Eingana is a creator goddess in

Australian Aboriginal mythology Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality include ...

(specifically:

Jawoyn The Jawoyn, also written Djauan, are an Australian Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Bagala clan are of the Jawoyn people. Language Jawoyn, known as Kumertuo, is a non- Pama–Nyungan language that belongs ...

). Otherwise known as the "Dreamtime Snake", she is the mother of all water animals and humans. She is a snake goddess of death who lives in

the Dreaming The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal mythology. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by hi ...

. She has no

vagina In mammals and other animals, the vagina (: vaginas or vaginae) is the elastic, muscular sex organ, reproductive organ of the female genital tract. In humans, it extends from the vulval vestibule to the cervix (neck of the uterus). The #Vag ...

; she simply grew in size and, unable to give birth to the life inside her, had the god Barraiya open a hole with a spear near her

anus In mammals, invertebrates and most fish, the anus (: anuses or ani; from Latin, 'ring' or 'circle') is the external body orifice at the ''exit'' end of the digestive tract (bowel), i.e. the opposite end from the mouth. Its function is to facil ...

so that labour could commence. Eingana holds a

sinew A tendon or sinew is a tough band of dense fibrous connective tissue that connects muscle to bone. It sends the mechanical forces of muscle contraction to the skeletal system, while withstanding tension. Tendons, like ligaments, are made of ...

that is attached to every living thing; if she lets go of one, the attached creature dies.

Extract

Eingana made everything, Eingana had everything inside herself that first time, Eingana is a snake. She swallowed all the blackfellows. She took them inside herself, down under the water. Eingana came out. She was big with everything inside her. She came out of a big waterhole near Bamboo Creek. Eingana was rolling about, every way on the ground. She was groaning and calling out. She was making a big noise with all the blackfellows, everything inside her belly. No one can see Eingana. In the rain time, when the flood water comes, Eingana stands up out of the middle of the flood water. She looks out at the country, she lets go all the birds, snakes, animals, children belonging to us.

References

Australian Aboriginal goddesses Creator goddesses Death goddesses Snake goddesses Mother goddesses {{Deity-stub