Wawalag Sisters | Victoria Olt

In Aboriginal Australian mythology, the Wawalag sisters embody the balance of life and death, creation and destruction. As they travel from Arnhem Land toward the Arafura Sea, they carry sacred knowledge and songs that shape the land and its spirits. Their journey pauses when the elder sister goes into labour. The great Rainbow Serpent Yurlunggur, guardian of powerful mysteries, senses their presence. Coveting their wisdom, he approaches with the intent to consume them and their newborn, believing that by swallowing them he will claim their knowledge as his own. The sisters respond with sacred songs, weaving chants that carry the strength of their journey and their connection to the land. But as exhaustion sets in, their voices weaken, and Yurlunggur swallows them whole. Soon after, the serpent grows sick, unable to contain the immense spiritual power of what he has consumed. He regurgitates the sisters, returning them to the world and completing the cycle of life, death, and rebirth.