Australia is a good background for superstition; there is
such a non-natural air about its Nature, as if it has been sketched in
roughly by a Beardsley-like artist.

The function of the Gayandi is to inspire awe, and it fulfils it.
Byamee himself made the first. It was some time before he got quite the
effect he wanted. At first he desired to give the Boorah spirit a form
as well as a voice, to inspire awe; he also wished it to knock out the
front tooth of an initiate.

He made a stone figure in the image of man, having a voice. This
spirit, known variously as Gayandi, or Darramulun, went to the Boorah,
but when he was to knock out the front tooth, he began to eat the boys'
faces. He was too strong; he would not do to preside over, Boorahs.
Byamee transformed him into a large piggiebillah-like animal, though
instead of being covered with spines, thick hair grew over him; he has
since been known as Nahgul. He went away into the bush, where he has
been a dreaded devil ever since; for if he touches a man's shadow even,
that man will itch all over and nothing can cure him of it. He haunts
Boorah grounds.

Next Byamee made a stone bull roarer sort of thing, but this was too
heavy to make the noise he wanted. One day he was chopping a big
Coolabah tree close to Weetalibah water-hole, which tree, much to the
horror of our blacks, was burnt down a few years ago by travellers.

As Byamee chopped, out flew a big chip. He heard the whizzing sound it
made, gave another chop, out flew another; again the whizzing sound.

'That is what I want,' he said I'll make a Gayandi of wood.'

He cut a piece of mubboo, or beefwood, and shaped it; he tied a piece
of string to a hole in one end; he hung it up in the big Coolabah tree.
Then he went and cut one out of Noongah or Kurrajong, tied a string on
to that and put it beside the other on the tree, and left them swinging
there.

One day he came back and was camping near; his wives, came along to the
big tree. There the Gayandi swung, making a whirring noise.

'What's that?' said the women. 'We'll have a look what it is.' Seeing
Byamee they said, 'We heard voices in that big tree over there.'

'Whereabouts?' he said.

'In that Coolabah tree. Such strange voices, such as we never heard.'

'You two go' he said, 'to our camp and make a fire. I'll go and see
what it is.'

When the women were out of sight he went to the tree and took the
pieces of wood down. He was satisfied now they