Jarlji Jukurrpa (Frog Dreaming)
This painting tells the story of the Jarlji Jukurrpa (frog Dreaming) from Jarljikirlangu, a place to the west of Mt. Denison. Jarljikirlangu means ‘belonging to frog’. This place belongs to Japaljarri/Jungarrayi men and Napaljarri/Nungarrayi women. Jarljikurlangu is a large creek that is dry for most of the year. When it rains it becomes like a swamp, a big water course. The ‘jarlji’ (frog) burrow underground and hibernate during the dry season until the rainy season comes, so the ‘jarlji’ come out of the ground and sit down there. After the rain the ‘jarlji’ frogs croak at night. Women dig for them to cook and then eat them. Frogs can be a very important food source in dry years as they can be found lying together in the soft, moist soil found along many dry watercourses in central Australia.