Daharmaka The Devil Spirit (Aboriginal Dreamtime Story)

• Miles Ng, Grade 4
• Short Story
• 2015

At the dawn of time, hidden under the depths of the ocean, there existed a gigantic volcano of devastation named Mt. Gawhaka. It was blood red and full of fury. Quite simply, it had a will for destruction. Deep inside this violent volcano lived its master, a furious devil spirit called Daharmaka, who was as angry as a raging tsunami of molten lava. The people who resided in the nearby village lived in absolute fear of his ever-present deeds of doom.
Early one morning, Daharmaka travelled to Garamunda Mountain where the nearby village folks were beginning their daily offerings to the land. Many were carrying fresh, crystal-clear water, but one poor soul had not properly purified the water as it still contained traces of soot. When Darhamaka looked at the water brought before him, he screamed in rage, “ALL MANKIND SHALL SUFFER AN ETERNAL CURSE!”
The poor village people were doomed with years of famine and hardship as Daharmaka justified his horrible reputation. Seeking to end the terrible suffering inflicted upon their people, two brothers of the Gawana tribe ventured off to find and kill Daharmaka once and for all.
Knowing that he liked to spend his time terrorising the innocent animals in the nearby mountains, the Gawana brothers travelled eastward. The brothers journeyed to a hidden cave nestled within the landscape of the craggy mountains. Whilst journeying, they sought assistance from the wise Cave Echidna who explained that, “in order to defeat Daharmaka, you will need more than just sharp spears and a surprise attack. You will need to know his weaknesses.” The Echidna proceeded to explain that Daharmaka’s primary weakness was a vulnerability to water on his spine.
Armed with this newfound knowledge, the brothers set off for a nearby lake in order to gather as much water as they possibly could. Then they ventured to their hidden destination to wait for their attack to unfold. The boys sharpened their spears until they resembled deadly long, wooden needles, before hiding in wait in the camouflaged mouth of the cave tucked away within the mountains.
The following day, the brothers awoke to the sound of stampeding horses fleeing in all directions. They instantly knew their target had arrived. Lying in wait, they positioned themselves right above the main pathway that cut through the mountains.
At the exact moment that Daharmaka passed underneath them, the brothers threw their buckets of water at his back in order to incapacitate the devil spirit. Daharmaka roared in agony as the brothers jumped down from their hidden location, spears in hand, to finally end the tyranny of their almighty foe.
As Daharmaka collapsed to the ground in death, in the faraway distance, a guttural explosion deep within the ocean signalled the concurrent destruction of Mt. Gawhaka.
In the many moons to follow, the aftermath of Mt Gawhaka’s remains created the current land of Tasmania, whilst the remnants of Daharmaka slowly evolved into what is known today as the Tasmanian Devil.