Garkain
Garkain is a legendary creature in Australian Aboriginal mythology said to haunt the dense jungle along the Liverpool River in the Northern Territory. Should an unwary traveler enter his domain, Garkain swoops down from the trees on his leathery wings and envelops them.[1]
| Grouping | Legendary creature |
|---|---|
| Sub grouping | Vampire |
| Country | Australia |
| Region | Northern Territory |
After suffocating his victim with his foul stench, Garkain devours their flesh, leaving the intruder’s spirit to forever wander the vast jungle in search of their final resting place.[2]
In popular culture
- The 1971 book The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings by artist Ainslie Roberts and anthropologist Charles P. Mountford contains the Aboriginal legend Garkain the Recluse[1]. In 1957 Mountford donated a eucalyptus bark painting of Garkain (1948 or 1949) from the Gunbalanya Aboriginal community in western Arnhem Land to the Art Gallery of South Australia in Adelaide.[3]
- The 1990 novel Blood Wings by Stephen Gresham features Garkain haunting a small community on the edge of the Florida Everglades.[4]
- Garkain features in the Penumbra role-playing game from Atlas Games.[5]
- The Witcher video game series from CD Projekt Red features garkains as a type of vampire.
Garkain appears in several short stories including:
See also
- Drop bear, a fictitious Australian mammal
- List of vampires in folklore and mythology
- Yara-ma-yha-who, a creature from Australian Aboriginal mythology
References
- Roberts, Ainslie; Mountford, Charles P. (1971). The First Sunrise: Australian Aboriginal Myths in Paintings. Adelaide: Rigby. p. 22-3.
- Time-Life-Books (Editor) (March 1987). Tales of Terror - The Enchanted World. Amsterdam: Time-Life-Books. p. 122-3.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
- "Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Collection". Art Gallery of South Australia. Art Gallery of South Australia. Retrieved 12 February 2018.
- Gresham, Stephen (1 February 1990). Blood Wings. New York: Zebra Books.
- Nephew, Michelle; Ferguson, Timothy. "Penumbra Fantasy Bestiary - Garkain" (PDF). Atlas Games. Atlas Games. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- Henderson, Samantha. "Garkain". Fantasy Magazine. Fantasy Magazine. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
- Brandt, Karl. "Garkain". Seizure. Seizure. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
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