Tradition: Tiwi Mythology, Australian Mythology
Alternative Names: Papinijuwaris
Category: Giant
The Myth
Papinijuwari are one-eyed giants in the mythology of the Tiwi people of northern Australia. They live in a great hut located where the sky ends, beyond the familiar world. These fearsome beings are associated with shooting stars, which are believed to represent Papinijuwari stalking across the heavens. As they travel through the sky, they carry a burning firestick in one hand and a fighting club in the other.
Papinijuwari feed on the bodies of the dead and the blood of the sick. They possess an extraordinary sense of smell that allows them to detect illness and track down vulnerable people. Upon finding a sick person, a Papinijuwari makes itself invisible and secretly sucks the victim’s blood without leaving any visible wound. The victim gradually grows weaker as the giant continues to feed.
As the sick person approaches death, the Papinijuwari becomes small enough to enter the victim’s body through the mouth. Once inside, it drinks the remaining blood from within, completing its gruesome feeding. These giants are therefore associated with sickness, death, and the mysterious loss of blood, while their appearance as shooting stars connects their predatory activity to movements across the night sky.
Sources
“Papinijuwari.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 16, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Papinijuwari