Darana In Australian mythology, the rainmaker who causes rain to fall by singing. Once when Darana sang, so much rain fell that the earth was flooded. He placed his throwing stick in the waters, and they receded. As a result of the rainfall, flowers and witchetty grubs bloomed in the desert. Darana picked them, placed them in bags, and hung them on trees. Finished with his work, he went on a journey. But two youths, the Dara-ulu, spotted the bags and threw their boomerangs at them, causing them to break and scatter to the winds. Dust seemed to cover the whole earth and obscure the sun. When the Muramura spirits saw what was happening, they came down and killed the two boys. Darana restored the youths to life, only to have them killed a second time and transformed into heart-shaped stones. Heartshaped stones are still used in rainmaking ceremonies. It is believed that if these stones are destroyed the earth would be covered with red dust.

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Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante