Ngiṉṯaka (), also spelled Ngintaku, is a giant

perentie The perentie (''Varanus giganteus'') is the largest monitor lizard or goanna native to Australia. It is one of the largest living lizards on earth, after the Komodo dragon, Asian water monitor, crocodile monitor, and intersecting by size with ...

lizard Ancestral Being from

Aṉangu Aṉangu is the name used by members of several Aboriginal Australian groups, roughly approximate to the Western Desert cultural bloc, to describe themselves. The term, which embraces several distinct "tribes" or peoples, in particular the Ng ...

and Pitjantjatjara religion and mythology. It is associated with Angatja, an area along an important songline. Ngiṉṯaka is one of the two major reptile Ancestral Beings associated with Uluru, the other being Milpali.

Myth

Ngiṉṯaka's songline is known as ''Inma Ngiṉṯaka''. It tells of his journey of the creation of over 500 km via a song whose stanzas follow his travels through the land. In the songline, Ngiṉṯaka is presented with human characteristics. In the myth, Ngiṉṯaka travels from his home near the

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

border to the camp of another lizard tribe, near

Oodnadatta Oodnadatta is a small, remote outback town and locality in the Australian state of South Australia, located north-north-west of the state capital of Adelaide by road or direct, at an altitude of . The unsealed Oodnadatta Track, an outback roa ...

, in search of a better grindstone. He stole the Anangu grindstone and carried it home, chased by the Anangu people. In one spot along his journey, he digs up tjanmatjas (bush onions), creating large boulders. As he traveled, he created many landforms in the Musgrave and Mann Ranges, vomiting up many different kinds of grass seeds and vegetable food as he went.

Geography

According to mythology, Ngarutjaranya, the highest mountain in

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, is also Ngiṉṯaka as he rears up to look over the country. He is returning to his home in the west.

References

External links

MAKING TRACKS. Key issues about the heritage of Australian routes and journeys

Learning from the Land
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ngintaka Australian Aboriginal deities Creator deities Legendary reptiles