Wayamba The Turtle
Learn about the story of Wayamba the turtle. Wayamba originally put armour on his back to protect himself in a fight but then ran and transformed himself into a turtle.
Once upon a Dreamtime, Oola the lizard was out getting yams with her three children. While this was happening, suddenly Wayamba jumped from behind the mirria bushes and seized Oola and her children and took them back to his camp so that Oola could be his wife. Oola could not defend herself as Wayamba came armed with his spears and club headed weapon.
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Once back at Wayamba's camp, his tribe, once seeing that he had stolen a woman of the Oola tribe for his wife, were very angry with Wayamba and told him he must suffer the consequences by himself. The tribe would not help him when Oola's tribe came for their woman. He would have to go out on to the plain and do his own fighting.
Soon after, the Oola’s were seen coming across the plain which faced the camp of the Wayamba’s. They were painted for war and were armed with fighting weapons. Wayamba quickly chose the two biggest shields that he had and covered the front of his body with one and slung the other on his back. Wayamba seized his weapons and moved out onto the plain to meet his enemy tribe. The Oola’s showered Wayamba with their spears and boomerang projectiles. As they came whizzing through the air, Wayamba drew his arms inside the shields and ducked his head down between them and so escaped. The weapons fell harmless to the ground, glancing off his shield.
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The Oola’s then started to close in on Wayamba forcing him to retreat towards the creek. At the last-minute Wayamba quickly tore off his front shield, threw down his weapons and plunged into the creek. The Oola’s waited, spears poised in hand ready to aim directly his head appeared above water, but they waited in vain.
Wayamba, the blackfella, they never saw again!
But in the waterhole wherein he had dived, the tribe suddenly instead saw a strange creature that bore on its back a fixed plate like a shield. This strange new creature, drew in its head and limbs every time they tried to catch it. This was the beginning of Wayamba, the turtle in the creeks.
