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Aboriginal Legends Names
It is important to remember that there were very many
different, and isolated, tribes in Australia in the long ago past; therefore
there are many gods/goddesses with the same function but different names, and
stories, according to each tribe. Dreamtime refers to the mythological past for
the aborigine peoples of Australia
Alinga
|
Sun
goddess |
Sphere
|
Sun |
Alignment
|
Scrupulous |
Bestowed Major Powers
|
Alter Physical
Structure Fire, Healing Touch |
Bestowed Minor
Powers |
Fire Expulsion, Thermal
Vision |
Apunga
|
Goddess of
small plants |
Sphere
|
Earth |
Alignment
|
Scrupulous |
Bestowed Major Powers
|
Terrakinesis, Animate I |
Bestowed Minor
Powers |
Plant Abilites, Adapt
to Environment |
Bunbulama
|
Goddess of
the rain |
Sphere
|
Air and water |
Alignment
|
Scrupulous |
Bestowed Major Powers
|
Celestialkinesis,
Hydrokinesis, Empathic |
Gidja
|
God of the
moon |
Sphere
|
Darkness |
Alignment
|
Anarchist |
Bestowed Major Powers
|
Alter Physical
Structure Shadow, Illusion |
Bestowed Minor
Powers |
Dreamwalk, Divination |
Yhi
|
The
goddess of light and creator goddess of the Karraur, an Australian
aboriginal group, she lay asleep in the Dreamtime before this world's
creation, in a world of bone-bare, windless mountains. Suddenly, a
whistle startled the goddess. She took a deep breath and opened her
eyes, flooding the world with light. The earth stirred under her warm
rays. Yhi drifted down to this new land, walking north, south, east,
west. As she did, plants sprang up from her footprints. She walked the
world's surface until she had stepped everywhere, until every inch was
covered with green. Then the goddess sat to rest on the treeless plain.
As she glanced around, she realized that the new plants could not move,
and she desired to see something dance. Seeking that dancing life, she
descended beneath the earth, where she found evil spirits who tried to
sing her to death. But they were not as powerful as Yhi. Her warmth
melted the darkness, and tiny forms began to move there. The forms
turned into butterflies and bees and insects that swarmed around her in
a dancing mass. She led them forth into the sunny world. But there were
still caves of ice, high in the mountains, in which other beings rested.
Yhi spread her light into them, one at a time. She stared into the
cave's black interiors until water formed. Then she saw something
move-something, and another thing, and another. Fishes and lizards swam
forth. Cave after cave she freed from its darkness, and birds and
animals poured forth onto the face of the earth. Soon the entire world
was dancing with life. Then, in her golden voice, Yhi spoke. She told
her creatures she would return to her own world. She blessed them with
changing seasons and with the knowledge that when they died they would
join her in the sky. Then, turning herself into a ball of light, she
sank below the horizon. As she disappeared, darkness fell upon on the
earth's surface. The new creatures were afraid. There was sorrow and
mourning, and finally there was sleep. And, soon, there was the first
dawn, for Yhi had never intended to abandon her creation. One by one the
sleepy creatures woke to see light breaking in the east. A bird chorus
greeted their mistress, and the lake and ocean waters that had been
rising in mists, trying to reach her, sank down calmly. For eons of
Dreamtime the animals lived in peace on Yhi's earth, but then a vague
sadness began to fill them. They ceased to delight in what they were.
She had planned never to return to earth, but she felt so sorry for her
creatures that she said, "Just once. Just this once." So she
slid down to the earth's surface and asked the creatures what was wrong.
Wombat wanted to wiggle along the ground. Kangaroo wanted to fly. Bat
wanted wings. Lizard wanted legs. Seal wanted to swim. And the confused
Platypus wanted something of every other animal. And so Yhi gave them
what they wanted. From the beautiful regular forms of the early creation
came the strange creatures that now walk the earth. Yhi then swept
herself up to the sky again. She had one other task yet to complete: the
creation of woman. She had already embodied thought in male form and set
him wandering the earth. But nothing - not the plants, not the insects,
not the birds or beasts or fish seemed like him. He was lonely. Yhi went
to him one morning as he slept near a grass tree. He slept fitfully,
full of strange dreams. As he emerged from his dreaming he saw the
flower stalk on the grass tree shining with sunlight. He was drawn to
the tree, as were all the earth's other creatures. Reverent and
astonished, they watched as the power of Yhi concentrated itself on the
flower stalk. The flower stalk began to move rhythmically, to breathe.
Then it changed form, softened, became a woman. Slowly emerging into the
light from which she was formed, the first woman gave her hand to the
first man |
Sphere
|
Life |
Alignment
|
Scrupulous |
Bestowed Major Powers
|
Healing Touch,
Immortal, Shape Change |
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