| In the "Top End" of Australia
fierce lightning storms occur throughout the monsoonal wet season. Images
of Lightning Man can be found in caves and on rock surfaces throughout
Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land.
Namarrkon belongs to the land of the high clouds and shows
his immense power during the wet season. Through the Dry Season Namarrkon
swells in his sacred site which towers into the sky from the surrounding
flood plains. With the impending Wet Season he sends forth his children
in the form of Aljurr (Leichhardt's grasshopper) to forage for food amongst
the bush shrubs.
When the monsoon season begins Namarrkon flies up into
the sky and sits atop storm clouds. From there he emits deep growls of
thunder and sends lightning flashes across the sky. If Namarrkon sees anything
which displeases him amongst the clan groups he will pluck one of the stone
axes from his head, hands, feet, hips or elbow joints and hurl it at the
offenders. Sometimes he misses and cleaves a tree in two. Namarrkon strikes
when marriage taboos or other tribal law has been broken.
The lines running around Namarrkon's body and through
his head and testicles represent the lightning circuits which give him
great bodily strength and sexual prowess. |
