Where you see a lot of Wandjinas they represent the laws of trees, rivers, rocks, bush fruit, animals and all of creation. The Wandjinas give the law on how we have to treat and use these creations. These customs are carried on today. The Wandjina spirits are highly respected by the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people who live at Mowanjum and up the Gibb River Road to Kalumburru in the North West Kimberley region of Western Australia.
The Wullamurrungge was created by the Wandjina. It’s special because the Wandjina left a gift inside: a skeleton that looks like the Wandjina and the Gyorn Gyorn (Bradshaw people). The law he gave to the people was that before a young boy could eat the turtle, it has to crawl on the back of the person who’s going to eat it. This then satisfies the Wandjina and you’re able to eat it. This Law is passed down from generation to generation. The Ungud (totem) snake is the one that made the rivers and holds Ngarboon (water). If they are disturbed then they will kill whoever disturbs them.
The Wandjina is the creator spirit that belongs to the Wororra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people. He is the one who created everything, gave us our culture, law and songs and even the dreaming of each child before they are born. The Dumbis belong to the Wandjina and nobody can make fun or kill them, because the Wandjina will send a big rainstorm just like in the flood story. The Ungud snake is the one that made the rivers and holds water. If they are disturbed then they will kill whoever disturbs them.
The Ungud Snake story is about two young boys who didn’t listen to their elders or believe in them. There is a big waterhole an in it lies a large Ungud Snake. The old people told the kids not to go near that waterhole, but these boys thought the elders were tricking them so they wanted to find out for themselves. So they went to the waterhole and built a hideout from branches with small holes so that they can see ( just in case the elders told the truth) they looked at the billabong and it was calm. They banged two sticks together to make clapping noise and then they saw all the lilypads starting to move apart on the water and large logs came up from out of the water, then came bubbles and after a huge head coming out of the water to have a look around for who had been making all the noise. He hadn’t seen annone so he went back down and the lilypads went flat and the water went calm. Those two boys ran back to the camp and told the elders that they were right , there was a snake and the elders told them that they should have listened in the first place. The Ungud Snake also was the chosen animal in helping with the creation of mother earth, creating rivers, gorges, stream’s and helped with the formation of the earth. Still today it lives in these dark deep water hole’s in our country which doesn’t want to be disturbed.
The Wullamurrungge was created by the Wandjina. It’s special because the Wandjina left a gift inside: a skeleton that looks like the Wandjina and the Gyorn Gyorn (Bradshaw people). The law he gave to the people was that before a young boy could eat the turtle, it has to crawl on the back of the person who’s going to eat it. This then satisfies the Wandjina and you’re able to eat it. This Law is passed down from generation to generation. The Ungud (totem) snake is the one that made the rivers and holds Ngarboon (water). If they are disturbed then they will kill whoever disturbs them.
The Wandjina is the creator spirit that belongs to us (the Wororra, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people). He is the one that created everything, he also gave us our culture, law and songs and even the dreaming of each child before they are born.
The Ungud Snake story is about two young boys who didn’t listen to their elders or believe in them. There is a big waterhole an in it lies a large Ungud Snake. The old people told the kids not to go near that waterhole, but these boys thought the elders were tricking them so they wanted to find out for themselves. So they went to the waterhole and built a hideout from branches with small holes so that they can see ( just in case the elders told the truth) they looked at the billabong and it was calm. They banged two sticks together to make clapping noise and then they saw all the lilypads starting to move apart on the water and large logs came up from out of the water, then came bubbles and after a huge head coming out of the water to have a look around for who had been making all the noise. He hadn’t seen annone so he went back down and the lilypads went flat and the water went calm. Those two boys ran back to the camp and told the elders that they were right , there was a snake and the elders told them that they should have listened in the first place. The Ungud Snake also was the chosen animal in helping with the creation of mother earth, creating rivers, gorges, stream’s and helped with the formation of the earth. Still today it lives in these dark deep water hole’s in our country which doesn’t want to be disturbed.
The Wandjina spirits are highly respected by the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wunumbul people who live at Mowanjum and up the Gibb River Road to Kalumburru in the North West Kimberley region of Western Australia. The Wandjina gave the Law, Culture and Language to the people to abide by. These customs are carried on today. The Unguds represent the dreaming of the people which the Wandjina has given. The Ungud is given before birth to the parents, grandparents aunts or uncles of a child, through dreams, or it may come as a living animal.This is considered as a gift from the Wandjina to the parent, the animal becomes a gift to the unborn child which the child belongs to. Now when the child dies it goes back to being that animal. Today each and every individual has their own animal that belongs to them.
These woolamarra are having a rough time because their waterhole has dried up. The woolamarra have sung out to the Wandjina to help them find a new waterhole. Two Wandjinas, Datbudder and Djangunardi, have come to show the turtles how to get to the new waterhole.
These land Wandjina are waking up and looking out. That’s how they get together: they have a meeting, get together, set the rules and law down. Wurdoo, it is bringing us out to carry it on. It’s their law we are doing that today with our children. In the story, they’re coming out, I always see them when I come out to this country, I feel it. They are very strong, they speak to me in their way. They are very spiritual Wandjinas. What I’m painting is what I’m feeling inside, it’s strong. They’re from Freshwater Cove, coming up from Cone Bay: my granny’s and grandfather’s country. I felt them when I went to Freshwater Cove. They are real In me. They learn all the law. Today we are teaching the children, they grow up and keep the same law. When you’re in town, out of respect you can’t go into another person’s home. In that same way we’ve got to respect the law.