Nargun- Aboriginal Australian CreatureCreature · Monster"Stone Woman"
Description
Half woman, half stone, the Nargun dwells in a cave behind a waterfall on the Mitchell River in Gippsland. Spears and boomerangs bounce off her stone body and rebound upon the thrower. Those she snatches near the cave mouth are dragged into the darkness and never seen again.
Mythology & Lore
The Stone Creature
The Nargun dwells in a cave behind a waterfall on the Mitchell River, deep within the gorge where the river has cut through layers of ancient rock. Half woman and half stone, it has been there since the Dreamtime.
Its body is stone, and stone cannot be pierced. Spears and boomerangs thrown at the Nargun bounce off its hide and rebound upon the thrower. Fighting it is lethal to the attacker. It can only be avoided.
The creature snatches travellers who venture too close to the cave mouth, particularly women and children. Those seized are dragged into the depths. The roar of the waterfall masks any sound from within, and the dark, narrowing passage offers no escape. The Gunai people of Gippsland stay well clear, particularly after dark.
The Den
The Den of Nargun sits within the Mitchell River gorge. The rock shelter shows evidence of long Aboriginal occupation. Gunai women had particular associations with this place, and some accounts describe it as a women's sacred site, with the stone creature standing guard over it. The Nargun's female form and its vigilance over the cave are bound to women's business at the site.