Liru
Also known as: the Liru warriors
Mythological Narrative
The venomous snake men of Aṉangu Tjukurpa, a war party who attacked and killed Kuniya's nephew and one of whom Kuniya struck down at Muṯitjulu.
Scholarly Commentary & Evolution
## The warriors
In the Aṉangu story of Kuniya and Liru, shared publicly at Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, the Liru are venomous snake men who came as a war party. They attacked Kuniya's nephew and killed him, and the marks of their spears are said to remain on the rock of Uluṟu.
## The confrontation
Kuniya, grieving and angry, came to Muṯitjulu and faced one of the Liru warriors. She struck him with her wana, her digging stick, and killed him. Aṉangu point to features of the rock as evidence of this story.
## A collective figure
Liru in this story is a group, not a single named individual, and this entry treats them collectively. The story is part of Aṉangu Tjukurpa, and the public telling is the one Aṉangu have chosen to share with visitors; other knowledge connected with it is not public.
Academic Discussion & Critique
Exchange peer-reviewed hypotheses, comparative Indo-European etymologies, and archaeological field interpretations regarding Liru.
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