Bunjil facts for kids
Bunjil, also called Bundjil, is a very important spirit in the stories of some Aboriginal peoples in Victoria, Australia. He is often seen as a wedge-tailed eagle, which is a large bird of prey. Bunjil is known as a creator, a hero, and an ancestor who helped shape the world and teach people how to live.
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Bunjil and Creation Stories
In central Victoria, the Kulin nation believes Bunjil was one of two main ancestors. The other was Waang, the crow. Bunjil has two wives and a son named Binbeal, who is the rainbow. His brother is Palian, the bat.
Bunjil also had six special helpers called wirmums, or wise people. These helpers represented different groups of the Eaglehawk people. They included Djart-djart the nankeen kestrel, Thara the quail hawk, Yukope the parakeet, Lar-guk the parrot, Walert the brushtail possum, and Yurran the gliding possum.
How Bunjil Created the World
One old story says that Bunjil created the mountains, rivers, plants, animals, and the rules for people to live by. After he finished, Bunjil gathered his wives and sons. He then asked Waang, who controlled the winds, to let out some wind from his bags.
Waang opened a bag with whirlwinds inside, causing a strong cyclone that pulled trees out of the ground. Bunjil asked for an even stronger wind. Waang agreed, and Bunjil and his people were lifted up into the sky. Bunjil himself became the star Altair. His two wives, who were black swans, became stars on either side of him.
The Story of the Rising Sea
Another story from the Boonwurrung people tells of a time when the Kulin nations were fighting and arguing. People were not looking after their families or the land. This chaos made the sea angry, and it began to rise. The water threatened to flood the whole country.
The people went to Bunjil and asked him to stop the sea from rising. Bunjil agreed, but only if the people would change their ways. They had to promise to respect the laws and each other. Bunjil then walked to the sea, raised his spear, and ordered the water to stop rising.
Bunjil's Special Cave
Many Aboriginal peoples, including the Kulin, believe that Bunjil took shelter in a cave during the Dreamtime. The Dreamtime is a very important time when the world was created and spirits moved across the land.
This cave is in a place now called Gariwerd, near Stawell. Today, this cave is known as Bunjil's Shelter. It is a popular place for visitors and is one of the most important Aboriginal rock art sites in the area.
Other Names for Bunjil
When early European settlers arrived, they wrote down Bunjil's name in different ways. For example, Daniel Bunce recorded it as "Winjeel" or "Wingeel". These different spellings might come from slight differences in the languages of the nearby Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung, and Wathaurong peoples.
These older spellings are still used today. For instance, there is a farming area called Wingeel near Geelong. Also, an old Australian aircraft was named the CAC Winjeel.
In other books and records, Bunjil's name might be written as Pundjel, Bunjel, Pundjil, Punjel, Pun-Gel, Bun-Gil, or Pundgel.
