Daily mythical creature 111: the Mimi [Aboriginal mythology]!

(image source: revesnomades.wordpress.com)
Aboriginal folklore is known for its wide array of spirits, among which are the Mimis. These beings look humanoid, but are extremely long and thin. In fact, a strong gust of wind is enough to snap their limbs, so they live in caves and ravines to avoid this. Mimis also live inside rocks during the day, inside thin shafts. I’m not sure how, but they are said to live inside these rocks with a lot of pets, which can be any animal from insects and echidnas to crocodiles and snakes. Though they don’t mind humans hunting and eating animals, they get enraged when humans hurt or kill their pets (which is understandable).

(image: Aboriginal paintings depicting Mimi spirits. Photo source: Dustin M. Ramsey)
The Mimis taught the Aboriginals many things, including how to hunt kangaroos and prepare their meat, and also how to control fire. The idea of supernatural entities bringing fire to humanity is found in many mythologies and religions, for example the story of Prometheus in Greek mythology.

Even the art of rock painting itself was supposedly taught by the Mimis in ancient times. But they didn’t teach just anyone: only appointed Aboriginal medicine men (“marrkidjbu”) could communicate with them, and in turn they taught the tribe elders, who then gave the knowledge to the rest of the tribe. At night, Aboriginals tend to stay away from places where Mimis are thought to live, respecting the Mimis’ request to remain unseen.

Also worth mentioning is that these beings are probably the oldest creatures in this bestiary, as rock paintings depicting them have been dated to be 50 000 years old – the Nourlangi Rock paintings in Kakadu, to be precise – predating even the ancient Mesopotamian and Chinese creatures on my list.

Sources:
https://www.aboriginal-art-australia.com/aboriginal-art-library/mimi-spirits/
https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimi