Australian Aboriginal Mythology

The Dreaming Gods and Spirits of Oz

BUNYIP

Australian Aboriginal fabulous creature

Picture of the Australian Aboriginal fabulous creature Bunyip from our Australian Aboriginal mythology image library. Illustration by Chas Saunders.

Well-known Waterhole Bogeys of Oz Folklore

The average Bunyip of legend tends to eat anyone within reach, so there are very few eye-witnesses to report what it actually looks like.

By all accounts it is large and bulky — reported glimpses vary from big, black and blubbery to huge and hippo-like. There being no known hippos in Oz this must be treated as hypothetical.

The Bunyip also gulps down clothes, belongings, buckles, buttons and baggage, leaving no traces or even braces. But it can sometimes be heard, and its cry is harsh and horrible — all the warning you need that trespassers will be eaten.

Bunyip Facts and Figures

Name: Bunyip
Pronunciation: Coming soon
Alternative names:

Gender: Male
Type: fabulous creature
Celebration or Feast Day: Unknown at present

Role: Unknown at present

Good/Evil Rating: BAD, best avoided
Popularity index: 3832

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Article last revised on August 29, 2018 by Rowan Allen.
Editors: Peter J. Allen, Chas Saunders

References: Coming soon.

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