The Yara-ma-yha-who is a legendary vampiric monster found in Southeastern Australian Aboriginal mythology.[1][2] The legend is recounted by David Unaipon.[3] According to legend, the creature resembles a little red frog-like man with a very big head, a large mouth with no teeth and suckers on the ends of its hands and feet.[citation needed]
| Grouping | Legendary creature |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Vampire |
| Folklore | Australian Aboriginal |
| Country | Australia |
| Details | Fig trees |
The Yara-ma-yha-who is said to live in fig trees. Instead of hunting for food, it is described as waiting for an unsuspecting traveller to rest under the tree. The creature then drops down and uses its suckers to drain the victim's blood. After that, it swallows the person, drinks some water, and then takes a nap. When the Yara-ma-yha-who awakens, it regurgitates the victim, leaving them shorter than before. The victim's skin also has a reddish tint to it that it didn't have before. If this process is repeated, the victim becomes a Yara-ma-yha-who themselves.[1][4]
According to legend, the Yara-ma-yha-who is only active during the day and only targets living prey. "Playing dead" until sunset (it is said to only hunt during the day) is offered as a ploy to avoid attack.[citation needed] Stories of this creature were reportedly told to misbehaving children.[1][2]
The origin of this creature is believed to be the tarsier; it is probable the story was brought to Australia by Malay settlers.[5]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c W. Ramsay Smith (1932). Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals. Farrar & Rinehart. p. 342.2003 reprint
- ^ a b Slingerland, Edward; Collard, Mark (1 May 2011). Creating Consilience: Integrating the Sciences and the Humanities. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-979448-5.
- ^ Unaipon, David (2001). Legendary tales of the Australian aborigines. Carlton, Vic.: Melbourne University Press. ISBN 9780522849059.
- ^ Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Omnigraphics, Incorporated; 1999. ISBN 9781578590711
- ^ Heuvelmans, B. (1958) On the Track of Unknown Animals. Rupert Hart-Davis, London.
External links
edit- Yara-Ma-Yha-Who (2010) Short film on Vimeo
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