W​u​ag

​ ​yl​  
A Short Overview 

by Lyyti & Bilowan,

Of the wuagyl minuet,,, E-sports team
 
The Rainbow Serpent is a central figure in the mythologies of indigenous Australians.
It is associated with water, blood, rainbows, parhelia, life, fertility, and/or virility.
While Wuagyl can also be found in modern works of art, this essay will focus on its
original mythological stories. This essay will try to give a brief overview of what the
Wuagyl is, and will try to develop a direct connection between the Wuagyl motif and
the concept of gender fluidity and queer identity.

Early on, the myth of the Rainbow Serpent was transmitted mainly by oral tradition,
and as a result the tale has taken on several different forms. Considering it is one of
the most common myths to the several nations of indigenous Australians, and one of
the oldest continuing religious beliefs still present to this day, this is hardly
surprising.

The Rainbow Serpent itself is generally described as a creator god. It is said to have
created the the universe or have been responsible for shaping the universe into
something bearing life. A rainbow is said to be the Rainbow Serpent moving from
one watering hole to another. During the dry period, it lives in the last remaining
waterholes, being responsible for keeping these watering holes from drying up.
Wuagyl is considered a protector of its people, but it can be angered and cause
flooding, lightning strikes, and cyclones. The Serpent is also said to control fertility
and menstruation in women, and to be responsible for the virility or erections of
men. As previously mentioned, The Rainbow Serpent is genderfluid in several
cultures: either by changing between male and female, or by existing somewhere in
between.

The Rainbow Serpent is present in several indigenous cultures under several

different names. It is known as Wuagyl to the Noongar of Western Australia, and is
responsible for creating several rivers and waterways near Perth. To the Walmadjari,
it is known as Wirnpa and brings rain. To the Mowanjum, it is known as the Ungud;
a genderfluid river maker and water holder who kills those who disturb it. In Arnhem
Land, it was known as a snake goddess named Kalseru or Julunggul, and was
responsible for fertility and virility. It is also called Dhakhan, the ancestral god of the
Kabi, who described it as part fish. It’s known as a womb-bearing father of men,
Angamunggi, to the Nanggumiri, who at one time felt that the serpent had
abandoned them or died during the colonization of Australia.
A myth can be understood as a way for societies to explain the human experience, the
world around us, to teach lessons, or to explain why things are as they are. The
Rainbow Serpent’s gender fluidity can be seen as a sign of the reality of queer
identity, by being present in human mythology and culture long before western
colonialism overcame native cultures. Only recently, with the advent of modern
science, has queer identity come back into western culture. One way person can
affirm or explore their identity– whether it be queer or indigenous– is by reclaiming
lost culture that affirms their existing queer and indigenous identity. Another is by
being liberated by scientific affirmation of queer identity. The Rainbow Serpent is
one such motif in world mythology that represents queer identity's permeation in
human culture.

Take note of examples from other cultures and mythologies. In Navajo culture, there
is a third recognized gender known as nádleehi, which translates to, “one who is
transformed,”. This refers to a person who was assigned male at birth, but came to
instinctually take upon typically feminine roles in society and express their gender in
ways not typical to a man. A similar role to this is present in hundreds of other Native
American cultures. This concept has been given a modern name to express solidarity
between queer indigenous people of North America: Two-Spirit.

Tu Shen from Chinese mythology and Chin from Mayan mythology are expressly the
gods of homosexuality. In Inuit mythology, the first humans were a same-sex couple
named Aakulujjuusi and Uumarnituq. They mated, but Uumarnituq was not
equipped to bear a child, so a spell was cast to turn Uumarnituq into a woman. Greek
mythology and ancient Greek culture were rife with queer themes and figures.
Caenus was a woman who asked to be turned into a man by Poseidon, as reparation
for Poseidon’s sexual assault. Hermaphroditus was the son of Hermes and Aphrodite,
who was merged with a nymph named Salmacis and became a single entity of both
sexes. In Norse mythology, Loki was well known for gender fluidity, and having sex
with people of any gender. Loki, in fact, is the mother of the eight-legged horse
Sleipnir, and the father of Fenrir, Jormungand, and Hel. Several Kami in Japanese
mythology, such as Ouyamakui, Inari, Shirabyoushi, and Ishi Kori Dome, are
traditionally depicted as transgender.

Drawing a connection between queer identity, racial justice, and the reclamation of
existing cultures or religions is a vital component to intersectionality. Colonisation is
something far beyond the settlement of land that has been taken, it also refers to the
taking of people from their culture and colonisation of the people themselves.
Colonisation worked to destroy or suppress queer and native voices, whether they be
from the Old World or the New World. Reclaiming or recognizing native religion,
language, culture, and identity is vital to the liberty of people affected by their
suppression. It's important to recognize and execute practices of decolonisation and
allyship that are often overlooked; when activism is often seen as only taking place in
public demonstrations, rather than in the hearts and minds of people themselves.

By adopting the name of the Wuagyl, it serves the perfect purpose of representing the
solidarity between [H] Hydra-- named for a mythological serpent, and [GEYY]-- an
outfit with a moniker of queer identity. By appending the word, “minuet,” it brings to
mind the harmony of a dance for two, while also alluding to the name of one
TenMoreMinutesMom, an important and influential figure in the community.

Citations, References, and Sources

William Clements (2005) The Greenwood Encyclopedia of World Folklore and Folklife

Radcliffe-Brown & Reginald (1926) The Rainbow-Serpent Myth of Australia. Journal of the Royal

Anthropological Institute

Big Black Dog Communications (2008) Australian Government website

Anthony Mercatante & James Dow (2009) Facts On File Encyclopedia Of World Mythology And

Legend

Grove (1999) Myths, Glyphs, and Rituals of a Living Goddess Tradition

Kenneth Maddock (1978) The Rainbow Serpent: A Chromatic Piece

Andrea Pindan (2008) Arts Resource Agency

Gordon Barunga (2014) Mowanjum Art & Culture Centre

W. E. H. Stanner (2011) The Dreaming and Other Essays

Sarah Hunt & Cindy Holmes (2015) Everyday Decolonization: Living a Decolonizing Queer Politics,

Journal of Lesbian Studies

Ristock, Zoccole, & Passante (2010) Aboriginal Two-Spirit and LGBTQ Migration, Mobility and

Health Research Project

Gabriel Estrada (2011) Two Spirits, Nádleeh, and LGBTQ2 Navajo Gaze

Penczak (2003) Gay Witchcraft: Empowering the Tribe

Ovid (1st century) Metamorphoses

(13th century) Poetic Edda

Randy P. Conner, David Sparks, & Mariya Sparks (1998) Queer Myth, Symbol, and Spirit

Andrea Smith (2010) GLQ: A Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies

Lyyti (2019) internal communications on the wuagyl minuet,,, nomenclature