iDIDJ Australia Didgeridoo Cultural Hub

I've heard this story about how didjeridus were made for ages. I've even read it in newspapers, found it related by numerous sources. Goes like this :

Didjeridus are made by taking branches to Termite mounds and shoving them into the mound and returning days or weeks later (story varies here) and finding a perfectly 'drilled' out sticks.

This one is pretty established in the folklore, though I've never seen any photo or film of this practice documenting it. It seems, to me, a complete fabrication but must hold enough 'intuitive logic' to have legs as a plausible explaination for how these instruments come to be with the larger public. The story of making didjeridus this way, seems to come from Australian tourist areas as far as I can tell. The first time I read it in print was actually in an interview with a touring Australian didjeridu player. Anyone else hear it? Anyone know of this practice occuring in any part of Australia (making didjeridus by this method)?

Personally, I think it was just 'made up' to explain how the instrument came to be hollowed out by white ants. Or?

Ed

Hi Ed,
I have heard this story many times and my feeling is the same as yours.
Certainly I have not seen a didge ever dug out of a termite mound but..?

Digging around a bit I found this article where the assertion is very clear..
Anyone have any more information?

http://www.winchesterstar.com/TheWinche ... _didge.asp

the relevant phrase in the text about half way down the page,

"He also said the Aborigines’ original method for making a didgeridoo began with selecting a piece of wood about 5-feet long and burying it in a termite mound.

“The termites would do all the work and hollow it out,” Chris said.

Aborigines would dig the wood from the mound and decorate it with carvings and paintings.


Martin

Good find. There are several little 'treasures' in that article as well. Note the didj maker torching away on PVC indoors without even a simple mask to filter some of the gases he's releasing into the room! Nice....

I've also heard and read similar stories. Pure fabrication I reckon because:

1) I've never seen Yolngu or Bininy make instruments using this method, nor have they ever talked about this method as a possible way of making instruments;

2) Why bother when a suitable tree could be found if the didjeridu harvester is skilled enough to find a good piece of timber that has already been hollowed out by termites to suitable proportions?

3) A solid piece of timber or one that has a very small hollow will crack if placed in a termite mound out in the open and left for weeks;

4) A dead piece of timber will be eaten completely by termites not just hollowed out. A living tree has sap running in its living tissue, near the bark layer. In the sap are compounds that act against insect and termite attack, which is why termites eat out only the dead tissue found in the heart of the living tree. Once a tree is dead, the sap dries and the insecticidal compounds become inactive. Termites will cause a cut piece of eucalyptus to be riddled with holes after a certain period of time, before they consume the whole lot;

5) the termite species that hollow out eucalyptus heartwood is a different species to those that inhabit large termite mounds that are associated with outback Australia.

Interesting article Martin! I'll email Chris in a moment to see where he got his info... no doubt just another myth.

Guan

Interesting find, Martin. The Winchester Star is the local newspaper not far from where I live- and I've never come across this guy.

Jason

I got in touch with the newspaper in question to set up a follow-up article to offer some correct information. Haven't heard back yet.

Jason

Good effort, Jason! I rather doubt they will follow up with you, but hopefully they will. Keep us posted!
Ed