Yhi: The Goddess of Creation and Light

Yhi is an Aboriginal Goddess who lives in Dream time, awakened by a whistle. When she awoke and opened her eyes for the first time, light fell on earth and plants sprung from her foot-steps as she roamed the baron land. Evil spirits tried to sing her to death but her warmth and light frightened them away and out of their darkness Insects were created. She found ice mountains and frozen lakes and shined her light and exuded her warmth upon them. Again, all kinds of mammals, birds and amphibians emerged. She blessed all her creations and promised them when they died they would join her in the sky. As she left the Earth to return back to Dreamtime darkness fell over the land again. All the creatures were devastated, until sunrise when Yhi appeared again.

​

I created this piece in response to the horrendous bush fires in Australia at the beginning of 2020. It broke my heart seeing the footage of all the loss of wild life and habitat. In my image I wanted to show the souls of the animals joining Yhi in the sky, as she promised. In her cloak of darkness you can see the ghosts of the native wild life who change into stars. Their light never goes out; it is reborn in Yhi.