Australian Mythology

system known as Dreamtime, which dates back as far as

65,000 years.
Aboriginals believed Earth was created by spiritual beings who physically represented the land, sea, animals and people.
“Everything in the natural world is a symbolic footprint of the metaphysical beings whose actions created our world.”
Through practices such as storytelling, dance and art, Dreamtime provided the foundation for Aboriginal culture and spirituality.

attempts to catch the deceased's spirit.
Ku-ring-gai Chase-petroglyph, via Waratah Track,

depicting Baiame, the Creator God and Sky Father in the dreaming of several Aboriginal language groups.

as a form of storytelling.
With dots of paint traditionally

made from natural pigments, they create patterns and images of plants and animals that represent their culture's creation myths.

The Story of Dot Painting

in the 1980s.
By the late 1980s was adopted as a

cliché in New Age and feminist spirituality.
It appears in many non-Australian works including Marvel and DC Comics, British Doctor Who audio-dramas and European songs.

said to lurk in swamps or billabongs and eat people

from the shoreline.
It is said to be a reptilian marsupial hybrid, with sizes comparable to "a large dog", and displays of violent, territorial behavior.
Swamps and rivers are their preferred home.
Often "preferred" to attack women and children.