Garriya

Authors: Youla Azkarrula

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Garriya, the crocodiles, is an Australian name for an asterism in the area of Telescopium, Apus, and Ara (the area south of the tail of Scorpius) from the Kamilaroi/ Euahlayi people.

Etymology and History

Garriya is Kamilaroi/Euahlayi for Crocodile. It replaces for Emu and Kangaroo in the sky.

Fuller (2014) discusses etymology but does not identify any particular stars or groups of stars, and we can find no source online that identifies the stars.

Variant Spelling

• Kurreah (based on Parker's article)
• Kuria

Identification, Observation Time, and Activities Related

It doesn’t become visible in the Milky Way until late summer, when the Kangaroo, then Emu disappear, and the Crocodile forms in their place, with the belly of the Emu becoming one of the Crocodile’s heads. The Euahlayi see the Crocodiles as lying in the “water” of the Milky Way, and use it as a signal to start travelling to ceremony in September/October.

Mythology

Baayami instructed his wives where to find fresh water at Coorigal Springs while he was hunting, but told them not to swim there. They misunderstood, had a swim, and were swallowed by two garriyas (crocodiles), which fled through to the Narran River. Baayami caught the crocodiles in there, killed them, and freed his wives, who were revived on an anthill. The crocodiles, in dying, thrashed about, and created the Narran and Coocoran Lakes. The crocodiles’ spirits were punished, were not allowed to go to Bulimah, and must stay on Earth, becoming the protectors of women’s sacred grounds. This also was a story of death and resurrection (of Baayami’s wives), and from this came the ceremonies of initiation for men and women, representing the passing from childhood to adulthood.

Reference

• References (general)