Wati-kutjara

The "two men" who came from the mountains in the Dreamtime. They are lizard-men and the iguana is their totem (hence they are called Men Iguana). They made many cult-objects (tjurunga) and gave them to the people. On their travels they created trees, plants, physiographic features, and ceremonial objects. Ceremonies now depict events in these travels.

A particular myth tells of how the man in the moon (Kidili) attempted to rape the first woman. Wati-kutjara threw a magical boomerang which severed the rapist's genitals. The woman disappeared into the heavens and formed the constellation of the Pleiades.

The Men Iguana are known to the tribes of central-western Australia in the Great Western Desert.

References

Source

  • Leach, Maria, ed. (1984). Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend. New York: HarperCollins.