In Australian Aboriginal mythology, Altjira is the sky god of the Arrernte. He was the central god of the Dream time (called Alchera by the Aranda) who created the Earth, then retired to the sky. In art, he is depicted as having an
emus feet. His wives and daughters have dog's feet.
Bagadjimbiri
In Aboriginal mythology (specifically: Karadjeri), the Bagadhimbiri are two brothers and creator gods. They arose from the ground as dingos and made water-holes, sex organs (from a mushroom and another fungus) for the androgynous first people, and invented circumcision. Taking human form, the Bagadjimbiri began an argument with Ngariman, a cat-person. Ngariman was annoyed by the Bagadjimbiri's laughter. He killed the brothers underground, but was drowned by Dilga, their mother, who flooded the underground murder-spot with her milk, which also revived her sons. The Bagadjimbiri eventually turned into snakes and went to live in the sky as clouds.
Bahloo
One aboriginal legend tells of how Yhi, the sun, courted Bahloo, but he refused her advances. The myth says that this is why the sun chased the moon across the sky. Yhi threatened the spirits who held up the sky that if they let him escape down to earth, she would plunge the world into darkness.
Baiame
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Baiame is the ancestor and patron god of the Kamilaroi. He is a sky god and a deity of death and life, and a god of rain and the shamans. He is married to Birrahgnooloo, with whom he has a son Daramulum. It is taboo among the Australian natives to mention or discuss the name of Baiame in public.
Bamapana
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Baiame is the ancestor and patron god of the Kamilaroi. He is a sky god and a deity of death and life, and a god of rain and the shamans. He is married to Birrahgnooloo, with whom he has a son Daramulum. It is taboo among the Australian natives to mention or discuss the name of Baiame in public.
Banaitja
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Banaitja is a creator god.
Barraiya
Barraiya is a god in Australian aboriginal mythology who created the first vagina with a spear so that Eingana could give birth.
Binbeal
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Binbeal is the god of rainbows and a son of Bunjil.
Bunjil
In Australian aboriginal mythology, specifically Kulin including Wurundjeri and Bunurong, Bunjil is the supreme god. The Kulin claim he is a culture-hero who taught them all the important skills of life, but the Wurundjeri claims he created mankind. He now lives in the sky. Binbeal is his son.
Daramulum
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Wiradyuri and Kamilaroi), Daramulum (�one legged�) is a son of Baiame and Birrahgnooloo. He is a sky and weather god, patron of shamans, and a lunar deity.
Dhakhan
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Dhakhan is the ancestral god of the Kabi; he is described as a giant serpent with the tail of a giant fish. He often appears as a rainbow, as this is his way of travelling between the watering holes which are his homes.
Jar'Edo Wens
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Jar'Edo Wens is a god of earthly knowledge and physical might, created by Altjira to ensure that people did not get too big-headed. He is associated with victory and intelligence.
Julana
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Jumu), Julana is a lecherous god who surprises women by burrowing beneath the sand. He was alive, and wandered the Earth with his father, Njirana, during the Dreamtime.
Karora
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically Gurra and Bandicoot), Karora is a creator god. He was born in a lake and, after fathering many children, he returned there to slumber. Karora is also the name of a teen rock band from London who mix progressive rock with strong rock and post-rock elements.
Kidili
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Mandjindja), Kidili was an ancient moon-man who attempted to rape some of the first women on Earth. The Wati-kutjara wounded him in battle, castrating him with a boomerang, and he died of his wounds in a waterhole. The women he was trying to rape became the Pleiades.
Mangar-kunjer-kunja
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Mangar-kunjer-kunja is a lizard god who created humans. He found the first beings, Rella manerinja, on one side of a hill; they were fused together and he separated them with a knife and cut holes for their mouths, ears, and noses, then gave them the knife, spear, shield, fire, boomerang, and the tjurunga, and lastly gave them a system of marriage.
Njirana
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Njirana is a god, father of Julana, who was alive during the Dreamtime.
Nogomain
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Nogomain (or Nogamain) is a god who gives spirit children to mortal parents. He created himself from nothingness.
Numakulla
In Australian aboriginal mythology, the Numakulla (or Numbakulla) were two sky gods who created all life on Earth, including humans, from the Inapertwa. Afterwards, they became lizards. The Numakulla are sometimes described as a dual-aspect deity rather than two separate deities.
Pundjel
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Pundjel is a creator god who invented most of the skills used by Australian Aborigines, including religious rites. He was very much involved in the initiation of boys into manhood.
Ungud
In Aboriginal mythology, Ungud is a snake god who is sometimes male and sometimes female. He is associated with rainbows and the fertility and erections of the tribe's shamans.
Wollunqua
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Wollunqua (or Wollunka, Wollunkua) is a snake-god of rain and fertility, who emerged from a watering hole in the Murschison Mountains. He is said to be many miles long.
Wuluwaid
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Wuluwaid is a rain god.
ABORIGINAL GODDESSES
Anjea
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Anjea is a fertility goddess or spirit. People's souls reside within her inbetween their incarnations. She picks them up at their resting places in the sand, which are marked with twigs. The twigs are arranged in the ground so as to form a circle, and they are tied together at their tops, so that the resulting structure resembles a cone. The spirits are taken away for several years, but Anjea eventually creates new children from mud, and places them in the wombs of future mothers.
Birrahgnooloo
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Kamilaroi), Birrahgnooloo is a goddess of fertility who would send floods if properly asked. She is married to Baiame, with whom she is the mother of
Daramulum.
Dilga
In Australian aboriginal mythology (specifically: Karadjeri), Dilga is a goddess of fertility and growth, and the mother of the Bagadjimbiri. She avenged their deaths at the hands of Ngariman by drowning him in her milk.
Eingana
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Eingana is a creator goddess and the mother of all water, animals, and humans. She is a snake goddess of death who lives in the Dream time. She has no vagina; she simply grew in size and, unable to give birth to the life inside her, had the god Barraiya open a hole with a spear near her anus, so that labor could commence. Eingana holds a sinew that is attached to every living thing; if she lets go of one, the attached creature dies.
Gnowee
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Gnowee is a solar goddess who lived on Earth before there was a sun. People had to carry torches or other light sources to see. Gnowee's baby son wandered off while she was gathering yams, and she began searching for him, carrying a large torch. She continues to do so, and her torch is the sun.
Julunggul
In the Australian Aboriginal mythology of Arnhem Land, Julunggul is a rainbow snake goddess, who oversaw the maturing and initiation of boys into manhood. She was a fertility goddess, associated with rebirth and the weather.
Kunapipi
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Kunapipi is a mother goddess and the patron deity of many heroes. She gave birth to human beings as well as to most animals and plants.
Ungud
In Aboriginal mythology, Ungud is a snake god who is sometimes male and sometimes female. He is associated with rainbows and the fertility and erections of the tribe's shamans.
Wala (goddess)
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Wala is a sun goddess who lived with her sister, Bara, and her sister-in-law, Madalait. Bara accompanied her across the sun every day, but Wala realized she made the earth too hot and made her stop.
Wuriupranili
In Australian aboriginal mythology, Wuriupranili is a solar goddess who carries a torch that is the sun. At the ocean to the West, she douses the torch in water and uses the glowing embers to find her way beneath the Earth back to the East again. The colours of dawn and dusk come from the ochre body paints she wears.
Yhi
In Australian Aboriginal mythology (specifically: Karraur), Yhi is a goddess of light and creation, and a solar deity. She lived in the Dream time and slept until a whistle awakened her. When she opened her eyes, light fell on the Earth. She walked the earth and plants grew where she walked. Soon the whole world was covered with foliage. She decided that, in addition to plants, she wanted to make something that could dance. Searching for such an organism, Yhi found evil spirits beneath the earth who tried to sing her to death. But her warmth chased away the darkness and insects of all kinds were created from it. She brought them to Earth and then found some ice caves in a mountain. She shined her light on the being resting inside and fishes and lizards came out, along with many other kinds of birds, mammals and amphibians. She then returned to her own world and blessed her creations with the change of the seasons and promised that, when they died, they would join her in the sky. When she disappeared, darkness came back and covered the Earth. The organisms thought she was not returning and were sad, but then came the first sunrise and Yhi returned.
Much later, after many millennia of the Dream time, the animals missed Yhi and she decided return once to ask what was wrong. Kangaroo wanted to fly and Wombat wanted to wiggle on the ground, while Seal wanted to swim. Lizard wanted legs and Bat wanted wings, and the Platypus wanted something of everything. Yhi granted them what they wished. Yhi then returned to the sky and saw the Man, who had no woman and was unlike anything else she had created. While the man slept, Yhi turned all her power on a flower and soon, the man woke up and, joined by all the other animals, watched her. The flower then turned into a woman.
