#australian folklore

[briefbestiary]

A monster with such inconsistent descriptions, this particular illustration vaguely based on the Challicum Bunyip with some mixed bunyip features. Bunyips make various freshwater regions, such as billabongs, rivers, swamps, and more their home.

[troubleinmind]

The Swagman and the Billabong Acrylic on Canvas 122x106cm

[dancflorhardkor]

Creatuanary 2025 Day 14: Bunyip

[aquatic-indie-gal]

Inktober 2024 Day 3: Drop Bear

A Hoax Creature of a Scarier Carnivorous Version of a Koala from Australian Folklore.

Drop Bears are Modern Folk Creatures told in Tall Tales to scare Tourists, being that unlike Koalas, these Monstrous Version of the Said Animal are Bloody-Thirsty as they prey on their Victims (most likely Humans or any other Prey) for when they pass by, it's when they usually drop down to eat their own Flesh from above their own Heads.

Drop Bear (c) Australian Folklore

[thealiviajane]

Felt like doing my interpretation of the oozlum bird and it turns out that I drew it as dumb looking pheasant, kinda funny lol

Why yes this is the bird that flew into its ass LMFAO

[bethanythebogwitch]

Australian fakemon: regional variants

Another post in my series of fakemon for the Goorda region based on Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand (but mostly the former). This time I'm showcasing three regional variant lines. Previous posts: birds, early game standards, misc, misc, starter variants, starters.

First off is Goordan Tangela, the Seaweed Pokemon, grass/water type. The Tangela in Goorda moved into the water and replaced their vines with seaweed. They are predators that use their feet to cling to rocks at the bottom of rivers and extend several strands of seaweed upward. Anything that touches the seaweed will be wrapped up and dragged down. Children in the Goorda region are warned to avoid patches of seaweed while swimming.

Goordan Tangela evolves to Muldrowk, the Seaweed Pokemon, grass/water type. Now capable of swimming and having adapted its feet into hands, Muldrowk has become the apex predator of Goorda's rivers, enough to even force Sarviyip (see starter variants post) out of their territory. Boaters in Goorda are taught to avoid seaweed patches as a Muldrowk can easily drag a small boat to its doom. Nobody knows what is beneath its seaweed pelt, but anything pulled in is never seen again.

Goordan Tangela and (especially) Muldrowk are based on two mythical creatures of Australian aboriginal folklore: the muldjewangk of the Ngarrindjeri people and the yawkyawk of the Kunwinjku people. These are creatures said to lurk in the river and are sometimes described as mermaids or mermen with seaweed for hair. The muldjewangk is viewed as a more malevolent creature that attacks boats and lure children into the water while the yawkyawk has various magical powers and can be benevolent or malevolent depending on its mood. Muldrowk has a mermaid-like shape and both members of the line are seaweed-covered dangerous creatures that live in the river. Muldrowk's name combines "muldjewangk", "yawkyawk", and "drown".

Next is Goordan Ekans, the Snake Pokemon, ice/poison type. The Ekans in Goorda live high in the mountains where they had to adapt to the cold conditions. In order to move between peaks and over crags, they coil their bodies up and bounce like springs. They are actually faster when bouncing then slithering. The venom of a Goordan Ekans inflicts frostbite.

Goordan Ekans evolves to Soroboruo, the Snake Pokemon, ice/poison type. Soroboruo chases prey in the mountains by biting its tail and rolling downhill like a wheel at extremely high speeds. Sometimes they roll all the way down into the lowlands and have to make their way back up the mountain. The scales on its back have grown extremely thick for protection when rolling, which also increases their defense. A Soroboruo biting its tail has been used as a symbol of cycles or infinity.

Goordan Ekans and Soroboruo are based on taipans, venomous snakes found in Australia and New Guinea. The zig-zag patterns on them come from patters found on some species of taipan. Soroboruo is based on the hoop snake, a folklore creature first invented in North America, but which has spread to other places, Australia included. hoop snakes are snakes that bite their tails and roll around like wheels to chase prey. The symbol of a snake biting its tail is called an ouroboros and is used to symbolize cycles, infinity, and some other stuff. In keeping with the Ekans line's naming scheme, Soroboruo is "ouroboros" spelled backwards.

The last line for today starts with Goordan Carvanha, the Sand Fish Pokemon, steel/ground type. Millions of years ago, the desert of Goorda was covered with a shallow sea. When the land rose and the water receded, the local Carvanha adapted to swim through sand and soil like water and became powerful desert predators that attack from below in swarms. They incorporate iron from the sand into their teeth and fins to better move through the sand and attack prey.

Goordan Carvanha evolves to Goordan Sharpedo. Its snout has adapted into a giant drill that lets it rocket through the earth at incredibly high speeds. It is a powerful lone predator that will attack anything that crosses the desert and can sense vibrations from far away. Pokemon attacked by Goordan Carvanha can hide on rocks for safety, but Sharpedo's drill can crush through rocks with ease. Short of flying, there is no escape from a hunting Sharpedo.

There's nothing deep in the inspiration for these two. It's just "what if piranha/shark, but on land?" The idea of sand sharks is certainly not unique to me. The idea of a piece of land having once been covered by a shallow sea came from the fact that a large portion of North America, much of which is now desert, was once covered by a shallow sea called the western interior seaway.

[insomnia-and-caffeine]

(POST COLONIAL) Australian mythology? We don't have a tonne of it. But we do have this weird looking thing!! According to Indigenous Australian folklore, these odd creatures, known as 'bunyips', are said to live in billabongs, lakes, watering holes and riverbeds (and at least 50% of Australian children's bookshelves). The term bunyip was first used to describe a 'large animal that looked like a seal, with a terrible voice...', and there have been various "sightings" since the early 1800s.

Some people theorise that the origin of this myth may have been the seals that occasionally made their way up the Murray and Darling rivers. Others believe that the bunyip is an exaggerated form of the prehistoric animals to inhabit Australia, the skeletons of which can be found in QLD and NSW caves (the exact locations are not available to the public). Aboriginal Australians may have had contact with the fossils of these extinct creatures, and some even with the creatures themselves, which would be labelled as 'bunyips'.

This sketch was done in 1935 by Gerald Markham Lewis - sorry about the questionable quality.

[dailycryptodrawings]

776: Bunyip (Wolverine)

The suits didn’t run large enough :c

Requested by: olliedinsmore

Black Swamp Village