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SciFi and Fantasy Art: Poinciana Woman7 Years ago: A guy decides to take his girl friend on a date. He takes her to East Point on the outskirts of the city, where they can find some seclusion. Trying to get cuddly with her he begins to tell her the legend of the Poinciana Woman. He says that she is the malicious spirit of a young Aboriginal (Indiginous Australian) girl who was brutally murdered. Now her spirit inhabits the Poinciana trees of the Point attacking anyone foolish enough to call her name three times with branch like claws. The guy, acting tough begins to call out the name. The girl friend tries to stop him. Unbeknownst to her, the guy has arranged to play a practical joke. His mate has stowed away in the boot of the car, ready to come out when 'called'. A sudden wind gust errupts and the screeching of branches drawn accross metal. An unearthly howling can be heard. Eventually peace returns and the couple head home. Once home the guy sneaks out to congratulate his mate on the success of their joke. When he asks how he did the noices the mate replys: "But that wasn't me. I couldn't get out of the boot" Uncertenty mounting the pair investigate the side of the car where they find long gashes in paint work. Gashes made from needle sharp branches. 2 Years ago: A young girl is being chased by a gang of three teenage boys. Desperate she runs into the bush. Still they follow her. Exhausted she hides at the base of an old Poinciana tree. Feverently she hopes that she can find a way to save herself. The spirit of the tree hears her and taking the form of a beautifull Aboriginal girl. The spirit comforts the other girl and directs her to the way out of the forest. Then the spirit sets her sights on the three boys. The boys have now split up in search of their quarry. Presently one of them arrives at the base of the Poinciana. There the spirit causes one of the larger branches to fall, killing the boy. The next boy she finds wandering near the cliff edge. Again she takes the form of the beautifull maiden and lures her victim over the edge. The last of the teenagers she does not kill, instead he is merely dirven insane. The Poinciana Woman is a local legend from my hometown in Northern Australia. The two storeys above come from the two accounts of the myth I've come accross. The first, heard 7 years ago in grade 5, was told by my teacher as a ghost story. I realise that some aspects of it are common with other Urban myths from other places. The second version, heard two years ago, comes from a production by a local youth drama group- the authenticity of this one is probably a little more dubious. In both cases I do claim some artistic liscnce, my memory is not perfect so forgotten details may be substituted. The Poinciana tree (Delonix regia) is also known as the flame tree because of its brilliant red flowers. The 'headress' of the Poinciana Woman is comprised of the flowers and leaves of the tree and is based on aspects of Kakadu rock art. I realise also that this legend cannot be much more than 100 years old, as the Poinciana was only introduced around the early 20th centuary from Madagascar. I am still researching this myth, any further details will be added later. This is part of a friendly challenge to promote and record unique local myths. As others complete their peices I'll add links. Anne Wipf's Night Washingwomen John R Farely Jr's La Nain Rouge | |
 | |  | | | Date | Name | Comment | | | 20 Oct 2007 |  Anne Wipf | I love your story, Shelz! I didn't know this tree at all. And this picture is beautiful. I'll put the link on my page as soon as I can.   Shelz Keast replies: "Thanks. I'm not surprised you don't know, they are tropical after all. I can't see them liking France much. The South isn't that cold though, is it?" | |
| 21 Oct 2007 |  Maxine "piXel" Cox | That is so well told, and the illustration is really fitting, depicting the fire tree blossoms and foliage and the young Aboriginal girl. I like how you have used a toothed paper, really brings a nice texture to the piece. Sigh, I am still thinking about and researching mine... I also invited Sherri White to the artistic challenge - maXine  (oh, just to be picky, you spelled Poinciana wrong a couple of times, in the Title and in the text)  Shelz Keast replies: "Thanks for the spell check, I lost the first copy so the description had to be rewriten. That and I'm rahter prone to typos and bad spelling. There isn't a great rush to get your picture finished, I may even to a remake of mine. It's already had 4 reworks anyway." | |
| 18 Jan 2008 |  Allan | Cool story, but i don’t beleive it’s a myth, i’ve been out to eastpoint after dark years ago. And everyone’s car usually stops around the same place losing all power, so she can walk around i guess and check who’s in the car. That why they built the gates down the road so they can lock them before dark, because too many people were getting harrassed by the "Poinciana Woman". What made me sure that this is not just a myth, was the time i was living in Perth, when my friend spoke of a woman who walks an island in cocos where he is from. He called her the "Poinciana Woman" a witch. Now this is no coincedence, he hasn’t even heard of the story from Darwin. He was as shocked as i was when i told him of the story that i knew about a Poinciana Woman.  Shelz Keast replies: "Wow. That is a strange coincidence that both have the same name. I haven’t been out east point in a while, so I don’t remember the gates. Thanks for adding to the story of the Poinciana Woman, much appreciated. " | |
| 19 Mar 2008 |  Stephanie S. K. Marbach | this has some really magical and mystical touch... the fabric of the paper makes it look so old, too, like an old picture of some ritual or something... nice!  Shelz Keast replies: "If I’d been desperate to make it look old I’d have done it on paper bark (swampland tree native to Northern Australia. The bark can easily be stripped of in sheets and is white-ish. It’s not actually the bark used in Aboriginal bark paintings, that’s some other bark)." | |
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