Ngapa Jukurrpa (Water Dreaming)

The site depicted in this painting is Jilla Well, west of Yuendumu. In the usually dry creek bed are water soakages or naturally occurring wells. Two Jangala men, rainmakers, sang the rain, unleashing a giant storm. It travelled across the country, with the lightning striking the land. This storm met up with another storm from Wapurtali, to the west and was picked up by a Kirrkarlanji (Brown Falcon, Falco berigora) and carried further west until it dropped the storm at Purlungyanu, where it created a giant soakage. At Puyurru the bird dug up a giant snake, Warnayarra (the Rainbow Serpent) and the snake carried water with it to created the large lake, Jillyiumpa, close to an outstation. In this painting, curved and straight lines represent the Ngawarra (flood waters) running through the landscape. Motifs frequently used to depict this story including small circles representing Mulju (water soakages) and short bars representing Mangkurdu (clouds).