Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog) single work   short story   Indigenous story  
Issue Details: First known date: 1924... 1924 Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)
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AbstractHistoryArchive Description

Benjamin Miller describes this story in the following way: 'a creation story about a Water Spirit who desires to enter the material world. A Lyre Bird, who is adept at singing the songs of other animals, is asked by a spirit to sing into a stream. After much beautiful singing a Being emerges from the water. The Lyre Bird names the Being "Gool lun naga, a son of the clear running stream of water"'.

Source: Benjamin Miller, 'David Unaipon's Style of Subversion: Performativity and Becoming in "Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)"', JASAL Special Issue (2008):84.

Publication Details of Only Known VersionEarliest 2 Known Versions of

  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines David Unaipon , 1924-1925 6043804 1924 single work prose Indigenous story

    This manuscript contains the original works of David Unaipon's Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines.

         1924-1925
    Note: This loose leaf section is numbered 8:1-9.
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines Myths & Legends of the Australian Aboriginals Alice Bolingbroke Woodward (illustrator), W. Ramsay Smith , David Unaipon , London : Harrap , 1930 6080162 1930 selected work prose dreaming story

    This 1930s publication describes the legends of the Australian Aborigines located in the southeast corner of Australia near the Murray River. It covers a range of narratives from the creation stories to those of witchcraft, and explanations of landmarks. (Source: Preface).

         London : Harrap , 1930     pg. 111-118
    Note: With title: The Green Frog
  • Appears in:
    y separately published work icon Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines David Unaipon , 1924-1925 Z900600 1924 selected work prose dreaming story (taught in 1 units)

    Originally written in the 1920s by David Unaipon. The original work was edited by W. Ramsay Smith and published in 1930 credited to W. Ramsay Smith as Myths & Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, without acknowledgement of Unaipon's authorship. Shoemaker and Muecke republished it in 2001 under Unaipon's name and original title.

    AustLit uses the original Unaipon title as the main title showing Ramsay Smith's title as an alternative title on those editions published prior to the restitution edition.

         Melbourne : Melbourne University Press , 2001     pg. 53-59
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Works about this Work

David Unaipon's Style of Subversion: Performativity and Becoming in 'Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)' David Unaipon , 2008 single work criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , Special Issue 2008; (p. 77-93) 'This paper theorises Aboriginal author David Unaipon's style of subversion. Firstly, Unaipon's manner of dress is investigated as an embodied, performative Aboriginal resistance strategy that fits within a worldwide history of dandyism. Secondly, a close reading of one of Unaipon's short stories ('Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)') reveals how his performative method of resistance is apparent not only in his dress, but in his writings as well. Such an analysis seeks to intervene in a history of criticism on Unaipon's life and writing that fails to account for the many contradictions within his life and writing. Ultimately, the failure to account for the many contradictions in Unaipon's life is seen as contributing to the colonial present (Gregory), where colonial discourses still operate to define and limit Aboriginality. Unaipon's constant struggle against such discourses is read as a "becoming-imperceptible" (Deleuze and Guattari); a style of subversion that has paved the way for many Aboriginal artists since.' (Author's abstract)
David Unaipon's Style of Subversion: Performativity and Becoming in 'Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)' David Unaipon , 2008 single work criticism
— Appears in: JASAL , Special Issue 2008; (p. 77-93) 'This paper theorises Aboriginal author David Unaipon's style of subversion. Firstly, Unaipon's manner of dress is investigated as an embodied, performative Aboriginal resistance strategy that fits within a worldwide history of dandyism. Secondly, a close reading of one of Unaipon's short stories ('Gool Lun Naga (Green Frog)') reveals how his performative method of resistance is apparent not only in his dress, but in his writings as well. Such an analysis seeks to intervene in a history of criticism on Unaipon's life and writing that fails to account for the many contradictions within his life and writing. Ultimately, the failure to account for the many contradictions in Unaipon's life is seen as contributing to the colonial present (Gregory), where colonial discourses still operate to define and limit Aboriginality. Unaipon's constant struggle against such discourses is read as a "becoming-imperceptible" (Deleuze and Guattari); a style of subversion that has paved the way for many Aboriginal artists since.' (Author's abstract)
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Last amended 17 Jul 2013 09:56:51
Subjects:
Settings:
  • Blue Mountains, Sydney, New South Wales,
  • Murray River,
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