Dirawong

In Australian Aboriginal mythology of the Bundjalung, an area known as "the land of the three
rivers, "the Dirawong, an unseen spiritual creature also known as the goanna spirit, is one of
the Creator Beings of the Bundjalung, that 1) Protects 2) Guards, 3) Battles the Rainbow
Snake, 4) Helps the people with,

'Aboriginal astronomy, body designs, bullroarers, bush cosmetics, bush foods, bush
medicines, cave paintings & designs made on trees, ceremonial headgear, ceremonial poles,
cultural lore, dances, dreaming's, games, geographical locations, how people are required to
behave in their communities, initiations, laws of community, paintings, rock art, rock
engravings, rules for social behaviour, sacred chants, sacred earth mounds, sacred ground
paintings, songlines, songs, stone artifacts, stone objects, stories, structures of society,
symbols, technologies, the ceremonies performed in order to ensure continuity of life & land,
values, wooden articles, wooden sacred objects, & the beliefs, values, rules & practices
concerning the peoples relationship to the land & water of Widje tribal territory within
Bundjalung country

The Dirawong is known as a benevolent protector of its people (in the Bundjalung nation)
from the Rainbow Snake (also known as the 'Snake' or 'Rainbow Serpent')[1]

The Dirawong (goanna) is also associated with rain and there is a rain cave on Goanna
Headland where the elders of the Bundjalung Nation people went in the old days to organise
ceremonies for rain

Many, archaeological places have been located on Goanna Headland

Introduction
Firstly, nearly all of the information known about the deity named the 'Dirawong' and the
associated tribal spiritual beliefs, come from the Aboriginal tribes people of the Bundjalung
nation & Europeans; therefore it is necessary to be aware of the possibility of bias or
prejudice in the historical information

Secondly, the legendary tales of the Bundjalung nation tribal groups have mainly come from a
series of European people, therefore, in the re telling from European people, additional words
and phrases have been necessary, while occasional interpolations and omissions have
produced different versions

The Bundjalung nation Aboriginal story teller would have added facial and bodily gestures
and voice inflection to a narrative that was sparing in words

Thirdly, the Bundjalung nation tribal groups never developed a written language, using verbal
tradition to communicate mythological stories. This meant there was no common written
language or alphabet for all tribes like there is for the English, Greeks, or Italians

Fourthly, in each case the version used in this article is the one that makes a desirable story
while being accurate with what is known of the beliefs and customs of the Bundjalung nation
tribal groups[2]

Bundjalung nation Aboriginal legends are some of the stories of the ancestors from the
Dreamtime. The legends portray all sorts of human behaviour, including the less endearing
ones such as vanity, lying, cruelty, trickery and cheating. Morality is a key part of these myths.
Through the antics of 'The Three Brothers', or of 'The Rainbow Snake & the Dreamtime', one is
aware from the characters' virtue of what might happen should one be tempted into the same
temptation

The "Dreamtime"

All the world's peoples have data, information, knowledge or wisdom of how the world was
formed. The Bundjalung nation tribal groups believe that, in the beginning, the earth was
featureless, flat and grey. There were no mountain ranges, no rivers, no billabongs, no birds or
animals, in fact no living creatures, then long, long ago came the Dreamtime

In The Dreamtime (also Dreaming, Altjeringa or "Baribun" in Bundjalung; A sacred "once upon
a time" period in which ancestral Totemic Spirit Beings formed "Creation") giant creatures
began to rise up from the grey plains where they had been slumbering for an unknown
amount of time
These mythical Beings looked like animals, plants or insects, but behaved in a similar manner
to humans. Because of their giant size, as these beings wandered across the vast grey
wastes, performing ceremonies, digging for water, and searching for food and as they went,
they made huge ravines and rivers in the land

The greatest of all these beings took the form of the Rainbow Snake. The movement of his
huge multi colored body across the land formed the mountains and rivers that flow to the
ocean. By lifting his tail he makes rainbows. The Bundjalung people tell us that Rainbow
Snake and Dirawong worked together to create the northern rivers of nsw & areas of
Queensland, causing the world to take on the shape it has today

The tribal groups of the Bundjalung nation believe that at the start of the "Dreamtime" the
traditional Aboriginal way of life, practiced in Aboriginal societies today, established from
mythical life forms

Traditional Aboriginal groups believe that their ancestors were taught about their tribal lands
from the mythical Beings of The Dreamtime, and were told how they, as descendants of these
Beings, they should behave. These teachings are as important to their way of life today as the
"Ten commandments" are to the ancient Israelite Hebrews. After a period of time, these
Aboriginal ancestral mythical beings formed into the landscape

All the mountain ranges or rocks of the "Dreamtime" are formed by these beings. Isolated
hills, islands, rivers and even trees arose

From here time and life in the Bundjalung nation, as we know it, began. Because of this belief,
the land has a very special meaning to the Aboriginal people. Around the earth there are
features which act as reminders of the giant Beings of the Dreamtime. When they see a
mountain or river, a rock or a tree, they think of the mythical Beings that had a part in their
own creation

The tribal groups of the Bundjalung nation believe that they are directly descended from
these mythical Beings. After the Dreamtime, the people were left with a social and cultural
heritage which came from their ancestors. All the rites and ceremonies are aimed at
preserving this heritage. Their ancestors from the Dreamtime also gave them possession of
tribal lands, and hence this land with all the forms of life contained within it are regarded as
being in a sacred trust

The spiritual relationships with the mythical Beings of the Dreamtime are such that tribal
groups of the Bundjalung nation believe in a united world of body and spirit with every aspect
of the land, both living and non living
The people of the Bundjalung nation believe that the rocks, rivers and waterholes are more
than just a reminder or a symbol of the Dreamtime but represent reality and eternal truth

Mythology

In ages past, Aboriginal elders were the storytellers. This was the way things were passed
along to the generations that followed. For this reason the Aboriginal elders of the
Bundjalung nation made it a point to remember every detail of a myth, legend or story so they
could relate it at a later time. They were the bearers of the traditional morals and imagery
which kept spiritual values alive and important

Like the spirits of the Native Americans in the United States of America, the Bundjalung
nation Aboriginal spirits, the Dirawong and the Rainbow Snake, continue to live on in the land
and water, which originally belonged to the Bundjalung People of the 'far north coast of new
south wales' and 'south east Queensland' area

Spiritual Deities of the Bundjalung nation

The Rainbow Snake

The double symbolism used in its name is considered allegoric to the dual nature of the deity,
where being a Rainbow represents its divine nature or the ability for water to reach the skies
and being a Serpent represents its human nature or ability to creep on the ground among
other animals of the Earth. The Rainbow also shows the ability to split light into different
colors.

Although the Rainbow Serpent of the Bundjalung people may differ slightly from other
Aboriginal representations of the myth, it does retain many of the similar features, stories and
characteristics common in other areas. For instance: its gender is not agreed upon and it is
linked to rainbows, water, rain, waterholes, rivers, seas, islands, life, social relationships,
shape shifting, spirits, goannas, birds, snakes & fertility.

The belief of the Rainbow Snake as a water spirit is found in many forms. Sometimes it is
simply a guardian of a sacred pool or lake and will attack and bring ill health and bad fortune
if the sacred place is not correctly respected.

At other times the Rainbow Snake is a much more powerful water spirit it is the rain itself, the
storm, the flood, the life-giving water from the sky. Its rain is vital to life, yet water also has a
powerfully destructive side that the Aboriginal tribes of Australia were all too aware of. It has
been theorized that the dozens of stories of humans being swallowed by the Rainbow
Serpent, found through Australia are metaphorical accounts of people being swallowed from
flood waters or being drowned in lakes or a pool

In such cases, it is shown that the Rainbow Snake holds no respect for people, nor does it
have a code of morality: it acts only as its nature dictates, often being a blind destructive
force. But in the same way as rain it also creates: it creates the world, births many children,
brings fertility to the land and humans, and is often associated with the Aboriginal soul itself.

The ferocity with which the Rainbow Snake guards or defends its sacred pools, or the
reverence with which it was, and still is, thought of by Aboriginal tribes, indicates that it is a
primal force in nature rather than a ‘God’ in the sense that many people in the Western world
today would think of it. It follows only its natural inclinations – whether they be anger, lust,
compassion, or creation – and its dynamic, raw energy with which it fertilizes the land and
creates the world gives to the element of water associations that are not usually thought of in
modern Pagan thought. Often, water is seen as passive, reflective, deep, emotional, and
spiritual, and is symbolized by the ever-receiving Chalice or womb of the Goddess. But here,
in the motif of the Rainbow Snake, we see water as the Cosmic Phallus of active, dynamic
creation – of fertility, of the rawest, most primal part of life. Here water is dangerous,
destructive, creative, blind, unfeeling and magical: just like the Rainbow Snake in its many
forms.[3]

The Dirawong (known in English as 'Goanna')

To non-Indigenous people, Aboriginal mythology can be difficult to understand because the

characters are non human beings, but behave like humans. Many of the myths seem to only
care of a particular animal or bird, yet have a symbolic meaning of great importance. For
instance, the Sun is a woman, she creates life and she is often the symbolism of water, fire,
earth and red ochre, the Moon is male, and commands, has authority or governs the tides and
seasonal cycles, he is often the symbolism of a snake, dog, frog or water

Certain tribal groups of the Bundjalung nation believe that the Rainbow snake and Dirawong
together created parts of the Richmond River, Goanna Headland, Snake Island and Pelican
Island. Today, every Aboriginal nation has a special symbol, they are known as totems, which
represent a spiritual attachment or special link to a particular ancestral Being, such as an
animal, fish, bird or plant

Traditionally, Aboriginal people cared for their totem as they would a brother or sister or
friend. The Dirawong's tribe is the 'nyangbal' tribe from the Far north Coast of New South
Wales and the Dirawong's totem symbol is the 'Goanna'
What exactly is the Dirawong? Reducing the Dirawong's complex features into a formal
description, will be limited to a general view or understanding of the Goanna's characteristics.
Therefore, the most relevant attributes will be analysed in the light of Aboriginal traditions

Although its appearance may differ slightly, it retains similar features and stories and two
particular characteristics that remain the same throughout is; its gender is not agreed upon
and it is linked to Goannas', Birds, Snakes, ethics, food, land, medicines, morals, rain, social
relationships and spirits

Bundjalung people believe the spirits of wounded warriors are present within the mountains,
their injuries having manifested themselves as scars on the mountainside, and thunder
storms in the mountains recall the sounds of those warriors' battles. The patch of 'red ochre'
on top of Goanna Headland shows the wound where the Rainbow Snake bit the Dirawong
(Goanna) in the dream time

Folklore of Bundjalung nation Aboriginals

Goanna had a prominent place in the culture of Indigenous Australian Bundjalung Nation
tribal groups. This included totemic relationships, anthropomorphic representations in
Dreamtime stories, and as a food source. Representations of goannas are common in
Indigenous artwork, not just as food, but also as a symbolic spiritual motif. Goannas and the
mighty Perentie are often considered two different animals when used in Aboriginal works, as
illustrated by the story "How the Goanna and Perentie got their colours"

'Nyangbal' tribes people believe that they are direct descendants in spirit of “mythical
supernatural being architects”, the Rainbow Snake and Dirawong who created the land and
the two totems; the Snake & the Goanna and the land in which Bundjalung Nation tribal
groups live. This belief is very important to Nyangbal people, and the goanna of today
constantly reminds nyangbal people of that spiritual ancestor. These symbols are also
important because they help to show man's unity with nature. They feel special affinity with
their related totem animal species

It is believed that sacred ceremonies have to be re-enacted on a regular basis to maintain the
animal species and ensure survival of the humans. Each Bundjalung Nation tribal groups
families owns a special area of land and must protect sacred sites representing their
personal totems Dreamtime spirits. Bundjalung Nation people travel long distances from all
directions to participate in the initiation ceremonies and to educate the young. The journey
could last days or several months and women hunt and collect food during the voyage. All
animals, birds, insects, reptiles, plants and other life forms, including man, are part of nature,
it is only outward forms that are different[4]
Goannas feature prominently in the mythology and culture of Bundjalung Nation Aboriginals
and Australian folklore. This included totemic relationships, anthropomorphic
representations in Dreamtime stories, and as a source of food and medicine

Representations of goannas are common in Bundjalung Nation artwork, not just as food, but
also as a symbolic spiritual motif

Folklore of General European settlers

European settlers perpetuated several old wives' tales about goanna habits and abilities,
some of these have persisted in modern folklore amongst campers and bushmen

A common European settlers tale was that the bite of a goanna was infused with a powerful
incurable venom. Every year after the bite (or every seven years), the wound would flare up
again. For many years it was generally believed by herpetologists that goannas were non
venomous, and that lingering illness from their bites was due solely to infection and
septicaemia as a result of their saliva being rife with bacteria from carrion and other food
sources. However, in 2005 researchers at the University of Melbourne announced that oral
venom glands had been found in both goannas and iguanas[5]

Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson

Because the goanna regularly eats snakes (often involving a fierce struggle between the two),
they are often said to be immune to snake venom. The goanna does eat venomous snakes,
but no evidence found suggests actual poison immunity. Other stories say the lizard eats a
legendary plant, or drinks from a healing spring which neutralises the poison. This is
immortalised in Andrew Barton "Banjo" Paterson's humorous poem Johnson's Antidote (htt
p://airgale.com.au/Poetry/Johnsons%20Antidote.htm)
Possibly related to the above poison immunity, goanna fat or oil has been anecdotally imbued
with mystical healing properties. Bundjalung Nation Aboriginals traditionally used goanna oil
as an important bush medicine, and it also became a common medicine among Europeans in
Australia's early days. Said to be a cure-all for all sorts of ailments, and possessing amazing
powers of penetration (passing through metal as if it were not there), it was sold amongst
early settlers like snake oil (a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat joint pain. However,
the most common usage of the phrase is as a derogatory term for compounds offered as
medicines which implies that they are fake, fraudulent, quackery, or ineffective) in the Old
West of North America

Teachings of the Dirawong (Spiritual Creature)

 # Teachings

1. Songlines

2. Values

3. Symbols

4. Initiations

5. Songs

6. Dances

7. Stories

8. Paintings

9. Structures of society

10. Rules for social behaviour

11. The ceremonies performed in order to ensure continuity of life and land

12. Laws of community

13. Cultural lore

14. How people are required to behave in their communities

15. Dreamings

16. Geographical locations

17. Technologies

18. Bush foods

19. Bush medicine

20. Bush cosmetics

21. Body designs

Virtues of the Dirawong (Spiritual Creature)

# Wisdom

1. Calculating

2. Curiosity

3. Knowing When to Hide

4. Seeking Knowledge

5. Climbing Out of Danger

6. Chivalry

7. Helps and Protects Bird's

Location (geography)

The Dirawong continues to be an influential place binding the Bundjalung people to their
living culture. In 1985 a 16 hectare section of the southern part of Goanna Headland became
the first aboriginal land grant in New South Wales. This grant was made to the Bogal, Jali and
Ngulingah Land Councils. The major part of Goanna Headland is now a reserve which is
managed for the wider community by the Dirawong Trust. The objectives are to conserve
aboriginal culture and heritage, preserve the native flora and fauna and provide recreational
activities to the public.

Goanna Headland, located at Evans Head in New South Wales, is one of the most easterly
points on mainland Australia, and the town where Queen Elizabeth II flew into during her
Royal visit to Australia in 1954. The Headland is believed by Bundjalung Nation Aborigines to
be the body of the mythical Dirawong. When viewed from above, the headland has a rough
outline showing the shape of a goanna, within which the spirit creature is believed to exist
even today.

Goanna Headland has been the mythological place of origin of the Bundjalung Nation, for
thousands of years. The Bundjalung Nation people represented by 15 Australian Aboriginal
tribes, within which are many groups, clans and bands) call the spiritual creature "The
Dirawong" (goanna). It is the spiritual centre of their culture. Within its landscape are many
sacred, secret, and ceremonial sites. To date some 24 archaeological sites have been located
on Goanna Headland to the south of Evans Head Village. Nine sites have also been identified
within the Broadwater National Park, which are of aboriginal cultural significance.

Bundjalung Nation Aboriginal Dreamtime Stories -

Myths & Legends
We can count ourselves fortunate that some of the ancient Aboriginal languages and
dreaming tales of the Northern Rivers region and South East Queensland have survived. In
just 200 years, and after thousands of years of habitation, the last speakers of the original
tongues of this region were all but wiped out. Their sacred land as well as hunting grounds
were involuntarily turned into someone else's property. So much has been lost.

Bundjalung Nation Creation Myth - The Rainbow Snake & the Dreamtime

Snake Island in the middle of the river, on the right is Pelican Island and in the background is the Dirawong. (2010).

Since there are numerous versions of the myth, what is in this instance reported is a
summarised version, which lacks crucial details essential for the understanding of the myth

In translating creation myths into English and in using another version instead of the
Bundjalung nation Aboriginal dream time story, Europeans have obscured the wisdom
passed down from the Australian Aborigines from generation to generation. The creation
myth or story is but one aspect of the whole and must be linked with the sacred place, sacred
song and sacred ceremony known only to the most knowledgeable initiated elders of each
tribe

Bundjalung Nation oral literature tradition tells the story about a fight between the Dirawong
and the Rainbow Snake, that caused the creation of the Bungawalbin River, the Evans River,
Pelican Island, Snake Island, other islands in the Evans River, and also an "island (Rainbow
Snake)" at an unknown geographic location in the Pacific Ocean, and possibly the hill now
known as "Goanna Headland (Dirawong)"

According to the legend, the Rainbow Snake had been very bad. What he did is a secret, and
cannot be revealed here, but it was so bad that a Weeum (known as a 'Clever Man', 'Man of
high degree of initiation' or 'Man with great powers') named Nyimbunji from the area known
as Bungawalbin, called on the Dirawong (or Goanna) to help protect a Yabbra (or Bird) from
the Rainbow Snake (or Waugal)
Only Dirawong was powerful enough to deal with Rainbow Snake. Dirawong chased Rainbow
Snake from inland eastward towards the coast and as they went they formed parts of the
Richmond River. At Maniworkan (or the town of Woodburn, New South Wales, Australia) they
left the Richmond River and kept on going east. Halfway down the Evans River, Dirawong
caught Rainbow Snake, the Snake turned around and bit Goanna on the head, Dirawong then
withdrew from the battle in order to eat some herbs to recover (heal) from the snakebite,
when he felt better from the snakebite he resumed his chase

Meanwhile, Rainbow Snake had reached Evans Head. Rainbow Snake looked around.
Dirawong was nowhere to be seen, so Rainbow Snake decided to go back west. The Rainbow
Snake then went into the Evans River and coiled itself around and created Snake Island. As
he turned his body made another larger island in the river, now known as Pelican Island

When Rainbow Snake spotted Dirawong heading towards him, Rainbow Snake quickly turned,
and this time Rainbow Snake kept going until he reached the Burraga (Tasman Sea, Pacific
Ocean), and made himself into an Island so Dirawong wouldn't recognise Rainbow Snake

Dirawong reached the coast at Evans Head. Dirawong then laid down next to the coast,
facing the Burraga, waiting for Rainbow Snake to come back. And you can still hear Rainbow
Snake and see Goanna, today at Evans Head. The patch of 'red ochre' on top of Goanna
Headland shows the wound where the Rainbow Snake bit the Goanna in the dream time[6]

Interpretation of the Creation Myth - The Rainbow Snake & the Dreamtime

The creation was believed to be the work of culture heroes that in the creative epoch traveled
across a formless land, creating sacred sites and significant places of interest in their travels.
In this way songlines were established, some of which could travel right across Australia,
through as many as six to ten different language groupings. The songs and dances of a
particular songline were kept alive and frequently performed at large gatherings, organised in
good seasons.[7]

Various Bundjalung nation Aboriginal tribes Legends about 'The Three Brothers'

Bundjalung nation - Unknown tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 1

A Bundjalung nation Aboriginal dream time legend tells of three brothers, Mamoonh, Yarbirri
(also known as 'yar Birrain') and Birrung, their mother and wives who landed at Gummingarr
(which is now called Chinamens Beach at Evans Head, New South Wales, Australia) in
canoes (made from the bark of a Moreton Bay Pine (Araucaria cunninghamii)). While the
three brothers repaired one of their canoes, their mother went to look for food. When it was
time to leave the three brothers could not find their mother so left without her. On her return
she found her three sons had left without her, enraged at being left behind, she called out to
the three brothers and in her anger struck the sea with a stick. This caused the first big waves
on the sea and caused the three brothers canoe to sink on a reef at the mouth of the
Richmond River, and the three brothers then swam ashore at the historical geographical
location known as 'Shelley Beach', located at Ballina, New South Wales, Australia (the area
was called in Bundjalung language 'Bullinah', meaning place of many oysters in Njangbal
language). The three brothers returned overland to find their mother and stayed to settle this
country. One brother went south, another west and the third brother north. In doing so the
three brothers founded the tribal groups of the Bundjalung Nation.

Bundjalung Nation - Unknown tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 2

This Bundjalung Nation Aboriginal dream-time legend tells of three brothers, Mamoonh,
Yarbirri (also known as 'yar Birrain') and Birrung, who are said to have come from the sea. The
brothers, along with their grandmother, arrived in a canoe made from the bark of a hoop pine.
As they followed the coastline, they found a rich land sparsely populated, so they landed at
the mouth of the Clarence river, where the towns of Iluka and Yamba now stand, and stayed
there for a long time, then, leaving their grandmother behind they continued on in their canoe
heading up the east coast. At one place they landed and created a spring of fresh water. They
stopped along the coast at various places and populated the land. 'The Three Brothers' also
made the laws for the Bundjalung Nation people and also the ceremonies of the Bora rings.
The Bora Ring was the meeting place where stories were handed down. That's where the
laws came from for all the tribes. The elders got together and passed down the laws to the
younger men of the tribes.

Bundjalung Nation - Unknown tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 3

According to Bundjalung Nation Aboriginal dream-time, three brothers, Mamoonh, Yarbirri

(also known as 'yar Birrain') and Birrung, settled on what is now known as Seven Mile beach
(between Lennox Head and Broken Head) and one of them, Yarbirri, produced a flow of fresh
water by thrusting his spear into the sand. At low tide there is said to be a stain marking the
spot from where the water flowed.

Bundjalung Nation - Yaegle tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 4

In the very beginning, three brothers, Mamoonh, Yarbirri (also known as 'yar Birrain') and
Birrung, together with their wives and mother traveled from far across the sea, arriving on the
Australian coast at the mouth of the Clarence River. Their boat, however, was blown out to
sea in a storm, so 'The Three Brothers' decided to build canoes in order to return to their
homeland far across the sea.
They completed building the canoes but could find no sign of their mother anywhere so they
set off without her. On returning to find she had been left behind, the mother climbed to the
top of a hill and cursed them for abandoning her. She called the ocean to anger and the wild
seas forced 'The Three Brothers' back to land at Chinamans Beach, near Evans Head. Once
the seas had abated one of 'The Three Brothers' returned south to find their mother. The
others settled near Evans Head, developed families and a thriving community.

One of the families moved north, another west and the third to the south, forming the three
branches of the bundjalung people.[8]

Bundjalung Nation - Yaegle tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 5

According to Bundjalung Legend, The Founding Three Brothers, Mamoonh, Yarbirri (also
known as 'yar Birrain') and Birrung, made one of their famous landings at what is now Lennox
Head said to be near today a group of black rocks on the beach. When the eldest of 'The
Three Brothers' Yarbirri, thrust a spear into the sand, fresh water ran (Lake Ainsworth) and it
is said when the tide is low you can still see a rusty stain. After their landing at Lennox Head,
the Three Brothers moved north towards Brunswick Heads, where they created the first Bora
ground. Thousands of years later, a bora ground remains at Lennox Head, protected by the
National Parks and Wildlife Service and is open to the public.[8]

Bundjalung Nation - Ngybul tribe - 'The Three Brothers' Story 6

"The coastal areas of New South Wales and southern Queensland were associated with the
legend of the THREE BROTHERS the ancestors of the Aboriginal people who came from the
sea and landed on the east coast. The details of the legend vary from one part of the coast to
another, each Aboriginal language area claiming that the brothers landed in their territory.

In the Northern Rivers area the legend states that the three brothers made their first landing
at Yamba or illuka, and after three subsequent landings further north, one at Evans Head,
then Ballina and the last at the Lennox boat channel area at Lennox Head, two of the brothers
then occupied the coast, while the third moved inland and occupied the Lismore district.

Evans Head was known as Gummingarr, a name derived from gummi, meaning father's
mother. This recalls an incident in the legend where the grandmother of the three brothers
went into the bush to gather fern roots; she could not be found when the three brothers
prepared to paddle northward, and was therefore was left behind. Arriving back at the beach
the grandmother grew very angry at being left behind and used her magic to summon up a
storm making the first waves on what up till that point had been a waveless ocean. This
forced the brothers ashore at Ballina and they went overland back to retrieve the
grandmother.
The next landing was at Lennox Head in the boat channel area (bream hole/moat) of the
beach. One of the brothers, named Yarbirri (his beard was a dark red colour), thrust his
hunting spear into the sand, and fresh water gushed out. Before the swampy area in the
southern corner was filled and drained a ti-tree coloured stain was often seen that resembled
a red beard.

After Lennox the brothers continued north to their final landing at Brunswick Heads, where
they are said to have made the first wandaral or bora ring. Be that as it may, there is a well
preserved bora ring in Lennox. It is situated ninety metres west of Gibbon Street and is also
adjacent to the Megan Crescent cricket field. It is fenced and maintained by the National
Parks and Wildlife Service of NSW and is open to visitors. The Bora Ring was used mainly for
male initiation ceremonies.

After the first Wandaral ceremony at Brunswick, The eldest brother, Yarbirri, made the laws.
The brothers decided to separate and to populate the earth, Yarbirri went north, Mamoon to
the west and Birrung to the south. The name Birin (Birrung) was widely used to mean
"southerners"; the people north of the Brisbane River regarded all of the Bunjalung people as
Birin: to the people of the Byron Bay area Birin referred to the people of the Clarence."

Legend of 'Mount Bugerum Boogerum'

Bundjalung Nation - Ngybul tribe - Story 1

According to a Bundjalung Legend, Mount Bugerum Boogerum was of enormous spiritual

significance to local Aboriginal people. It was said that the eldest of The Founding Three
Brothers, Yarbirri (also known as 'yar Birrain'), was known to have been spoken to by God on
Mount Bugerum Boogerum, that at least is the belief, and the belief has drawn pilgrims for
thousands of years. There is not a great deal of evidence but it is Bundjalung Nation oral
history.[9]

Bundjalung Legends about Spirits of The Forest

Legend of the Wiangaree Lagoon

In ancient times, long before white people came to this country, Aboriginal people living in the
area now known as the Upper Richmond River District believed that a lagoon at Wiangaree
was haunted by the ghostly spirit of a woman.

One day a warrior from a tribe living near the lagoon came back to the camp tired from
hunting. He was angry when he found that his wife was not there to meet him, as were the
wives of the other warriors. The warrior was jealous and thought immediately that his wife
was being unfaithful. He went looking for her and became more and more angry with every
step he took. When he found her walking in the bush, quite unaware that her husband had
returned, he accused her of being unfaithful. Against her determined protests of innocence
and her struggles, he drowned her in the lagoon.

It was said that from time to time the sound of her body struggling in the lagoon could be
heard, as could her cries as she sank beneath the surface. The warriors, an ancient people,
continue to live there in spirit. And what of the spirit of the woman? Is it the sound of her
body splashing in the lagoon or...only a platypus? Are they her death cries one can hear
or...merely those of a night bird?
Who can tell? It was so long ago.

Bundjalung Nation Aboriginal Story about the Dirawong Tribe Massacre at Evans Head

In the 1840s, Goanna Headland located at Evans Head, was the site of a massacre of
Bundjalung people by Europeans.[10] Today, people from all over the world still speak of
hearing spiritual voices on the hill around the old campsite in Bundjalung National Park late in
the afternoons, and local fishermen have spoken of lights on the Evans River at night.
Aboriginal legend says that the lights are from fire sticks.

The following is an edited transcript of a historical and spiritual story about the Dirawong
Tribe Massacre at Evans Head, spoken by an Aboriginal of the Bundjalung Nation;

"This area around Evans Head is part of the Bundjalung Nation, it's a magnificent landscape but
among the wildflowers, the bush, trees, and the dunes, ghosts lurk about everywhere. It is said
by different people, even today who have been to Evans Head that, 'if you walk along any lonely
beach in the area near dusk and stand at the edge of the dunes, you will hear the sound of
screaming, wailing, and of the weeping of children and women who were murdered by the white
settlers back in the mid 19th century'. These were the victims of an illegal massacre of over 100
Aboriginal women and children.

Even today at Evans Head, the ghosts of those who were massacred remind us of those long,
forgotten blood-soaked days, as their spirits wail and weep, hoping to someday rest. I know
some of you people out there in the world who are skeptical would say: 'The sounds are made
by birds, trees, sand, storms, waves or the wind or something else'...Are you really sure of that?
Would you care to check it out personally yourself, or investigate the sounds by carrying out
some Spiritual and Scientific research? Even today it’s a grim reminder to everyone around the
world of Australia's not so nice history."

Legends from the Biripi Nation related to

Bundjalung Nation Legends
Legend of 'The Three Brothers'

Biripi Nation - 'The Three Brothers' Story 1

The Three Brothers are also known as three mountains in the Hastings area on the Mid North
Coast of New South Wales, Australia. They were named by Lieutenant James Cook (also
known as Captain Cook FRS RN) during his voyage along the east coast of Australia in May
1770.

The name 'Three Brothers' is a striking coincidence, as the mythology of the Biripi Nation
Aboriginal people, the Birpai, tell of a Dreamtime legend describing how three brothers from
the Birpai tribe met their fate at the hands of the witch named Widjirriejuggi. The Three
Brothers were buried where each mountain stands.[11]

“Way back in the Dreamtime, there were three brothers (Binghi) of the Birpai tribe who lived
near the mouth of the Camden Haven River. They were strong young men, bright eyed and
good hunters of the swift wallaby, the brown pigeon and the cunning goanna.”

“As part of their growth to full manhood, they had undergone various stages of the initiation
ceremonies of their tribe. As part of this, they had to live alone in the bush for many months
to prove they could survive by themselves.”

“After several months away from their family and friends, they began to wonder how their
parents were, whether they were sick or well.”

“The youngest brother was at a different level to his two brothers in the initiation ritual and he
was free to leave after a short time, so he decided to go back to the tribe and check on their
mother Gabaway, and their father Babagar.”

“He said to his brothers, “There’s no point in just sitting around worrying; you two stay here
and I’ll go and see how Mum and Dad are going,” and, waving goodbye, he set off to find his
parents.

“But as he was pushing his way through the scrub, he saw an evil old witch woman
(Widjirriejuggik) going in the direction of his brothers’ camp. He didn’t take much notice of
her at the time, but when he reached the spot where his parents were camping he told his
father about the old woman.”

“His father was very upset by the news that the witch was hanging about the brothers’ camp
and said to the youngest brother: “You must go back to your brothers quickly and warn them
or that old woman will kill them and eat them.” Then his father gave him a special boomerang
which he had made with magic to keep him safe.
“Naturally the young brother was horrified at the thought that the wicked old witch might kill
and eat his brothers so he set off at once to let them know of the danger that threatened
them.”

“Even though he travelled as fast as he could, running through the forest, scratching his legs
on the sharp vines and sticks and cutting his feet on pointed rocks, he couldn’t get to the
camp before night. He settled down to rest until morning but didn’t sleep much because he
was too worried about his brothers.”

“As soon as the first morning star shone in the pearly light of dawn and he could see where
he was going, he started running through the bush again towards the camp.”

“But he was too late. When he got to the camp, he saw the old witch was there and there was
no sign of his brothers.”

“He asked her what she had done with his two brothers and, since she was such a powerful
witch and so sure he couldn’t hurt her, she not only told him straight out that she had eaten
the two brothers, but she was going to eat him too.”

“Ahh, but she was too confident because she didn’t know about the special boomerang,
which the father had made. Quick as a flash, before she had the chance to get him, he
jumped up in the air and whacked her on the head with the boomerang, so hard that it split
the old witch into two pieces, right down the middle.”

Legends from the Gundungurra Nation related to

Bundjalung Nation Legends

Legend of 'The Three Sisters'

Katoomba tribe - 'The Three Sisters' Story 1

This Gundungurra Nation Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that the local witch doctor of
the Katoomba tribe had three beautiful daughters, 'Meehni', 'Wimlah' and Gunnedoo', who
were told not to go into the Jamison Valley (Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia) because
a fearsome Rainbow Snake lived there. The daughters were curious and leaned over the cliff
face to look down into the valley and accidentally dislodged some rocks which, falling into
the valley below, awoke the Rainbow Snake. The Rainbow Snake was terribly angry and
started up the cliff to eat the young girls, the witch doctor saw what was happening and
quickly turned his daughters into stone pillars using his magic stick. The Rainbow Snake
became enraged and turned on the witch doctor, who then quickly turned himself into a
lyrebird. He fled from the Rainbow Snake and lost his magic stick.
The 3 Sisters are still pillars of stone and if you go for a walk in the Jamison Valley below the
3 Sisters, if you are quiet, you may see a Lyrebird scratching in the forest, still looking for the
magic stick so that he can turn himself and his daughters back into human form.

Interpretation of 'The Three Sisters' legend - (Katoomba tribe Story 1)

1. In a different version revealed from Aboriginals or Europeans of the legend (which is

above), the word 'Bunyip' is used instead of the word 'Rainbow Snake'

2. The 'Rainbow Snake' referred to in the Katoomba tribe dreamtime legend (which is above),
is known in science literature (from people who are Atheists) as a physical snake, some type
of very large python

3. The story tells us that people should act responsible, and not upset spirits

4. The three females mentioned, are three birds who were turned into spiritual people (Like
the Egyptian Cow Gods), now able to see truth, reality and the astral plane

Katoomba tribe - 'The Three Sisters' Story 2

The Three Sisters, 'Meehni' (922 metres tall), 'Wimlah' (918 metres tall) and 'Gunnedoo' (906 metres tall), towering
above the Jamison Valley. The lighter coloured orange/yellow sections indicate fresh rock, exposed by recent erosion.

This Gundungurra Nation Aboriginal dream-time legend has it that three sisters, 'Meehni',
'Wimlah' and 'Gunnedoo' lived in the Jamison Valley (Katoomba, New South Wales, Australia)
as members of the Katoomba tribe within the Gundungurra Nation. Word of their beauty
spread and other tribes from other Nations became jealous.

These three very beautiful maidens had fallen in love with three brothers from the Nepean or
Mulgoa (Mulgowey) tribe of the Darug Nation (which is North East of the Gandangara
Nation), yet tribal law forbade them to marry outside their own tribe. The brothers were not
happy to accept this law and so decided to use force to capture the three sisters causing a
major tribal battle.

A terrible battle raged across the mountains – blood flowed and stained the ground red,
colouring the cliffs around. The Katoomba tribe were losing the battle and the maidens were
terrified. They ran to the cliff edge and saw the fierce fighting. Their father, who was also the
witch doctor of the tribe, cast a magic spell on them to turn them into stone where they stood
for their bad behaviour. He planned to change them back after the battle, however he was
killed when he went back into the battle.

The Nepean tribe won and went to claim the maidens, only to find three great pinnacles of
rock - the famous 3 Sisters. As only the witch doctor could reverse the spell to return the
ladies to their former beauty, the sisters remain in their magnificent rock formation as a
reminder of this battle for generations to come. To this day no one has discovered the magic
spell which will set them free.

Interpretation of 'The Three Sisters' legend - (Katoomba tribe Story 2)

Dr Martin Thomas states in his book, 'The Artificial Horizon: Imagining the Blue Mountains'
that when he began researching the Blue Mountains, he discovered competing narratives, so
he felt that in writing an historically inspired work, it was his job to suggest, evoke and play
with narrative as much as just telling it

Dr Martin Thomas points out that; "Myths pose particular problems for traditional historians,
who see their work as being about facts and replacing myths with truth or scientific history." Dr
Martin Thomas does not share that view and states that "myth permeates society and we
should think creatively about myth and engage with it"

Excited by myths that offer prospects of opening rather than closure, Dr Martin Thomas
refers to an ancient Blue Mountains myth collected by Robert Hamilton Matthews (R. H.
Mathews), who in 1893 started collecting data on Aboriginal societies. Robert Hamilton
Matthews documented an Aboriginal story of creation that effectively maps the local
landscape

Dr Martin Thomas says to compare Robert Hamilton Matthews 'Aboriginal story of creation'
to the legend of 'The Three Sisters' at Echo Point in Katoomba, published in the 1940s, which
doesn't have an Aboriginal provenance

The Three Sisters' story claims that the sisters are three women who were turned to stone.
One can see that as a false myth but, as a myth created by the invading colonial culture, it
reveals underlying truths about petrifying the Aboriginal sisters and turning them into things
you just look at
In addition, Dr Martin Thomas argues that it is the hallmark of colonisation, with its deletions,
denials, losses and absences, that our sense of the past is perpetually unstable, always liable
to crack or shatter; and that the 'Three Sisters' legend should not be dismissed as a bogus
myth. Precisely because of its ambiguous meaning and origin, it qualifies as myth in the
deepest sense[12]

See also

Australian frontier wars | Australian megafauna | Bandjalang language | Bundjalung |

Bundjalung Nation Timeline | Commercialization of traditional medicines | History wars |
List of legendary creatures | List of massacres of Indigenous Australians | List of
Australian place names of Aboriginal origin

References

Primary literature

1. Australian Aboriginal mythology

2. Temple of the Sacred Spiral - Aboriginal Lore (http://victorian.fortunecity.com/palette/187/

aboriginal.html) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20090614082152/http://victoria
n.fortunecity.com/palette/187/aboriginal.html) 2009-06-14 at the Wayback Machine

3. Rainbow Snake - Water Spirit, Cosmic Phallus, and Jealous Guardian (Cardiff University
Pagan Society) (http://cardiffpagan.co.uk/magazine/issues/8/articles/rainbow-snake.ht
ml) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20080821111103/http://cardiffpagan.co.uk/
magazine/issues/8/articles/rainbow-snake.html) 2008-08-21 at the Wayback Machine

4. Australia - Aboriginal - Dreamtime (http://www.janesoceania.com/australia_aboriginal_dre

amtime/index1.htm)

5. Goanna venom (http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/view.php?articleID=3009) Archived (http

s://web.archive.org/web/20110316005103/http://uninews.unimelb.edu.au/view.php?articl
eID=3009) 2011-03-16 at the Wayback Machine

6. The Rainbow Snake & the Dreamtime (http://www.nimbinweb.com.au/bundjalung/index.

htm)

7. Dreamtime

8. Planet Corroboree (http://www.planetcorroboree.com.au/index.php?pr=Message_Stick)

9. Echo (http://www.echo.net.au/archives/21_15-02.html)
10. History - Aboriginal - Local Tribes - Bundjalung People (http://woodburnevansheadrsl.com.
au/history.htm) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20091024121116/http://woodbur
nevansheadrsl.com.au/history.htm) 2009-10-24 at the Wayback Machine

11. The Three Brothers

12. Myth and meaning in the Blue Mountains (http://www.newsroom.uts.edu.au/reviews/detai

l.cfm?ItemId=7378) Archived (https://web.archive.org/web/20090930035741/http://ww
w.newsroom.uts.edu.au/reviews/detail.cfm?ItemId=7378) 2009-09-30 at the Wayback
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Yagan
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