Marlwa is the pandanus spirit who lives in the palms and forested areas of western Arnhem Land. There are many, particularly around the Coopers Creek area and they are said to feast on the raw fish they hunt in the river. It is dangerous to go to his place. If he sees you, he uses a fine needle attached to a line of string that he can shoot at you and then pull you in to his grasp. He will make you go mad and your body will become covered in hair and you are left forever wondering around the bush, lost.
Sometimes Marlwa will appear in the form of a white horse or an emu, rolling his eyes and chasing people, or stalking bush camps, circling round and round the bark huts people traditionally lived in.