The Quinkan of Cape York
In the sandstone escarpments of northern Queensland, rock shelters are painted with tall, thin spirit figures. They're the Quinkans, who live in the cracks of the rocks.
What was reported
The Quinkan country around the town of Laura, on Cape York Peninsula, has one of the world's great collections of rock art. Among its painted figures are the Quinkans, spirit beings of the local Aboriginal peoples.
There are two main kinds: the Timara, tall and thin, who live in cracks in the rocks and can be tricksters, and the Imjim, short and round, with a knobbed tail they use to bounce along, who are more dangerous. Stories of them carried rules for living.
Explanations offered
The Quinkans are part of living Aboriginal culture and law, and the rock art galleries, some thousands of years old, are cared for by their traditional owners. Visitors can see some sites with Aboriginal guides.
- When
- Painted for thousands of years
- Where
- Laura, Queensland, Australia
- Witnesses
- Aboriginal peoples of the Laura region
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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