Nargun
Encyclopedia
According to Gunai/Kurnai
tribal legends, the Nargun is a fierce half-human half-stone female creature that lived in the Den of Nargun, a cave under a rock overhang behind a small waterfall in the Mitchell River National Park, Victoria
, Australia. Aboriginal
legend describes the Nargun as a beast that was all stone except for its hands, arms and breast. The fierce creature would drag unwary travellers into its den, and any weapon directed against it would be turned back on its owner.
about one kilometre upstream from where the creek joins the river. The existence of the cave was first recorded by Alfred Howitt
. After heavy rainfall, the opening of the cave may be hidden by a waterfall, which has excavated a pool at its base. The den was once rimmed with stalactites, but unfortunately these have been broken off as souvenirs by visitors over the years. Smaller stalactites may still exist inside the cave.
The area is a site of Aboriginal historical importance, and is located on the Batuluk Aboriginal Cultural Trail. Stories were told around aboriginal campfires about how the Nargun would abduct children who visited the rockpool. It was said the Nargun could not be harmed with boomerangs or spears, as they would be reflected back to the thrower. These stories served the dual purpose of a cautionary tale to keep children close to the campsite, and away from the sacred cave. The Den of Nargun was considered a special place for women of the Gunai tribe, and in reality was used for women's initiation and learning ceremonies rather than being the lair of any predator.
A similar, though less well known site, called Deadcock Den is situated on Woolshed Creek downstream from the Den of Nargun, only about 200m from where it joins the Mitchell River. This site was also of great cultural significance to the Gunai people, women in particular.
Gunai
The Gunai or Kurnai is an Indigenous Australian nation of south-east Australia whose territory occupied most of present-day Gippsland and much of the southern slopes of the Victorian Alps. The nation was not on friendly terms with the neighbouring Wurundjeri and Bunurong nations...
tribal legends, the Nargun is a fierce half-human half-stone female creature that lived in the Den of Nargun, a cave under a rock overhang behind a small waterfall in the Mitchell River National Park, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia. Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
legend describes the Nargun as a beast that was all stone except for its hands, arms and breast. The fierce creature would drag unwary travellers into its den, and any weapon directed against it would be turned back on its owner.
Den of Nargun
The cave where the Nargun lived, called the Den of Nargun, is found on Woolshed Creek, a small tributary of the Mitchell RiverMitchell River (Victoria)
The Mitchell River is the largest unregulated river in Victoria, Australia and provides a unique example of riparian ecology. Tributaries include the Crooked, Dargo, Wentworth, Wonnangatta, and Wongungarra Rivers, which are surrounded by dense native forest on the steep mountains of the Victorian...
about one kilometre upstream from where the creek joins the river. The existence of the cave was first recorded by Alfred Howitt
Alfred William Howitt
Alfred William Howitt was an Australian anthropologist and naturalist.-Background:Howitt was born in Nottingham, England, the son of authors William Howitt and Mary Botham. He came to the Victorian gold fields in 1852 with his father and brother to visit his uncle, Godfrey Howitt...
. After heavy rainfall, the opening of the cave may be hidden by a waterfall, which has excavated a pool at its base. The den was once rimmed with stalactites, but unfortunately these have been broken off as souvenirs by visitors over the years. Smaller stalactites may still exist inside the cave.
The area is a site of Aboriginal historical importance, and is located on the Batuluk Aboriginal Cultural Trail. Stories were told around aboriginal campfires about how the Nargun would abduct children who visited the rockpool. It was said the Nargun could not be harmed with boomerangs or spears, as they would be reflected back to the thrower. These stories served the dual purpose of a cautionary tale to keep children close to the campsite, and away from the sacred cave. The Den of Nargun was considered a special place for women of the Gunai tribe, and in reality was used for women's initiation and learning ceremonies rather than being the lair of any predator.
A similar, though less well known site, called Deadcock Den is situated on Woolshed Creek downstream from the Den of Nargun, only about 200m from where it joins the Mitchell River. This site was also of great cultural significance to the Gunai people, women in particular.
Literary Mentions
- In 1974 Australian author Patricia WrightsonPatricia WrightsonPatricia Wrightson was an Australian author who wrote a number of highly regarded and influential children's books. Her reputation came to rest largely on her magic realist titles. Her books, including the widely praised The Nargun and The Stars , were among the first Australian books for children...
wrote an award winning children's novel called The Nargun and the StarsThe Nargun and The StarsThe Nargun and The Stars is a children's fantasy novel set in Australia, written by Patricia Wrightson. It was among the first Australian books for children to draw on Australian Aboriginal mythology...
, which was later made into a television series. The plot involved a modern day boy coming to live in a remote Australian valley where he discovers a variety of ancient creatures from the Aboriginal Dreaming. In this story, the Nargun is an indestructible stone being that slowly moves through the valley destroying all in its path. A later Patricia Wrightson story, The Ice Is Coming, suggested there were multiple Narguns. - The cave was featured in the book Providence Ponds, written by Stanley PorteusStanley PorteusProf. Stanley David Porteus was a psychologist, academic and author.Stanley Porteus was born in 1883 at Box Hill, Victoria, Australia, a suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, where he went to school...
in 1950. - Angus McMillanAngus McMillanAngus McMillan , was an explorer and pioneer pastoralist in Gippsland, Victoria, Australia. He is also known for being an instigator of many of the massacres against the Aboriginal peoples in the Gippsland region.-Early life:...
featured the Den of Nargun in his book Lindigo (1866). - The Nargun plays a role in Sonya HartnettSonya HartnettSonya Hartnett is an Australian author.Hartnett writes fiction variously for children, young adults and adults and has won numerous prizes and awards, having been described as "the finest Australian writer of her generation". She wrote her first novel, Trouble All the Way, at the age of thirteen...
's novel The Ghost's Child (2008).