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Australian - Amayworra - Orion's Belt
If you look into the night sky at the constellation Orion, you will see three bright stars in a line. They are commonly referred to as Orion's Belt. However, there is a rather intriguing story connected to these stars.
In the Dreamtime, the time of our ancient ancestors, there lived a woman called Jinlaiah, a member of the Warringahgal tribe, that is, the Sea People. Sadly, that tribe no longer exists, because during a great storm a giant wave rolled in from the sea and drowned them all except for Jinlaiah and her two daughters.
Being the sole remaining members of their tribe, life became very hard for them, because, apart from a few goannas, snakes and frogs, their main diet consisted of what they could gather from the sea.
One day the three women were gathering clams on the shore when they heard the voices of men shouting in a strange language. As one, the three women quickly ran to a large rock and hid. Then, after cautioning the girls to remain silent, Jinlaiah peeked over the rock to see who the strangers were.
What Jinlaiah saw caused her heart to beat furiously. Two strange looking men had come from the sea in a long canoe. They had a covering of grasses around their waists and wore brightly colored feather head-dresses. They were also armed with spears and war clubs.
Jinlaiah's fear intensified. She had heard of this tribe. They didn't eat meat like ordinary men, they killed and eat people.
Jinlaiah knew that they could not stay hidden indefinitely because the men would easily discover them. They would have to take to the sea.
The three women left the safety of the rock and glanced towards the men. As Jinlaiah had feared, they had discovered their tracks and were hurrying towards them. However, they were still quite a distance away, giving them ample time to enter the sea and attempt to swim to safety.
After the women entered the sea they swam a long way and began to tire rapidly, because the strange men had hurriedly returned to their canoe and were now padding furiously after them. Then, when all seemed lost, a great wave suddenly rose and lifted them high into the sky.
There they remain camped to this very day, their fires shining brightly as Amayworra or, as it is now known, Orion's Belt.
Submitted by Little Fox
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