Wandjina

The Wandjina (also written Wanjina or Wondjina and known as Gulingi) were formidable and highly revered cloud and rain spirits of the Wanjina Wunggurr cultural bloc of Aboriginal Australians, traditionally residing in the northwestern reaches of the continent. As central figures in the spiritual landscape of the Kimberley region, they occupied a position of profound authority over the seasonal monsoons and the life-giving moisture of the atmosphere. Most famously depicted in ancient rock art dating back approximately 4,000 years, they are characterized by their unique and striking appearance—often possessing large, dark eyes and halo-like headdresses representing clouds and lightning, but notably lacking mouths, as it was believed that if they were given mouths, the rain would never cease.

The origin of these spirits is deeply intertwined with the creator being Wunngurr, a foundational entity analogous to the Rainbow Serpent found in other Aboriginal belief systems. While Wunngurr represents the creative and serpentine energy of the earth and water, the Wandjina serve as the atmospheric guardians who maintain the cyclical balance of the natural world. These stories and their accompanying artwork remain vital to the Mowanjum Community and the four Aboriginal peoples of the Wanjina Wunggurr bloc, functioning as a primary cultural element that links the living to their ancestral creators. According to local tradition, the Wandjina did not merely vanish but "painted" themselves onto the cave walls as they passed into the spirit world, leaving their images as a permanent spiritual presence to oversee the land.