Cassowaries are also a big part of the Aboriginal culture of the Wet Tropics and Cape York. They are cherished with high value in their culture. There are customs, stories, songs and dances about the cassowary that is in the traditions of the Aboriginal people who live in the rainforest. Cassowaries are also considered as prized food, and their feathers, claws and bone are used for ornaments and hunting.
Aboriginal Dreamtime Story
How the Cassowary got it helmet
A long time ago in the rainforest, all the animals on the land lived happily together. Everyone helped each other to protect the land, all except for the snakes and a poor cassowary who would be picked on because he could not fly. Every day the cassowary stayed away from the others so they could not tease him.
All the animals would get together and play games in the water, while the cassowary watched fro, behind the trees where they could not see him. Everyone was having fun, except for the cassowary who would wait until everyone was gone, so he could swim alone.
As every animal left the swimming hole, a lizard noticed the cassowary hiding behind the trees.
'Look everyone!' The big bird that can not fly,' said the lizard. All the animals turned around and laughed at the cassowary, upsetting him as they giggled.
The cassowary was so upset , he ran fast into the forest and straight into a large rock, breaking it into pieces, causing a large piece of stone to stick to his head. All the animals busted out laughing so loud at his stupidity. It made the cassowary even more upset, so he got back on his feet and ran away.
Aboriginal Dreamtime Story
How the Cassowary got it helmet
A long time ago in the rainforest, all the animals on the land lived happily together. Everyone helped each other to protect the land, all except for the snakes and a poor cassowary who would be picked on because he could not fly. Every day the cassowary stayed away from the others so they could not tease him.
All the animals would get together and play games in the water, while the cassowary watched fro, behind the trees where they could not see him. Everyone was having fun, except for the cassowary who would wait until everyone was gone, so he could swim alone.
As every animal left the swimming hole, a lizard noticed the cassowary hiding behind the trees.
'Look everyone!' The big bird that can not fly,' said the lizard. All the animals turned around and laughed at the cassowary, upsetting him as they giggled.
The cassowary was so upset , he ran fast into the forest and straight into a large rock, breaking it into pieces, causing a large piece of stone to stick to his head. All the animals busted out laughing so loud at his stupidity. It made the cassowary even more upset, so he got back on his feet and ran away.
The cassowary cried himself off to sleep. The next few days the cassowary stayed well away from the other animals because he was so embarrassed from the accident that left him with a stone stuck to his head.
He would wait and wait all day in the forest until the animals left the swimming hole so he could have a bath and catch fish for his dinner.
Finally everyone had left the swimming hole and went back home, all except for the seahawk who went back to catch fish for his dinner. He notices the cassowary lying in the water.
"Hello there,' said the seahawk to the cassowary.
'Oh hello,' said the cassowary, a bit nervous.
'what are you doing here swimming all by yourself?' said the seahawk.
'Well you see all the animals tease me because I can't fly due to my small wings. Everyone except for you,' said the cassowary. 'why aren't you teasing me like your friends do?'
'Well for starters, I'm not like the other animals around here. I think all creatures big and small have a place in this world, even if it means you can't fly.
'Surely you could do something around here that no one else could do said the seahawk.
'Well I can fish by spreading out my wings out to catch fish with my feathers, and I can dig up yams with my long claws too.
'Now I could also break things with my head, since I can't remove this stone out of my head,' said the cassowary
'Well that's settled then. You see you do have a special gift that no one else has,' said the seahawk.
'You're right,' said the cassowary, 'thank you for showing me that, but I still don't think that I want to talk to the other animals just yet.'
So he ran away back into the forest away from the other animals. The next day the cassowary camped along the river well away from the other. He was suddenly awakened by loud screams coming from the animals main campsite. But he was too scared to look, just in case it was a trick to make him come in to get teased.
So he sat there wondering what was going on at the camp. After a while sitting by the river he heard a voice beside him.
'Help,' said a weak voice.
'Who is it?' said the cassowary, stunned as he looked around. He noticed the friendly seahawk battered and bruised.
'Are you OK? What happened to you?' said the cassowary.
'the group of snakes is attacking the main campsite and no one is brave enough to help me chase them away.'
So the cassowary ran fast to the campsite, knocking down all the trees as he smashed through to save the other animals.
'Look, that cassowary is here to save us!' said the wallaby.
All the snakes stopped and laughed at the cassowary's small wings. This made the cassowary so mad, he ran at all the snakes, scratching them with his long claws and cracking them with his hard head. Snakes were being thrown all over the place by the cassowary's beak, injuring each and every one of them, chasing them all away.
All the animals large and small gathered around the cassowary, picked him up from the ground and cheered, 'Hooray for our fearless leader of the forest'.
This made the cassowary so happy. He was wanted and no longer teased. Till this very day the cassowary still has his hard helmet on his head and is now the protector of the rainforest of Far North Queensland.
The End.
He would wait and wait all day in the forest until the animals left the swimming hole so he could have a bath and catch fish for his dinner.
Finally everyone had left the swimming hole and went back home, all except for the seahawk who went back to catch fish for his dinner. He notices the cassowary lying in the water.
"Hello there,' said the seahawk to the cassowary.
'Oh hello,' said the cassowary, a bit nervous.
'what are you doing here swimming all by yourself?' said the seahawk.
'Well you see all the animals tease me because I can't fly due to my small wings. Everyone except for you,' said the cassowary. 'why aren't you teasing me like your friends do?'
'Well for starters, I'm not like the other animals around here. I think all creatures big and small have a place in this world, even if it means you can't fly.
'Surely you could do something around here that no one else could do said the seahawk.
'Well I can fish by spreading out my wings out to catch fish with my feathers, and I can dig up yams with my long claws too.
'Now I could also break things with my head, since I can't remove this stone out of my head,' said the cassowary
'Well that's settled then. You see you do have a special gift that no one else has,' said the seahawk.
'You're right,' said the cassowary, 'thank you for showing me that, but I still don't think that I want to talk to the other animals just yet.'
So he ran away back into the forest away from the other animals. The next day the cassowary camped along the river well away from the other. He was suddenly awakened by loud screams coming from the animals main campsite. But he was too scared to look, just in case it was a trick to make him come in to get teased.
So he sat there wondering what was going on at the camp. After a while sitting by the river he heard a voice beside him.
'Help,' said a weak voice.
'Who is it?' said the cassowary, stunned as he looked around. He noticed the friendly seahawk battered and bruised.
'Are you OK? What happened to you?' said the cassowary.
'the group of snakes is attacking the main campsite and no one is brave enough to help me chase them away.'
So the cassowary ran fast to the campsite, knocking down all the trees as he smashed through to save the other animals.
'Look, that cassowary is here to save us!' said the wallaby.
All the snakes stopped and laughed at the cassowary's small wings. This made the cassowary so mad, he ran at all the snakes, scratching them with his long claws and cracking them with his hard head. Snakes were being thrown all over the place by the cassowary's beak, injuring each and every one of them, chasing them all away.
All the animals large and small gathered around the cassowary, picked him up from the ground and cheered, 'Hooray for our fearless leader of the forest'.
This made the cassowary so happy. He was wanted and no longer teased. Till this very day the cassowary still has his hard helmet on his head and is now the protector of the rainforest of Far North Queensland.
The End.