Tradition / Region: Australian Mythology
Alternative names: –
Category: Bat
The Myth
Garkain is a spirit-man from the Aboriginal mythology of Arnhem Land who is said to inhabit the dense jungle of Magurlipun near the mouth of the Liverpool River. About the size of an Aboriginal man, he is able to both walk and fly, but cannot speak and does not know how to make fire or tools.
Because he lacks weapons, Garkain hunts with his bare hands and eats his prey raw. He is a nocturnal creature that sleeps during the day beneath piles of leaves on the jungle floor before emerging after dark to search for victims.
Travellers who wander into his territory are said to be in great danger. Rather than using claws or teeth, Garkain kills by wrapping the loose folds of skin hanging from his arms and legs around his victims, smothering them to death.
Traditional depictions portray Garkain with broad flaps of skin extending from his limbs, enabling him to fly. Although he shares similarities with another spirit being known as Warraguk, Garkain was regarded as less fearsome than other supernatural beings of Arnhem Land, such as the Namarakain and the Nabudi.
Sources
Wikipedia contributors. (n.d.). Garkain. In Wikipedia. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garkain