Artwork The Sound of Lightning: More about the painting
The Aborigines of northern Australia have a number of myths that explain thunder, lightning, clouds and the rain.
In the wet season, the thunder man Mamaragan, roaring with laughter, beats the great stones of the sky together.
His laughter is the rolling thunder, the sharp crack of lightning is the sound of the great stones striking each other and the lightning is the sparks that fly from them.
The rain caused by this disturbance falls to the thirsty earth and gives life and food to mankind and all other creatures.