The Yara-ma-yha-who is a

legendary creature A legendary creature (also mythical or mythological creature) is a type of fictional entity, typically a hybrid, that has not been proven and that is described in folklore (including myths and legends), but may be featured in historical accoun ...

found in

Australian Aboriginal mythology Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality includes ...

. The legend is recounted by

David Unaipon David Ngunaitponi (28 September 1872 – 7 February 1967), known as David Unaipon, was an Aboriginal Australian man of the Ngarrindjeri people. He was a preacher, inventor and author. Unaipon's contribution to Australian society helped to bre ...

. 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. The Yara-ma-yha-who is said to live in

fig trees ''Ficus'' ( or ) is a genus of about 850 species of woody trees, shrubs, vines, epiphytes and hemiepiphytes in the family Moraceae. Collectively known as fig trees or figs, they are native throughout the tropics with a few species exten ...

. 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.2003 reprint
/ref>Melton, J. Gordon. The Vampire Book: The Encyclopedia of the Undead. Omnigraphics, Incorporated; 1999. It repeats this process several times. At length, the victim is transformed into a Yara-ma-yha-who themselves. 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. Stories of this creature were reportedly told to misbehaving children.

References

External links

Yara-Ma-Yha-Who
(2010) Short film on

Vimeo Vimeo, Inc. () is an American video hosting, sharing, and services platform provider headquartered in New York City. Vimeo focuses on the delivery of high-definition video across a range of devices. Vimeo's business model is through software as ...

Australian Aboriginal legendary creatures Australian Aboriginal words and phrases Mythological monsters Vampires Mythic humanoids Mythological hematophages Fictional frogs {{Australia-myth-stub

See also

References

External links