Australia
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Wulgaru
The Wulgaru is a creature from aboriginal Australian myth. The Wulgaru is an artificial humanoid creature created by a man named Djarapa. He took living wood from a tree and shaped it into human form, with ball sockets and joints made from stone and wood, shards of flint for teeth, human hair, and pebbles for eyes. Djarapa tried to bring his creation to life with magic chants but on the second day with no results he kicked the Wulgaru and walked away. He heard heavy footsteps following behind him and turned to see the Wulgaru in pursuit with an enraged expression. He ran but couldn’t escape. He tried leading his…
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Moorundi Water Spirit
The Moorundi Water Spirit is an unnamed creature from the myths of the Moorundi people of Australia by the Murray River. This bizarre creature is sometimes related to stories of the Bunyip. The creature is dreaded by the local people and appears frequently. Despite the frequency of its appearances, it was supposedly difficult to describe, with the closest comparison being to a giant starfish. The story of this creature was documented by a naturalist named George French Angas in 1847. Citations: Angas, George French. Savage Life and Scenes in Australia and New Zealand: Being an Artist’s Impressions of Countries and People at the Antipodes. United Kingdom, Reed, 1847. Journal of…
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Garkain
The Garkain is from Australian Aboriginal Myth. They are hairy, man-sized bat hominids with massive black wings and sharp teeth. They have been more recently described as humanoid bats with canine heads. They roost in trees and wait for traveling people to pass underneath who they then eat. They have a stench strong enough to make someone pass out. They live in inaccessible areas like caves but go to forests and swamps to hunt. Some of these creatures are believed to live around the area of the Liverpool River. They can be killed with normal weapons. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United…
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Eer-Moonan
The Eer-Moonan are bizarre creatures from the native people of Australia. They have the bodies of dogs, the feet of human women, and heads of spiny anteaters. They are known to use stealth to prey on humans. Citations: Bane, Theresa. Encyclopedia of Beasts and Monsters in Myth, Legend and Folklore. United States, McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers, 2016.
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Drop Bear/Pangkala
The Drop Bear is a goofy creature from Australian folklore. Stories of the Drop Bear have no clear origin and are generally accepted to be a joke targeted at tourists, since these are the Drop Bears main targets. Some describe Drop Bears as koala bears reaching anywhere from 3 to 8 feet in height with leathery backsides. They’re thought to have sharp claws and teeth, with estimates of incisors reaching 40 cm in length. They lurk in eucalyptus trees and drop down on victims. It’s thought no one has ever survived a Drop Bear attack, with victims sometimes having their neck broken from being landed on. They are sometimes thought…
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Dhakhan
The Dhakan is a creature from the myths of the Kabi people of Australia. They’re described as giant serpents with massive fishtails. They are thought to live in deep pools in mountains and plains. They travel from water hole to water hole in the form of rainbows. Citations: Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001.
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Childers Shapeless Alien
The Childers Shapeless Aliens were creatures sighted near Childers, Australia. They were sighted on January 14th, 1969 at 4:30 am. A man named George Vas and his wife and daughters woke up to a dog barking something sounding like a swarm of wasps. They traced the sound to a sombrero-shaped object glowing purple that was 25-30 yards in diameter. Three beings exited the UFO to gather sugar cane and other plants. These aliens glowed yellow and purple and were three times the size of a human with blocky arms and legs and a formless body. They descended in a slightly smaller craft of similar shape, and when they got close…
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Cheeroonear
The Cheeroonear are mythical creatures from Australian myth. They’re described as humanoid creatures with dog faces, heads, and ears. They have long arms with hands that trail along the ground as they walk. They have a dewlap extending from the bottom of the neck all the way to the wrinkles on the belly. They hunted humans in the Nullabor Plain. There was a drought and the Cheeroonear kept mankind from the water sources. One chugged so much water his stomach distended and he vomited up water and the skulls of several missing people. This Cheeroonear declared he would kill them and then left. The people returned to their village and…
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Bunyip
The Bunyip is a mythical creature from Australia. Their name comes from the Aboriginal word for “spirit.”They are often described as being the size of a calf. Often they are seen as immortal creatures. They live in calm, still waters and are docile when left alone, but incredibly dangerous and territorial. They have been described with several varied features including feathers, an otter body, flippers, walrus tusks, a long neck, a long pointed head, large ears that prick up when aware of someone’s presence, and a thick mane of hair. They have been described as having an awkward shambling style of movement with the front legs being larger than the…
