Garkain
| Grouping | Legendary creature |
|---|---|
| Folklore | Australian Aboriginal mythology |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Northern Territory |
| Details | Found in the jungle |
Garkain is a legendary creature in Australian Aboriginal mythology [which?] said to haunt the dense jungle along the Liverpool River in the Northern Territory, Australia. Should an unwary traveller enter his domain, Garkain swoops down from the trees on his leathery wings and envelops them. It is a story parents tell to their children to tell them to not use physical violence as a way to solve problems.[1]
After suffocating his victim with his foul stench, Garkain eats their flesh, leaving the intruder’s spirit to forever wander the vast jungle in search of their final resting place.
The 1971 book The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by artist Ainslie Roberts and anthropologist Charles P. Mountford contains the Aboriginal legend Garkain the Recluse.[1] In 1957 Mountford donated a eucalyptus bark painting of Garkain (1948 or 1949) from the Gunbalanya Aboriginal community in western Arnhem Land to the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide.[2]
In popular culture
- The 1990 novel Blood Wings by Stephen Gresham features Garkain haunting a small community on the edge of the Florida Everglades.[3]
- Garkain features in the Penumbra role-playing game from Atlas Games.[4]
- The Witcher video game series from CD Projekt Red features garkains as a type of vampire.
Garkain appears in several short stories including:
See also
- Drop bear, a fictitious Australian mammal
- List of vampires in folklore and mythology
References
- ^ a b Roberts, Ainslie; Mountford, Charles P. (1971). The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings. Adelaide: Rigby. pp. 22–3.
- ^ "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collection". Art Gallery of South Australia. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- ^ Gresham, Stephen (1 February 1990). Blood Wings. New York: Zebra Books.
- ^ Nephew, Michelle; Ferguson, Timothy. "Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary - Garkain" (PDF). Atlas Games. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Henderson, Samantha. "Garkain". Fantasy Magazine (2005). Fantasy Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- ^ Brandt, Karl. "Garkain". Tales to Terrify. Retrieved 12 July 2023.