Wagyl: Difference between revisions
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The Wagyl created many local landscape features between the [[Porongurup National Park|Porongarups]] and off the coast of [[Fremantle]].<ref name="swa18">{{cite web |url=https://www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/ |title=Spirituality: The Waugal or Great Serpent-like Dreamtime Spirit |date=2018 |website=South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref><ref name="slwa10">{{cite web |url=http://cms.slwa.wa.gov.au/swan_river/community_icon/waugal |title=Swan River Stories: The Waugal |date=2010-11-23 |website=State Library of Western Australia |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref> Indeed, Porongarup means 'spirit gathering place', from the [[Noongar language|Noongar]] {{lang-nys |Borong |lit=Spirit |label=none}}, {{lang-nys |Gar |lit=Gathering |label=none}} and {{lang-nys |Up |lit=Place |label=none}}. The Wagyl was delegated to protect the rivers, lakes, springs and the wildlife, and Wagyl [[sacred site]]s tend to be natural [[wikt:suntrap|sun-traps]], located beside bodies of water. The Noongar people were appointed by the Wagyl as the guardians of the land,<ref name="swa18" /><ref name="ber93">{{cite journal |last=Van den Berg |first=Rosemary |date=1993 |title=Changing Years |url=http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/litserv/SPAN/37/Rosemary.html |journal=Journal of the South Pacific Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies |volume=37 |editor1-first=Anne |editor1-last=Brewster |editor2-first=Marion |editor2-last=Campbell |editor3-first=Ann |editor3-last=McGuire |editor4-first=Kathryn |editor4-last=Trees |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref> and the Wagyl was seen by certain tribal elders who spoke to the dreamtime being. |
The Wagyl created many local landscape features between the [[Porongurup National Park|Porongarups]] and off the coast of [[Fremantle]].<ref name="swa18">{{cite web |url=https://www.noongarculture.org.au/spirituality/ |title=Spirituality: The Waugal or Great Serpent-like Dreamtime Spirit |date=2018 |website=South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref><ref name="slwa10">{{cite web |url=http://cms.slwa.wa.gov.au/swan_river/community_icon/waugal |title=Swan River Stories: The Waugal |date=2010-11-23 |website=State Library of Western Australia |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref> Indeed, Porongarup means 'spirit gathering place', from the [[Noongar language|Noongar]] {{lang-nys |Borong |lit=Spirit |label=none}}, {{lang-nys |Gar |lit=Gathering |label=none}} and {{lang-nys |Up |lit=Place |label=none}}. The Wagyl was delegated to protect the rivers, lakes, springs and the wildlife, and Wagyl [[sacred site]]s tend to be natural [[wikt:suntrap|sun-traps]], located beside bodies of water. The Noongar people were appointed by the Wagyl as the guardians of the land,<ref name="swa18" /><ref name="ber93">{{cite journal |last=Van den Berg |first=Rosemary |date=1993 |title=Changing Years |url=http://wwwmcc.murdoch.edu.au/ReadingRoom/litserv/SPAN/37/Rosemary.html |journal=Journal of the South Pacific Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies |volume=37 |editor1-first=Anne |editor1-last=Brewster |editor2-first=Marion |editor2-last=Campbell |editor3-first=Ann |editor3-last=McGuire |editor4-first=Kathryn |editor4-last=Trees |access-date=2018-12-06 }}</ref> and the Wagyl was seen by certain tribal elders who spoke to the dreamtime being. |
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The [[Darling Scarp]] is said to represent the body of the Wagyl, which meandered over the land creating the curves and contours of the hills and gullies. The being is strongly associated with rivers, lakes like [[Lake Monger, Western Australia|Lake Monger]], and is supposed still to reside deep beneath springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his track shaped the sand dunes, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, he created bays and lakes. Piles of rocks are said to be his droppings, and such sites are considered sacred. |
The [[Darling Scarp]] is said to represent the body of the Wagyl, which meandered over the land creating the curves and contours of the hills and gullies. The being is strongly associated with rivers, lakes like [[Lake Monger, Western Australia|Lake Monger]], and is supposed still to reside deep beneath springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his track shaped the sand dunes, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, he created bays and lakes. Piles of rocks are said to be his droppings, and such sites are considered sacred. As he moved, his scales scraped off and became the forests and woodlands of the region. |
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The Wagyl stories may represent the survival in [[oral history|oral tradition]] of extinct [[Australian megafauna]], as there was a [[Pythonidae|python]]-like snake, ''[[Wonambi naracoortensis]]'', with a length of {{convert|5|or|6|m|spell=on}}.<ref name="abc">{{cite web |
The Wagyl stories may represent the survival in [[oral history|oral tradition]] of extinct [[Australian megafauna]], as there was a [[Pythonidae|python]]-like snake, ''[[Wonambi naracoortensis]]'', with a length of {{convert|5|or|6|m|spell=on}}.<ref name="abc">{{cite web |
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In Noongar mythology, stories about the Wagyl varry among the 14 different Noongar groups. Some groups state that the Wagyl is the ruler of the [[Earth]] and [[sky]], and that it inhabits water sources. While others say it is simply the creator and maintainer of fresh water sources. In all Noongar groups, it is a central figure and responsible for giving life or sustenance for life to the people who are the custodians of its land.<ref name=":0" /> |
In Noongar mythology, stories about the Wagyl varry among the 14 different Noongar groups. Some groups state that the Wagyl is the ruler of the [[Earth]] and [[sky]], and that it inhabits water sources. While others say it is simply the creator and maintainer of fresh water sources. In all Noongar groups, it is a central figure and responsible for giving life or sustenance for life to the people who are the custodians of its land.<ref name=":0" /> |
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The Wagyl is responsible for shaping and creating the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan river]], creating the sharp bends at Belmont and Marylands, as well as the [[Canning River|Canning river]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australian |first=c=AU; o=Government of Western Australia; ou=Department of Culture and the Arts;ou=State Library of Western |title=The Waugul |url=https://webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au/swan_river/community_icon/waugal.html |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au |language=en}}</ref> When it reached the area around [[Fremantle]], it fought with a crocodile and used |
The Wagyl is responsible for shaping and creating the [[Swan River (Western Australia)|Swan river]], creating the sharp bends at Belmont and Marylands, as well as the [[Canning River|Canning river]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Australian |first=c=AU; o=Government of Western Australia; ou=Department of Culture and the Arts;ou=State Library of Western |title=The Waugul |url=https://webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au/swan_river/community_icon/waugal.html |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au |language=en}}</ref> When it reached the area around [[Fremantle]], it fought with a crocodile and used its tail to separate the salt and fresh water of the ocean and river from each other.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |date=4 June 2021 |title=Things will be a bit different this Sir Doug Nicholls Round |url=https://www.fremantlefc.com.au/news/951830/things-will-be-a-bit-different-this-sir-doug-nicholls-round}}</ref> The Wagyl is also said to have rested at the base of [[Mount Eliza (Western Australia)|Mount Eliza]] in Perth, which is seen as a sacred site.<ref name=":0" /> The Wagyl also has significant connection to the [[Vasse-Wonnerup Estuary|Busselton wetlands]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Aboriginal heritage assessment of ID:38904 (Busselton Wetlands) - WA DPLH - Citizen Space |url=https://consultation.dplh.wa.gov.au/heritage/busselton-wetlands/ |access-date=2023-07-28 |website=consultation.dplh.wa.gov.au}}</ref> |
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During a serious drought, Noongar elders ventured to the coast of the [[Indian Ocean]] to pray to the Wagyl to end the drought. The Wagyl then came out of the ocean and created the [[Peel-Harvey Estuarine System|Peel inlet]] where she gave birth to her young.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cloud House presentation for the World Architecture Festival Awards |url=https://www.neilcowniearchitect.com.au/cloud-house-presentation-world-architecture-festival-awards/}}</ref> After they matured, they went east from the inlet and formed the [[Serpentine River (Western Australia)|Serpentine]], [[Murray River (Western Australia)|Murray]] and [[Harvey River|Harvey rivers]]. However the Wagyl went out to look for her young and created [[Lake Clifton, Western Australia|Lake Clifton]] and Lake Preston. Thinking they went south, it ventured south and created the flat land around the [[Leschenault Estuary]] at [[Australind, Western Australia|Australind]]. Meanwhile, the young eventually starved and eventually dissolved into water and resupplied underground water reservoirs. This then ended the drought.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Joe |first=Walley |title=Indigenous Creation Story |url=https://mandurah.wa.gov.au/-/media/files/com/downloads/explore/museum/fact-sheets/indigenous-creation-story.pdf}}</ref> |
During a serious drought, Noongar elders ventured to the coast of the [[Indian Ocean]] to pray to the Wagyl to end the drought. The Wagyl then came out of the ocean and created the [[Peel-Harvey Estuarine System|Peel inlet]] where she gave birth to her young.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cloud House presentation for the World Architecture Festival Awards |url=https://www.neilcowniearchitect.com.au/cloud-house-presentation-world-architecture-festival-awards/}}</ref> After they matured, they went east from the inlet and formed the [[Serpentine River (Western Australia)|Serpentine]], [[Murray River (Western Australia)|Murray]] and [[Harvey River|Harvey rivers]]. However the Wagyl went out to look for her young and created [[Lake Clifton, Western Australia|Lake Clifton]] and Lake Preston. Thinking they went south, it ventured south and created the flat land around the [[Leschenault Estuary]] at [[Australind, Western Australia|Australind]]. Meanwhile, the young eventually starved and eventually dissolved into water and resupplied underground water reservoirs. This then ended the drought.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web |last=Joe |first=Walley |title=Indigenous Creation Story |url=https://mandurah.wa.gov.au/-/media/files/com/downloads/explore/museum/fact-sheets/indigenous-creation-story.pdf}}</ref> |
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==General references== |
==General references== |
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*{{Citation | author1=Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management | title=Sharing the dreaming : Nyoongar Aboriginal stories of the dreaming : the wagyl | publication-date=1998 | publisher=Dept. of Conservation & Land Management | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/161803740 | access-date=15 November 2012 }} |
*{{Citation | author1=Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management | title=Sharing the dreaming : Nyoongar Aboriginal stories of the dreaming : the wagyl | publication-date=1998 | publisher=Dept. of Conservation & Land Management | url=http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/161803740 | access-date=15 November 2012 }} |
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*Flannery, Tim |
*Flannery, Tim (2002) ''The Future Eaters: an Ecological History of the Australian Lands and People'' {{ISBN|0-8021-3943-4}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 04:28, 29 July 2023
 A track marker from the Bibbulmun Track featuring a symbol of the Wagyl | |
| Similar entities | Rainbow Serpent |
|---|---|
| Folklore | Australian Aboriginal |
| Other name(s) | Waugal, Waagal |
| Region | Southwest Western Australia |
The Wagyl (also written Waugal and Waagal and variants) is the Noongar manifestation of the Rainbow Serpent in Australian Aboriginal mythology, from the culture based around the south-west of Western Australia. The Noongar describe the Wagyl as a snakelike Dreaming creature responsible for the creation of the Swan and Canning rivers and other waterways and landforms around present day Perth and the south-west of Western Australia.
The Wagyl created many local landscape features between the Porongarups and off the coast of Fremantle.[1][2] Indeed, Porongarup means 'spirit gathering place', from the Noongar Borong, 'Spirit', Gar, 'Gathering' and Up, 'Place'. The Wagyl was delegated to protect the rivers, lakes, springs and the wildlife, and Wagyl sacred sites tend to be natural sun-traps, located beside bodies of water. The Noongar people were appointed by the Wagyl as the guardians of the land,[1][3] and the Wagyl was seen by certain tribal elders who spoke to the dreamtime being.
The Darling Scarp is said to represent the body of the Wagyl, which meandered over the land creating the curves and contours of the hills and gullies. The being is strongly associated with rivers, lakes like Lake Monger, and is supposed still to reside deep beneath springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his track shaped the sand dunes, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, he created bays and lakes. Piles of rocks are said to be his droppings, and such sites are considered sacred. As he moved, his scales scraped off and became the forests and woodlands of the region.
The Wagyl stories may represent the survival in oral tradition of extinct Australian megafauna, as there was a python-like snake, Wonambi naracoortensis, with a length of five or six metres (sixteen or twenty feet).[4]
Name
Due to the Noongar language having several dialects, the Wagyl is referred to by different groups by different names. Varrieties include Waugal, Waagal, Wargyl, Waakal, Waakle, Woggal, Wogal, Waagle, Warrgul and Warkal. In the Wiilman Noongar dialect, the Wagyl is called the Ngunnunguddy Gnuditj (hairy-faced snake).[5]
Mythology
In Noongar mythology, stories about the Wagyl varry among the 14 different Noongar groups. Some groups state that the Wagyl is the ruler of the Earth and sky, and that it inhabits water sources. While others say it is simply the creator and maintainer of fresh water sources. In all Noongar groups, it is a central figure and responsible for giving life or sustenance for life to the people who are the custodians of its land.[5]
The Wagyl is responsible for shaping and creating the Swan river, creating the sharp bends at Belmont and Marylands, as well as the Canning river.[6] When it reached the area around Fremantle, it fought with a crocodile and used its tail to separate the salt and fresh water of the ocean and river from each other.[7] The Wagyl is also said to have rested at the base of Mount Eliza in Perth, which is seen as a sacred site.[5] The Wagyl also has significant connection to the Busselton wetlands.[8]
During a serious drought, Noongar elders ventured to the coast of the Indian Ocean to pray to the Wagyl to end the drought. The Wagyl then came out of the ocean and created the Peel inlet where she gave birth to her young.[9] After they matured, they went east from the inlet and formed the Serpentine, Murray and Harvey rivers. However the Wagyl went out to look for her young and created Lake Clifton and Lake Preston. Thinking they went south, it ventured south and created the flat land around the Leschenault Estuary at Australind. Meanwhile, the young eventually starved and eventually dissolved into water and resupplied underground water reservoirs. This then ended the drought.[10]
Due to its deep association with the water, it is said that when the water is murky and dark the Wagyl was swimming and that one shouldn't swim in that water.[5]
Ballardong people
The Ballardong people also believes the Wagyl as the creator of the rivers, lakes and swamps around York, where it travelled along the Avon river to Guildford.[5]
Wiilman people
For the Wiilman people, the Wagyl travelled from the north to Collie, where it created hills and rivers along the way. It then went to Bunbury and Australind where it formed the Leschenault Estuary. It then came back to Collie via the Collie river to Minninup pool. He then gave to the Wiilman people law and language before the Wiilmans danced and sang for the Wagyl as a farewell. The Wagyl then went back to Minninup pool which is its resting place to the Wiilman people. They also believe that if its resting place is harmed, all the water in the world would dry up.[5]
Characteristics
The Wagyl is often characterised as being green and smokish grey in colour, while also blending into the ocean. It is also characterised as being either female or male.[10] Like the Rainbow serpent, it is depicted as a snake/serpent.
Influence on modern culture
One of the earliest description of the Wagyl by European settlers was by the Perth Gazette in 1836 which described it as a 'aquatic monster. The Wagyl is depicted in the 1982 play Kullark by Jack Davis.[5] The design of Matagarup brigde in Perth over the Swan river is sometimes interpreted as representing the Wagyl.[7][11]
See also
General references
- Western Australia. Dept. of Conservation and Land Management (1998), Sharing the dreaming : Nyoongar Aboriginal stories of the dreaming : the wagyl, Dept. of Conservation & Land Management, retrieved 15 November 2012
- Flannery, Tim (2002) The Future Eaters: an Ecological History of the Australian Lands and People ISBN 0-8021-3943-4
References
- ^ a b "Spirituality: The Waugal or Great Serpent-like Dreamtime Spirit". South West Aboriginal Land and Sea Council. 2018. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "Swan River Stories: The Waugal". State Library of Western Australia. 23 November 2010. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ Van den Berg, Rosemary (1993). Brewster, Anne; Campbell, Marion; McGuire, Ann; Trees, Kathryn (eds.). "Changing Years". Journal of the South Pacific Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies. 37. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ "The Age of the Megafauna: The Beasts". ABC Science Online. 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g Sandra, Harben. "NYUNGAR STORIES ABOUT THE WAAKAL" (PDF).
- ^ Australian, c=AU; o=Government of Western Australia; ou=Department of Culture and the Arts;ou=State Library of Western. "The Waugul". webarchive.slwa.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b "Things will be a bit different this Sir Doug Nicholls Round". 4 June 2021.
- ^ "Aboriginal heritage assessment of ID:38904 (Busselton Wetlands) - WA DPLH - Citizen Space". consultation.dplh.wa.gov.au. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
- ^ "Cloud House presentation for the World Architecture Festival Awards".
- ^ a b Joe, Walley. "Indigenous Creation Story" (PDF).
- ^ Rachel, Lees (28 July 2023). "This is the wildest 40 seconds you'll have in Perth". The Courier Mail.