Lightning Man

Namarrgon (top right) and his wife Barrginj (left, in the middle of the rock). Namondjok is the big figure

Lightning Man , also Namarrgon called, is a spiritual figure from the Dreamtime of the Aborigines , on phenomena in nature and the rainy weather in Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory in Australia going back. The rainy and storm season starts there in late October each year. The Lightning Man is documented in Kakadu National Park as a rock painting on the Nourlangie rock . The rock area is called Lightning Dreamtiming .

The Lightning Man is responsible for the lightning storms that hit Arnhem Land with heavy rain. The figure comes to Australia across the ocean. The Lightning Man wields an ax, and his elbows and knees are the lightning bolts of thunder that pierce the clouds. Namarrgon has a family. His wife is called Barrinj and is the mother of the orange and blue grasshoppers ( Petasida ephippigera ), who come to Arnhem Land during the storm and rainy season to check on their father.

The dream time story, like all these ideas, is passed down orally, so there are variations. For example, the Lightning Man is said to have the ax on his shoulders and knees and use it to split the trees.

The Lightning Man , like his family, is pictorially depicted in X-ray style in white color.

Web links

• Figure of the Lightning Man in Kakadu National Park

Individual evidence

1. ↑ PDF  ( page no longer available , search in web archives )  Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. : Lightning man and his family (English) accessed April 10, 2013  
2. ↑ Kunwinijku-Aboriginal Art : Lightning Man. Dreamtime Story, accessed February 25, 2011