditions of clevermen were suppressed, especially by

Christian mission A Christian mission is an organized effort for the propagation of the Christian faith. Missions involve sending individuals and groups across boundaries, most commonly geographical boundaries, to carry on evangelism or other activities, such as ...

aries. However, the practices of clevermen continue into the present day.

Reported abilities

Clevermen may perform surgery using physical and spiritual methods and some may have the ability to kill using magic. They may use magic substances such as quartz, kidney fat, or pearl to perform supernatural acts. Some clevermen use sacred tools, such as the human hair cords used by

Wiradjuri The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...

clevermen to extract poison or to kill. Some clevermen such as those of the Weilwan people have an intimate knowledge of Aboriginal astronomy. Other clevermen communicate with spirits such as the mimih, who long ago taught the marrkidjbu of the

Bininj Kunwok Bininj Kunwok is an Australian Aboriginal language which includes six dialects: Kunwinjku (formerly Gunwinggu), Kuninjku, Kundjeyhmi (formerly Gundjeihmi), Manyallaluk Mayali (Mayali), Kundedjnjenghmi, and two varieties of Kune (Kune Dulerayek a ...

people the ritualistic steps of carving up a kangaroo. Some ceremonies, including those of the

Wiradjuri people The Wiradjuri people (; ) are a group of Aboriginal Australian people from central New South Wales, united by common descent through kinship and shared traditions. They survived as skilled hunter-fisher-gatherers, in family groups or clans, a ...

, involve communication with spiritual beings, the granting of supernatural abilities, and absorbing magical objects into the body. One Wirdajuri apprenticeship ceremony involves summoning the god Baiami to walk amongst the initiates, Balamo then conducts supernatural events such as granting "X-ray' vision" and apparating and singing a naked flame into the chest of the initiate. Some clevermen may have spiritual beings that reside within their body and help perform supernatural acts, such as the Wiradjuri's totemic beings or the Yolngu's 'soul-children'.

Modern concerns

The healing practices of clevermen have seen particular interest from outside of their communities by researchers looking for more effective methods of treating Aboriginal peoples' mental and physical health. The practices themselves, and the emotional and social wellbeing that comes from the revitilisation of culture, may have health benefits to communities. For example, Ngangkari healers have seen broad acceptance for their abilities and frequently work with hospitals to heal Aboriginal patients. Traditional healing work in this can serve as one model for meeting

Closing the Gap The Closing the Gap framework is an Australian government strategy that aims to reduce disadvantage among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, based on seven targets. From adoption in 2008, after meetings with the Close the Gap social ...

targets. However, ngangkari also recognise their abilities are limited against some ailments like

drug addiction Addiction is a neuropsychological disorder characterized by a persistent and intense urge to engage in certain behaviors, one of which is the usage of a drug, despite substantial harm and other negative consequences. Repetitive drug use oft ...

. Some clevermen's ability to kill has been of continuing interest to outside scholars, who are unable to identify a cause of death. These practices have parallels in many cultures world-wide and their effects have been referred to as "

voodoo death Voodoo death, a term coined by Walter Cannon in 1942 also known as psychogenic death or psychosomatic death, is the phenomenon of sudden death as brought about by a strong emotional shock, such as fear. The anomaly is recognized as "psychosomatic ...

" or "

nocebo A nocebo effect is said to occur when negative expectations of the patient regarding a treatment cause the treatment to have a more negative effect than it otherwise would have. For example, when a patient anticipates a side effect of a medicatio ...

" by scholars. Traditions of traditional healing have led to challenges in engaging some Aboriginal patients with

Western medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

. According to the Yolngu peoples' Madayin system of law, all acts of harmful sorcery or 'Galka Djama' are illegal. Some Yolngu people see legalised euthanasia as Galka Djama and reject it. Additionally, the language barrier in hospitals fosters greater fear, as there may be no Yolngu-speaking doctors of Western medicine in hospitals. As such, some Yolngu people may see the negative effects and procedures of large medical procedures as negative sorcery by white doctors. According to Anangu tradition, the body should not be "sliced open". This is related to traditional healing beliefs, and may cause Anangu people to reject the surgery of Western doctors.

In different cultures

Different clans and language groups have their own names for a cleverman. Some of these include: * Eora nation: 'carradhy'. * Yugambeh and Bundjalung nations: 'weeum', 'gundir', or 'wuyun gali', or 'wuyung', 'wiyung', 'wuyun'. * Galibal people: 'cooradgi'. * Wangkangurru people: 'minparu'. * Diyari people: 'kunki'. * Gamilaraay nation: 'wiringin'. *

Dalabon people The Dalabon or Dangbon are an Australian Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory. Name Traditionally the people now called Dalabon had no collective name for themselves, and the term itself derives from the language which members of the commu ...

s: 'marrngkidj'. *

: 'na-kordang', or marrkidjbu (marrugeku). * Duuŋidjawu language: 'gundir'. * Pitjantjatjara people: 'ngangkari'. *

Yolŋu languages Yolŋu Matha (), meaning the 'Yolŋu tongue', is a linguistic family that includes the languages of the Yolngu (also known as the Yolŋu and Yuulngu languages), the indigenous people of northeast Arnhem Land in northern Australia. The ''ŋ'' ...

: 'Marrnggitj' (healers) and 'Galka' (harmful sorcerers). * Martu peoples: 'mabarn'. * Gunaikurnai people: mullamulliñ . * Bidjawal people: 'mullamulliñ' (sorcerer), 'badāra' (cleverman). *

Gumbaynggirr The Gumbaynggirr people, also rendered Kumbainggar, Gumbangeri and other variant spellings, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. Gumbathagang was a probable clan or sub-group. The traditional lands of th ...

and Yaygirr peoples: Ngaluunggirr. * Wiradjuri or Ngiyampaa people (uncertain): wiri-ŋan, bugi-nja, ki-ki-wi-lan, walemira 'talmai.

Notable clevermen

Pemulwuy Pemulwuy (also rendered as Pimbloy, Pemulvoy, Pemulwoy, Pemulwy or Pemulwye, or sometimes by contemporary Europeans as Bimblewove, Bumbleway or Bembulwoyan) (c. 1750 – 2 June 1802) was a Bidjigal man of the Eora nation, born around 1750 in t ...

(c. 1750–1802): A

Bidjigal The Bidjigal (also spelt Bediagal, Bejigal, Bedegal or Biddegal) people are an Aboriginal Australian people whose traditional lands are modern-day western, north-western, south-eastern, and southern Sydney, in New South Wales, Australia. The ...

carradhy and resistance fighter against the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

in what is now known as Sydney. * Jandamarra (c. 1873–1897): A Bunuba cleverman who waged a guerrilla war against the British Empire in the Kimberley region. * Butcher Joe Nangan (1900–1989): A jalngunguru (cleverman) and artist of Walmatjarri and Nyikina descent. Received a Medal of the Order of Australia for their art. *

Bahloo In Gamilaraay mythology, Bahloo is a male spirit representing the moon. The most known tale about him is a story about the origin of death. Myths Bahloo and the Daens The most notable myth seeks to explain both man's mortality and the hatred ...

: The

Gamilaraay The Gamilaraay, also known as Gomeroi, Kamilaroi, Kamillaroi and other variations, are an Aboriginal Australian people whose lands extend from New South Wales to southern Queensland. They form one of the four largest Indigenous nations in Au ...

moon spirit who used to be a wiringin. * Johnny Cudgel: A Nyoongar cultural hero and bulyagaduk who was said to be able to transform into a crow and used this power to escape the prison on Wadjemup (

Rottnest Island Rottnest Island ( nys, Wadjemup), often colloquially referred to as "Rotto", is a island off the coast of Western Australia, located west of Fremantle. A sandy, low-lying island formed on a base of aeolianite limestone, Rottnest is an A-class ...

). * Kevin Djimarr: A Kuninjku man of the Kurulk clan who is a na-kordang and a singer. He was the joint winner of the traditional music award at the 2007 Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards for his work 'Wurrurrumi Kun-Borrk'. * Wally Mandarrk (1915-1987): A Barabba marrkdijbu from Arnhem Land who was "able to heal the sick and interact with spirit beings". He was an accomplished bark painter, especially of wayarra and mimih spirits. * Paddy Compass Namadbara (c. 1892–1978): an accomplished Western Arnhem bark painter and reputed to be one of the most powerful marrkidjbu and leaders of his era. * Moolbong (1868-1943) the last wiri-ŋan of the Ngiyampaa, who lived among the Wiradjuri after being moved by the Australian Government. A skilled stockman and powerful cleverman; his singing was reputedly powerful and several recordings are kept by AIATSIS.

Depictions

The ABC drama series Cleverman depicts a superheroic cleverman by combining traditions of various clans' clevermen roles and 'hairy man' creatures. However, hairymen or 'yowies' are distinct creatures in various Aboriginal clans' traditions that are not necessarily related to cleverman traditions.

Other similar roles

* Kurdaitcha or 'featherfoot': a traditional spiritual assassin and lawman of the Arrernte culture and other Aboriginal cultures. Their harmful 'sorcery' overlaps with many of the killing powers attributed to some clevermen. * Ngangkari: traditional healers in

Aṉangu Aṉangu is the name used by members of several Aboriginal Australian groups, roughly approximate to the Western Desert cultural bloc, to describe themselves. The term, which embraces several distinct "tribes" or peoples, in particular the Ng ...

culture. Often referred to as synonymous with 'cleverman' in sources.

References

{{reflist Australian Aboriginal culture Australian Aboriginal words and phrases Traditional healthcare occupations Witchcraft