Cheeroonear

The Cheeroonear are mythical creatures from Australian myth of the Spinifex people. They’re described as humanoid creatures with dog faces, heads, and ears. They stood eight feet tall with long arms ending in hands that trail along the ground as they walk. Some described them as so low that all they’d have to do is stretch their fingers to touch the ground. Most notably, they have a dewlap extending from the bottom of the neck to the wrinkles on the belly. Sometimes described as having no lower chin, with it instead merging into a massive sack like a pelican connecting to the stomach. The ribs didn’t join together in the middle, instead making essentially two chest cavities. The left chest had the lungs and the right chest had the heart and blood vessels.

In some versions, they were creatures that hunted humans in the Nullarbor Plain and kept mankind from water sources during a historic drought. The people returned to their village and sought help from the Wirinuns, or medicine men. When the pack of Cheeroonear appeared to get water, they were decapitated one by one with the boomerangs of the Wirinuns.

In another version, Cheeroonear was an individual with a wife and dogs. None had ever seen him, but he was known to be cunning and carried out raids against humans. Some would hear his harsh voice, and his dogs could be recognized as they barked louder and deeper than normal dingos. In the midsummer of the Nullarbor Plain, there was a massive heat wave for three days. All people and animals looked for shade from trees, rocks, and caves,  collectively agreeing to gather together in peace. One day, while standing in the shade, some saw something in the distance resembling a person. Initially, everyone thought it was one of the Winjarning brothers, so they stopped looking for the sake of courtesy since they were medicine men. Eventually, someone looked to greet them, saw the horrifying sight of Cheeroonear, and gathered everyone to see. They’d all heard of Cheeroonear and were terrified. He walked up to them and went to a hole filled with cool water. He removed the lid from the water hole and started gulping down water, which could be heard for miles. After chugging the water, His throat sack was filled with water and looked like a giant tube. He sniffed the air and noticed the massive number of people. He sniffed around in different directions, specifically North, South, East, and West, and then returned to drinking water. When he was done, the sack was fully inflated with water and more resembled a sphere. He went back towards the West where his home was, but after making it a short distance, he started puking up water and the human remains from his last meal. Among them were the heads and feet of infants that had been swallowed whole. After vomiting, he staggered back to the tree where all the people had run away. After he rested, he stood up and realized all the people were watching him from behind other trees and rocks, and this made him angry. When he had first come into being, he swore none would ever see him. It was decreed that if he was ever seen, then he would be killed. He yelled to the terrified people that he was going to send his hunting dogs to kill everyone but the children. His reason for sparing the children was so he could eat them when he was hungry again, after his wife cooked them. With his threat made, he ran back to his home in rage. The people confirmed the bones were of their people who had been taken, and confirmed the footprints matched those leading to and from camps where people had been taken. They then began planning about how they would deal with Cheeroonear’s return. Some suggested they flee to another country, but the others rejected that as it would leave the old and the enfeebled to die. One suggested they build a fortress to protect themselves, but the elders rejected that as well. They decided to enlist the help of the real Winjarning brothers to save them. They had just saved people who had been lost out at sea. Those sent out found them relaxing on a beach, cooking some fish they had caught. The brothers were kind in meeting them and even offered some of their fish. The representatives were dedicated and denied food and rest despite having nothing to eat for three days. Instead, they told the brothers about Cheeroonear and begged for help. They agreed to be there at midnight to save their people, and then also insisted the representatives eat since they’d completed their duty. After eating, they returned to their people with the good news. They arrived and were debriefed by the elders and came up with a plan. They instructed the elders to send 200 young men with flint axes to cut 20 bundles of brush scrub each. He told them to line up all these bundles to create a solid passageway only wide enough for one dog to move through it at a time. At dawn, Cheeroonear called for his dogs and sent them to kill everyone except the children, who they were to guard instead. The brothers stood at the farthest end of the path, with the other warriors armed just in case, while those who were weak stayed safely on the outside of the path. Six dogs came running one after another, each being decapitated and having their tails severed in response. In the end, there were six men holding dog tails, which was necessary for the brothers’ plan. These men held the tails and wagged them while hidden to make it look like the dogs were guarding the only ones left. Cheeroonear wondered why his dogs hadn’t returned, so he told his wife he was going to check on them and for her to do the same if he’s gone too long. The brothers prayed to the “Great Father,” asking him to instruct the god of dewdrops to send a fog to obscure Cheeroonear’s vision, and of course this happened right as Cheeroonear emerged from his wooded home. This fog was also commanded to make Cheeroonear breathe heavier. The children of the tribe climbed trees and cried in fear to make him think they had been captured. He saw the dog tails wagging at the bottom, and concluded his dogs needed assistance. As he reached the end of the path, both warrior brothers his him with their warrior boomerangs, one to the head and one to the knees. Cheeroonear fell to the ground, and all the warriors of the tribe emerged to beat the monster to death. The wife went to look for her husband and was also promptly killed. The rest of the tribe cut apart her body with flint knives and found. Inside, they found a living twelve-year-old boy who then ran away and became a devil that could turn into a snake, lizard, or bird. The only evidence remaining of Cheeroonear is supposed footprints that can be seen on rocks in the land of Ge Rill Ghillie.

Citations:

Beasts! A Pictorial Schedule of Traditional Hidden Creatures. United Kingdom, Fantagraphics Books, 2006.

Hammond, Paula. Fantastic Fearsome Beasts: Scary Monsters of Myths and Legends. United Kingdom, Amber Books Limited, 2015.

Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines. United Kingdom, Ravenio Books, 2015.

Rose, Carol. Giants Monsters and Dragons: An Encyclopedia Of Folklore Legend And Myth. United Kingdom, WW Norton, 2001.