The Muldjewangk or Mulyawonk is a water-creature in

Ngarrindjeri The Ngarrindjeri people are the traditional Aboriginal Australian people of the lower Murray River, eastern Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of the southern-central area of the state of South Australia. The term ''Ngarrindjeri'' means "belo ...

mythology Myth is a genre of folklore consisting primarily of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society. For scholars, this is very different from the vernacular usage of the term "myth" that refers to a belief that is not true. Instead, the ...

that inhabited the

Murray River The Murray River (in South Australia: River Murray; Ngarrindjeri language, Ngarrindjeri: ''Millewa'', Yorta Yorta language, Yorta Yorta: ''Dhungala'' or ''Tongala'') is a river in Southeastern Australia. It is List of rivers of Australia, Aust ...

, particularly Lake Alexandrina.Fargher, John
Fleurieu Peninsula Swamps Aboriginal Values - Spirits and mythological creatures
Department for Environment and Water. Retrieved 17 June 2025. It was used as a deterrent for Aboriginal children who wished to play near the riverside after dark. Sometimes they are portrayed as evil

merfolk Merfolk, Mercreatures, Mermen or Merpeople are legendary water-dwelling, human-like beings. They are attested in folklore and mythology throughout the ages in various parts of the world. Merfolk, Merpeople, or simply Mer refers to humanoid creatur ...

, and other times as a gargantuan monster. Accounts are inconsistent as to whether there are many of the creatures, or a single "The Muldjewangk". A legend tells of a Muldjewangk who once attacked a

steamboat A steamboat is a boat that is marine propulsion, propelled primarily by marine steam engine, steam power, typically driving propellers or Paddle steamer, paddlewheels. The term ''steamboat'' is used to refer to small steam-powered vessels worki ...

owned by European settlers. The captain saw two great hands grasping the hull of the boat so he grabbed his gun. Aboriginal elders on board warned the captain not to shoot, but their pleas fell on deaf ears. The elders warned the captain that he would suffer as a result of his actions. Soon after, the captain broke out in weeping red

blister A blister is a small pocket of body fluid (lymph, serum, plasma, blood, or pus) within the upper layers of the skin, usually caused by forceful rubbing (friction), burning, freezing, chemical exposure or infection. Most blisters are filled ...

s over his body, and took six months to die. The Muldjewangk pesters Ngurunderi (see

) and his wives when they settle on the banks of Lake Alexandrina by wrecking their fishing nets. Large clumps of floating

seaweed Seaweed, or macroalgae, refers to thousands of species of macroscopic, multicellular, marine algae. The term includes some types of ''Rhodophyta'' (red), '' Phaeophyta'' (brown) and ''Chlorophyta'' (green) macroalgae. Seaweed species such as ...

are said to hide Muldjewangks and are to be avoided. Large footprints have also been seen. Some elders now say the Muldjewangks no longer inhabit the river system.

References

*Isaacs J (1980) ''Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History'', Lansdowne Press, Sydney, New South Wales, {{Aboriginal South Australians Australian Aboriginal legendary creatures Ngarrindjeri Murray River Mythological aquatic creatures Merfolk Water spirits

See also

References