Wagyl: Difference between revisions
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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, and the rivers, lakes like [[Lake Monger, Western Australia|Lake Monger]] and springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, and 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 become the forests and woodlands of the region. |
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, and the rivers, lakes like [[Lake Monger, Western Australia|Lake Monger]] and springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, and 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 become the forests and woodlands of the region. |
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It is quite possible that the Wagyl stories represent the survival in [[oral history|oral tradition]] of the extinct [[Australian megafauna|megafauna]] of Australia, as there was a 5-6 metre long python (Scientifically called Wonambi naracoortensis), that was widely distributed in the southern states of the Australian mainland. |
It is quite possible that the Wagyl stories represent the survival in [[oral history|oral tradition]] of the extinct [[Australian megafauna|megafauna]] of Australia, as there was a 5-6 metre long [[python]] (Scientifically called [[Wonambi naracoortensis]]), that was widely distributed in the southern states of the Australian mainland. |
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==References== |
==References== |
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Revision as of 15:16, 17 February 2006
The Wagyl (alternative spelling Waugal or Waagal) is, according to Noongar culture, a snakelike Dreamtime 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
A superior being, the Rainbow Serpent created the universe and the people and delegated the Wagyl as a lesser, but nonetheless powerful deity, to create and protect the rivers, lakes, springs and the wildlife. The Noongar people were appointed as the guardians of the land by the Wagyl.[1]
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, and the rivers, lakes like Lake Monger and springs. As the Wagyl slithered over the land, his body scoured out the course of the rivers; where he occasionally stopped for a rest, and 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 become the forests and woodlands of the region.
It is quite possible that the Wagyl stories represent the survival in oral tradition of the extinct megafauna of Australia, as there was a 5-6 metre long python (Scientifically called Wonambi naracoortensis), that was widely distributed in the southern states of the Australian mainland.
References
- Van den Berg, Rosemary (1993), Changing Years Journal of the South Pacific Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies
- Wilkes, Richard. Societal value systems for water resources in Western Australia Water symposium
- http://www.west.com.au/maps&myths/
- Flannery, Tim (2002) The Future Eaters: an Ecological History of the Australian Lands and People ISBN: 0802139434