bunyip

bunyip
/bun"yip/, Australian.
n.
1. a mythical creature of Aboriginal legend said to inhabit water and watercourses.
2. an impostor.
adj.
3. counterfeit; phony.
[1840-50; < Wergaia (Australian Aboriginal language of the Wimmera area, Victoria) banib]

* * *

▪ mythological creature
      in Australian Aboriginal folklore, a legendary monster said to inhabit the reedy swamps and lagoons of the interior of Australia. The amphibious animal was variously described as having a round head, an elongated neck, and a body resembling that of an ox, hippopotamus, or manatee; some accounts gave it a human figure. The bunyip purportedly made booming or roaring noises and was given to devouring human prey, especially women and children. The origin of the belief probably lies in the rare appearance of fugitive seals far upstream; the monster's alleged cry may be that of the bittern marsh bird.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Bunyip — Le bunyip ( diable ou esprit ) est une créature mythique de la mythologie aborigène australienne. Sommaire 1 Caractéristiques 2 Mythe ou réalité ? …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Bunyip — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Bunyip (1935) artista desconocido, de las colecciones digitales de la Biblioteca Nacional de Australia, demostrando la variedad en las descripciones de la legendaria criatura. El Bunyip, también comparado con el… …   Wikipedia Español

  • bunyip — 1848, fabulous swamp dwelling animal, from an Australian aborigine language …   Etymology dictionary

  • Bunyip — This article is about a mythical creature. There is also a town called Bunyip, Victoria Infobox Paranormalcreatures Creature Name = Bunyip Image Caption = Bunyip (1935) Artist Unknown, from the National Library of Australia digital collections.… …   Wikipedia

  • Bunyip — Der Bunyip ist ein sagenhaftes Tier, das nach Erzählungen der Aborigines in den Flüssen, Wasserlöchern und Sümpfen Australiens hausen soll. Inhaltsverzeichnis 1 Beschreibung 2 Mythos und Realität 3 Literatur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • bunyip — UK [ˈbʌnjɪp] / US noun [countable] Word forms bunyip : singular bunyip plural bunyips Australian in old Australian stories, an imaginary creature that lives in or near water …   English dictionary

  • Bunyip State Park — is a 166 square kilometre state park 65 km east of Melbourne, near the town of Gembrook. The area was used for logging from 1898 until 1990, and was turned into a state park two years later. The park is named after the Bunyip, an Aboriginal… …   Wikipedia

  • Bunyip, Victoria — Infobox Australian Place | type = town name = Bunyip state = vic caption = lga = Shire of Cardinia postcode = 3815 est = pop = 2,103 (2006) elevation= maxtemp = mintemp = rainfall = stategov = Bass fedgov = McMillan dist1 = 82 dir1 = SE location1 …   Wikipedia

  • Bunyip aristocracy — The term Bunyip aristocracy was first coined in 1853 by Daniel Deniehy who made a speech lambasting the attempt by William Wentworth to establish a titled aristocracy in New South Wales government. This speech came to be known as the Bunyip… …   Wikipedia

  • Bunyip railway station, Victoria — VlineRailwayStation1 NAME=Bunyip CODE=BYP DISTANCE=77.86 km LINES=Bairnsdale PLATFORMS=1 TRACKS=1 STATUS=Unmanned Station FACILITIES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20299 Link] TIMETABLES= [http://www.viclink.com.au/stop/view/20299 Link]… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”