In
Gamilaraay mythology, Wurrunna (also Wurrunnah) is a
culture hero
A culture hero is a mythological hero specific to some group ( cultural, ethnic, religious, etc.) who changes the world through invention or discovery. Although many culture heroes help with the creation of the world, most culture heroes are imp ...
.
The
Dreamtime story of the
black swan
The black swan (''Cygnus atratus'') is a large waterbird, a species of swan which breeds mainly in the southeast and southwest regions of Australia. Within Australia, the black swan is nomadic, with erratic migration patterns dependent upon c ...
s tells how two brothers were turned into white swans so they could help an attack party during a raid for weapons. Wurrunna used a large ''gubbera'', or crystal stone, to transform the men. After the raid,
eaglehawks attacked the white swans and tore feathers from the birds. Crows who were enemies of the eaglehawks came to the aid of the brothers and gave the black swans their own black feathers. The black swan's red beak is said to be the blood of the attacked brothers, which stayed there forever.
References
Legendary Australian people
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