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Hughie the Modern Australian Rain God


froglover

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I learnt from my father in East Gippsland, a rural part of Victoria, Australia, to call out "send er down Hughie!" when it rained, especially when the rain was much needed. This is a custom widely known among rural Australians though less well known among the citified. No-one seems to know who Hughie is although he does seem clearly to be the rain god or angel. I always imagined him as a balding man in dress shorts. In the mid 20th century he apparentlytravelled to Hawaii and became the surf god Huey.

 

Is he the only god or angel to arise in modern times? Here is the best easily available article from the Australin National University's newsletter Ozwords....

 

http://andc.anu.edu.au/pubs/ozwords/October_99/2._hughie.htm

Edited by froglover
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