Tradition: Australian Mythology
Alternative Names: Molok
Category: Frog
The Myth
Tiddalik is a gigantic frog from Australian Aboriginal creation mythology, remembered for drinking all the fresh water in the world. One morning, he awoke in Wollombi Valley with an unbearable thirst and began gulping down every available source of fresh water. He drank from rivers, lakes, and swamps until they were completely emptied, leaving the land parched. Plants began to wither, animals suffered from thirst, and life across the land faced destruction.
The animals gathered together to find a way to make Tiddalik release the water trapped inside him. A wise old owl helped devise a plan, and Nabunum the eel took on the task of making the enormous frog laugh. The eel twisted and contorted his body into increasingly ridiculous shapes until Tiddalik could no longer contain himself. When the frog finally burst into laughter, the water poured out of his mouth and body, rushing across the land and refilling the rivers, lakes, and swamps.
In an older version of the story, however, the release of the water caused a devastating flood. The waters formed bays, estuaries, inlets, and islands, while many creatures drowned and others became stranded on isolated pieces of land. Borun the pelican rescued those who had been trapped, and his feathers changed from entirely black to a mixture of black and white. Through Tiddalik’s actions, the story explains both the return of water to the world and the dramatic transformation of the surrounding landscape.
Sources
“Tiddalik.” Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Accessed October 14, 2026. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiddalik