Featherfoot facts for kids
A featherfoot is a special kind of sorcerer or magic-user in the traditional beliefs of some Aboriginal people. They are often seen as a scary spirit who can cause harm. In many traditional Aboriginal beliefs, people thought that death wasn't natural. Instead, they believed it was caused by bad spirits or magic spells. This was often because someone wanted revenge for something.
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What is a Featherfoot?
A featherfoot gets their name because people believe they have amazing supernatural powers. This includes the power to fly through the air! They are said to wear special shoes. These shoes are made from feathers, often from an emu, mixed with human hair. All of this is held together with human blood. People say these special shoes leave no tracks or footprints, making them very hard to follow.
Featherfoot Stories
In the South-West of Western Australia, where the Noongar people live, there's a well-known scary story about the featherfoot. When a featherfoot is hunting you, it waits until you are alone or in a small group. This usually happens at night when you are walking somewhere.
How a Featherfoot Hunts
First, the person or group might start to feel a strange sense of worry or fear. Then, they will feel strongly that someone is following them. This means the featherfoot is very close behind. Its steps are completely silent, and it leaves no tracks at all.
How to Survive an Attack
The only way to stay safe from a featherfoot attack is to never look behind you. You must keep walking until you reach a place with light, like a house or a campfire. If you look back, that's when the featherfoot will attack you. People also believe that featherfeet might follow you if you have done something wrong. This could be whistling at night or playing with sand and not going into the bush when you should.
After an Attack
After a featherfoot attack, there isn't much left behind. People say you might find a single, large feather from an unknown bird. You might also find a tiny speck of the victim's blood.
