Bunyip

Bunyip:  Legendary spirits or creatures from Australian aboriginal folklore, also known as Yaa-loo, Dongu, Kine Pratie, Wowee-wowee and many other localized names.

A variedly described monster, Bunyips are known for causing nocturnal terror by uttering horrible roaring cries and jumping out of water holes, rivers and creeks to attack and devour unwary animals and people that came to these places for a drink of water. Even though throughout the years many white settlers have reported to seen Bunyips, today most Australians consider the creature to be just an aboriginal myth.

According to folklore, these water creatures were involved in the great deluge. A group of men supposedly caught and imprisoned a small Bunyip, making its mother so angry she flooded the land until it covered everything. The humans that managed to escape were turned into black swans. (L)

Bunyip:  Australian aboriginal stories describe the bunyip as an evil spirit which dwells in creeks, swamps, and billabongs. The bunyip's loud bellowing cry terrifies the aborigines. They avoid water sources where they believe a bunyip might live. Some stories suggest the bunyip emerges at night principally to prey on women and children as well as animals.

Many white settlers also claimed encounters with the bunyip. While descriptions of the bunyip vary, most portray a creature with a hairy horse-like head and large body.

Aboriginal stories about the bunyip may reflect oral traditions of the diprotodon, a rhinosceros-sized herbivore. Diprotodon was the largest marsupial ever to have existed. Diprotodon is believed to have become extinct between fifteen and twenty thousand years ago. Memories of encounters between the aborigines and diprotodon might have been passed down through the centuries.

Modern encounters with the bunyip require a different explanation. One is that the diprotodon still exists. Another is that a large unknown animal is responsible for the sightings. A prosaic explanation is that sightings of Bunyips represent encounters with stray seals in inland waterholes and rivers. Another is that Bunyips are actually brigands or bums hiding in the outback.

The Bunyip features prominently in children's literature in Australia. The word "bunyip" has also taken on the meaning of "imposter" in Australian English.

See the Lake Monsters section of my cryptozoology links page for more sites offering information about the Bunyip. (1)

Resource List - all entries are taken verbatim from the original source:

(L) http://www.occultopedia.com

(1) http://www.pibburns.com/cryptost/bunyip.htm