The Myth

Daramulum is a great sky hero of Aboriginal tradition, closely associated with Baiame. A powerful shapeshifter, he is linked with an emu-wife and is often portrayed as a part-human, part-emu being. Rock engravings depict him with a human body, one arm, a single large leg and foot, and the hindquarters of an emu.

After leaving the sky, Daramulum came to dwell within the great trees of the bush, his spirit residing in the burls that grow upon their trunks. During initiation ceremonies, his voice is heard through the bullroarer, which must be carved from a tree containing his spirit. As the sacred instrument spins through the air, it is believed that Daramulum himself is speaking to those taking part in the ceremony.

Among the Guringai people, Daramulum is also connected to the night sky. He is identified with Alpha Crucis, the brightest star of the Southern Cross, while the remaining stars of the constellation represent the head of his emu-wife, linking the sacred hero forever with the heavens.

Tradition / Region: Australian Mythology
Alternative names: Kusa Kap
Category: Bird

The Myth

The Kusa Kap is a giant eagle from the traditions of the Torres Strait Islands. After the beautiful Bakar is abducted by the shapeshifting spirit Giz and abandoned on the lonely island of Kusar, she survives by eating the seeds of the kusa plant. In time, she lays an egg like that of a sea eagle, from which hatches the mighty bird Kusa Kap. She raises him as her own son.

Kusa Kap grows with extraordinary speed. Once his wings become strong enough, he flies great distances to gather tools and fire-making materials for Bakar. Later he begins hunting dugongs, carrying the enormous animals away in his talons and providing his mother with food, while sharing the surplus with nearby people.

When Bakar tells Kusa Kap about his father, Kaudab, the eagle flies to Dauan and guides him across the sea to Kusar, where the husband and wife are reunited. Kusa Kap then takes revenge on the evil spirit Giz, carrying her high into the air before dropping her into the sea, where she turns to stone. The giant eagle is remembered as the loyal son whose strength, devotion, and courage restored his family.

Sources

A Book of Creatures. (2021, March 5). Kusa Kap. Retrieved June 29, 2026, from https://abookofcreatures.com/2021/03/05/kusa-kap/