noun
Australian(in Aboriginal mythology) a creature in the form of a huge snake that brings disease.
‘they believed the hostile tribes had unleashed the power of mindi on them’- ‘He would move the creator spirit to release mindi, a great snake who hissed poison.’
- ‘The plague was a reference to smallpox, known locally as mono-la-mindi ('dust of mindi').’
- ‘More ominous was the calling of the serpent mindi using a ritual in which men and women danced single-file with tufts of feathers.’
- ‘Mindi, who was associated with introduced epidemic diseases, was said to be going to destroy all whites in southeastern Victoria.’
- ‘Aborigines near Melbourne called the European-introduced smallpox the 'scale of mindi'.’
- ‘It was believed that mindi was coming, and not even friendly settlers would be spared the horrors of the plague.’
- ‘Australia has the great evil snake, mindi, who sends disease.’
- ‘'Mindi' is a name for the Rainbow Snake, as the cause of disease.’
- ‘It is believed to be in the power of the large serpent mindi to send this plague forth in answer to the appeals of those who seek the destruction of their foes.’
- ‘Mythologically speaking, waterholes appear to be extremely dangerous places as they're plagued by a hairy snake called the mindi.’
Origin
From Wemba-wemba (an Aboriginal language) mirnday.
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