Moon and Possum Dreaming story

On Wardaman country west of Katherine in the Northern Territory, the Moon Dreaming links the law, the sky, the land and the water.

At Noon Spring on the Flora River, there is a big spring where the water comes up at night and goes down at the break of dawn.  

It’s up and down all the time like the moon.

This is where Old Moon died.  

He was once called Jabalyi and he was walking around with the creation people.

But he broke the law. 

The Moon had two wives and he told them to go out looking for food.

But old Moon took a liking to his mother-in-law and when his two wives came back he was found breaking the law and others made a complaint. 

They were going to sing him and to kill him, so old Moon took off and he went to the Grasshopper people.

But a message stick was sent to the Grasshopper people to kill him.

Everyone felt sorry for him, but they gave him a cheeky yam, the kuanmanmalinj, which is toxic unless it's prepared properly.

He ate it and his belly swelled up and he died.

His shadow went up to the sky and became a half moon.

Big moon is away from all the stars, he is closer than the sun. 

They now call him Gandawag. 

When the mother-in-law died, she came back as the full moon called Wutjbin. 

Old Jabalyi was buried right there by the spring water so when the half moon comes up the water starts rising. 

There’s a connection with the mother-in-law, so when the full moon comes up, big water comes up.

They work together, the water and the moon, and people can hear the moon water roaring in the night. 

The Moon is major law for behaviour and relationships and has important rock art and ceremonial sites. 

It’s also used like a compass for navigating along long travel routes.