The Wailing Wraiths of the Devils Marbles: NT

[KANACKI]

Oh what strangeness one can encounter deep in the hear of outback of central Australia where sky and land merge into eternal twilight of dreaming haunting the senses.

One such explorer tourist seeking a walk into the darker side. Perhaps got more than he bargained for? He camped annually at the Devils Marbles many times. Although he had interest in UFO encounters at the marbles were not always present something else was.

Had he lost his marbles?

He claimed that on five of those six camps he recalled an eerie high pitched wailing disturbing either his night sky watching or his sleep. He said the wailing seemed to originate from the South east of where he typically camped. The noise, believed to be 'organic' put a fear in him so great that he dared not go and investigate what could be making it?

Although he was not local to the area he did say he was from similar country and he had never heard a sound like it before. He did not think it could have been any of the animals native to the area?

Mystifying indeed.....

To be continued......

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The location of the devils Marbles is very significant to the Alyawarre, Kayteye, Warumunga and Warlpiri people. To them the marbles are known as Karlu Karlu and the significance stems from many of their Dreaming stories. Although you can find some of these stories in books and online many of the stories are not told outside of the close circle of traditional owners.

Is the Devils marble a conduit , a gateway into the unknown?

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

in 2014 a photographer he and his partner who claimed he had been visiting the marbles for the last three years slowly taking photos of the formations in different seasons as a long time project. As they would take pictures throughout the day in all the differing light conditions they would camp nearby in order to collect those essential sunrise and sunset shots as well as some night time photography.

It was one night in January  that they ran into something they neither understood nor could fully describe as it was sudden yet incredibly strange and bizarre.

At about  one in the morning they were awakened by a strange wailing sound coming from over the boulders. The sound seemed to come from multiple directions but then would have a single point of origin then break up again. The photographer and his friend left the tent to go and have a look for themselves. Although it was a terrifying noise they figured a photographic opportunity may present itself during this strange event.

They walked towards the marbles when they saw something that caused them to stop and nearly to run in fear. They saw a fast moving black shadowy object was quickly passing amongst the rocks, the wailing definitely coming from its directions. Every five or so seconds it would stop at one point (the wailing could then be traced coming from that one point) before it would be on the move again.

There did not seem to be any rhyme or reason for what was taking place, for any pattern it may have been making or why it would stop where it stopped. Unfortunately the photographer and friend did not stay and watch for long.

 The wailing turned into more of a murmur and the photographer thought it was some thing watching them.

Naturally it is understandable they wanted to get out of there.

What was this strange noise and entity these people encountered? Was it a ghost wraith or something else?

Kanacki

[KANACKI]

The Scottish Explorer John McDouall Stuart in 1860 was the first white man to lay eyes on the devils Marbles.  Years later thee overland telegraph line was being routed past the Devils Marbles. There is a story from that time that claimed natives attacked and killed the superintendent and a linesman? Was that true?

In the Kapunda Herald (SA : 1878 - 1951), Friday 26 July 1901, page 3 reported the following .....

Near Barron Creek there was a remarkable granite country. Immense boulders, like huge marbles, rested upon one another as on pillions. The tops of some of these boulders could only be reached with a 17ft. ladder. In some of them were large hollows, or basins, in which good water was to be got.

The line of these boulders was east and west, by about three-quarters of a mile in width, and the sight was very strange. Mr. Masters' company named the rocks the " Devil's Marbles.'' In places the rosks were split, apparently by lightning, and falling apart revealed beautiful granite/ whilst on the outside the boulders were worn perfectly smooth by the weather.

The weight of some of them must run into hundreds of tons. Some of the ironstone in these parts looked almost like pure iron, and the surveyors had considerable difficulty in keeping their compasses correct. The blacks were treacherous if they were given a chance, that only once had he any trouble with them, when two or three of the party bad to stand their ground against a number of the natives. Where murder had been committed it was largely due, he thought, to freedom about the camp being given to the blacks.

Was that a reference to an alleged murder at the devils marbles?

Researching deeper into the story the murder of the telegraph men was at Barrow Creek on the 27th of February 1874. Barrow creek is about 110 km from the Devils marbles. So the story of linesmen being murdered at the Devils marbles is incorrect.

It was also claimed not long before parties went out to claim a price for the murders. Aboriginal tribes and populations in the area were either round up or ambushed being shot, some tribes almost completely annihilated.  Was natives murdered at the devils marbles in retribution for the murders at Barrow Creek telegraph station?

No one knows for sure......

Are wailing wraiths at night the ghostly sounds of natives that had been massacred there? Or is there some more natural explanation?

Or perhaps something more deeper and mystical from the dream time?

Kanacki