Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines

Book excerpt: This classic resource is organized as follows: Chapter I: Origins The Customs and Traditions of Aboriginals The Story of the Creation The Coming of Mankind The Peewee’s Story The Eagle-hawk and the Crow The Birth of the Butterflies The Confusion of Tongues The Discovery and the Loss of the Secret of Fire The Moon The Wonderful Lizard The Lazy Goannas and what happened to them How the Selfish Goannas lost their Wives What some Aboriginal Carvings mean Chapter II: Animal Myths The Selfish Owl Why Frogs jump into the Water This is the legend of the frogs. Kinie Ger, the Native Cat The Porcupine and the Mountain Devil The Green Frog How the Tortoise got his Shell The Mischievous Crow and the Good he did Whowie The Flood and its Results How Spencer’s Gulf came into Existence Chapter III: Religion The Belief in a Great Spirit The Land of Perfection The Voice of the Great Spirit Witchcraft Chapter IV: Social Marriage Customs The Spirit of Help among the Aboriginals Ngia Ngiampe Hunting Fishing Sport Chapter V: Personal Myths Kirkin and Wyju The Love-story of the Two Sisters Cheeroonear The Keen Keeng Mr and Mrs Newal and their Dog Thardid Jimbo Palpinkalare Perindi and Harrimiah Bulpallungga Nurunderi's Wives Chirr-bookie, the Blue Crane Buthera and the Bat Yara-ma-yha-who The Origin of the Pleiades