Murrinh-Patha The Murrinh-Patha, or Murinbata, are an Aboriginal Australian people of the Northern Territory. Language Murrinh-Patha language, Murrinh-Patha is spoken by about 2500 people, and serves as a lingua franca for several other ethnic groups, such ...

mythology Myth is a folklore genre consisting of narratives that play a fundamental role in a society, such as foundational tales or origin myths. Since "myth" is widely used to imply that a story is not objectively true, the identification of a narrat ...

, Tjinimin is the ancestor of the

Australian people Australians, colloquially known as Aussies, are the citizens, nationals and individuals associated with the country of Australia. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or ethno-cultural. For most Australians, several (or all) ...

s. He is associated with the

bat Bats are mammals of the order Chiroptera.''cheir'', "hand" and πτερόν''pteron'', "wing". With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most bi ...

and with Kunmanggur the rainbow serpent. One story of Tjinimin tells of an argument between him and the Great Rainbow Serpent where Tjinimin wanted to have sex with Great Rainbow Serpent's consorts, the Green Parrot-Girls. Upon losing, Tjinimin hung upside down in a tree and admired the stars, vowing to never have sex again. Soon after, his nose falls off, supposedly explaining to the native culture why

s in the region have such short noses.

References

*Bats and Humanity. http://www.earthlife.net/mammals/bat-man.html Australian Aboriginal mythology Legendary progenitors {{Australia-myth-stub