ARANDA

One of the names of the great cosmic serpent in the traditions of the native Australians. Like its fellow, Yurluggur, the Aranda inhabited the depths of the deepest billabongs and rivers, where the currents run so deep they cannot be perceived on the surface. Humans unwise enough to draw water or fish in these spots are often caught unawares; the Aranda rises and takes its victim below in one gulp, leaving no sign that it has even been there.