March 2025

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Wandjina, Wullamurrungge & Ungud (cloud and rain spirit, long neck turtle & snake god)

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.

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Wandjina, Wullamurrungge & Ungud (cloud and rain spirit, long neck turtle & snake god)

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.

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Unguds (Child Dreaming);-

The Wandjina is highly respected by the people because it gave the law, culture and language. 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. When the child dies it goes back to being that animal. Today every individual has their own animal that belongs to them.

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Wullamurrunge & Wandjina (longneck turtle & cloud and rain spirits)

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. 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.

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Wandjina, Dumbi & Gyorn Gyorn (cloud and rain spirit, barn owl & Bradshaws)

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. Where you see a lot of Wandjinas they represent the laws of tree, rivers, rocks, bush fruit and animals, all creation. These customs are carried on today. The Dumbi resides in Ngarinyin country. A boy and a girl teased him and plucked out his feathers. He then flew to the Wandjina Wodjin who said he would create a large flood to punish the tribe from where the boy and girl came. At a place called Wanalirri, the Wandjina gathered a large flock of brolgas which stomped on a huge black soil plain to create quicksand. The flood came and drowned many people; those who tried to escape were lost in the quicksand. The boy and girl were safe because they were on high ground, they were taken there by a kangaroo, and they travelled on the kangaroo’s tail. A Tata lizard called Gunarda warned the Wandjina that the boy and the girl had escaped. The rains and lightening started to chase the boy and girl and they ran to a hollowed out boab tree. Once they were in the tree, the Wandjina closed it up and they were lost for ever. In another version of the story the boy and girl survive the flood and mate to produce a new tribe.The Wandjina he created the Earth and all life upon it. After he created the first human beings, the Gyorn Gyorn people. The Wandjina then told the Gyorn Gyorn to work the land and do well. The Gyorn Gyorns were confused and didn’t understand what the Wandjina wanted from them. The Wandjina was annoyed that he couldn’t control the Gyorn Gyorn. He travelled back to Wallungunda (Milky Way) to where Idjair (first Wanjina) was and asked if he could help with the creation. More Wandjinas came back and helped him in all areas in creations. As for the Gyorn Gyorns they became hunters and gathers. They also show traditional dancing amongst our tribes.

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Wandjina, Ungud & Wali (cloud and rain spirit, totem & sea turtle)

The Wandjina spirits are highly respected by the Worrora, Ngarinyin and Wanumbul people who live at Mowanjum and up the Gibb River Road to Kalumburru in the Northwest Kimberley of Australia. The Wandjina gave the law and the culture to the people to abide by, these customs are still carried on today. The Ungud helped the Wandjina in creation of the land, creating rivers, lakes, gorges, waterholes & billabongs. The Wali are our food source that our ancestors have hunted for thousands of years.

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Wanalirri (cloud and rain spirit- Ngarinyin)

Wanalirri is the main Wandjina for Ngarinyin people. His sites are up the Gibb River Road. Dumbi is a barn owl which resides in Ngarinyin country. A boy and a girl teased Dumbi and plucked out his feathers. He theni flew to the Wandjina Wodjin who said he would create a large flood to punish the tribe from where the boy and girl came. At a place called Wanalirri, the Wandjina gathered a large flock of brolgas which stomped on a huge black soil plain to create quicksand. The flood came and drowned many people. Those who tried to escape were lost in the quicksand. The boy and girl were safe because they were on high ground. They were taken there by a kangaroo, and they traveled on its tail.

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Wandjina & Wullamurrange (cloud and rain spirit & longneck turtle)

The Wullamurrungge was created by the Wandjina. It’s special because the Wandjina left a gift inside of the Wullamurra in the form of a skeleton that looks like the Wandjina and the Gyorn Gyorn. The law goes that before you can take and 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.

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Wandjinas and Djalala- Edna Dales

These elegant Wandjinas are from Bell Gorge / Imintji (230km’s from Derby up the Gibb River Road). The circles that the Wandjina’s are rising from are Djalala – stones that mark geographical boundaries, burial or sacred sites.

These stones mark sacred places where the Wandjinas created dreaming sites. Edna says that these sites are reminders of the laws and ceremonies that the Wandjina’s created for the Ngarinyin people. She also explains that “these laws and ceremonies ensure that we have a good life – healthy children, shelter, ceremony and food.”

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Gyorn Gyorn (Bradshaws)

The Wandjina created the earth and all life upon it, then he created the first human beings: the Gyorn Gyorn people. He then told them to work the land and do well. The Gyorn Gyorns were confused and didn’t understand what the Wandjina wanted from them. The Wandjina was annoyed couldn’t control the Gyorn Gyorn so he travelled back to Wallungunda (Milky Way) to where Idjair was and asked if he could help with the creation. More Wandjinas came back and helped him in all areas of creation. The Gyorn Gyorns became hunters and gathers. They also show the traditional dancing amongst our tribes.