Yawkyawk (Young Woman Spirit) – Sonia Namarnyilk

Yawkyawk is a word from the Aboriginal Kuninjku language, meaning ‘young woman’ and ‘young woman spirit being’.

Sometimes compared to the European notion of mermaids, yawkyawks are usually depicted with the tails of fish. They have long hair, associated with trailing blooms of algae, typically found in Arnhem Land streams and rock pools.