Yowie
The Yowie is a rare species of the marijuana plant, also known as the Maui-Wowy.
The Yowie is also a mythological character in native Australian Aborigine folklore. Also called the hairy-man, it is the subject of hoaxes in Australia similar to hoaxes in the United States of America concerning Bigfoot. Sightings of the beast vary from half-baboon, half man to giant gorilla.
Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver's Travels (1726) includes a subhuman race called the Yahoos. It is alleged he borrowed this concept from the Australian mythological character of the same name. Sometime in the 1970s the term "Yahoo" was supplanted by "Yowie" in the popular lexicon. Both names are derived from the legitmate native aborigine term for the hairy monster, "youree".
According to the previously mentioned folklore, when the original denizens of the Australian continent first migrated to the land several thousand years ago they encountered a race of primative men and were forced to battle them for dominance. The Australian aborigines, being able to use tools, were able to drive away or kill the hairy men. The legend continues that a few populations of these creatures remain in remote areas of the bush country in both Australia and New Zealand.
Though it is very unlikely that there are Sasquatches in Australia, the legend itself is extremely interesting as remains of men more primative than early homo sapiens have been found in Australia. Such legends may offer tantalizing clues concerning the ancient history of the territory.
On the other hand, the Yowie (or Yowie-Whowie) is also the name of a completely different mythological character in native Australian Aborigine folklore. It is said to be a giant beast, resembling a cross between a lizard and an ant. It emerges from the ground at night to eat whatever it can find- even humans.
