Mamu are mainly harmful, dangerous spirit forces, evil spirits, monsters or an illness. They come in different forms and with varying powers. They can also be 'good' spirits helping and looking after people and children. Mamu is also the general term for monsters and other horrible dangerous creatures such as insects. The bad Mamu are known to bite people and suck out their blood. Ngangkari (traditional healers) are trained to release the mamu from sick people and help people find their spirit taken by the mamu. They are careful when working with a mamu illness. When the measles infected the Anangu back in the 1970's its was considered a mamu.

The mamu spirit is a night-dwelling demon attacking at night. They try to foil the souls Of the lonely dead in their attempts to capture those Of the living and guide the snowy-haired (Tjulanya?) - the childish sprites, who are always looking for earthly mothers. The mamu is especially feared as it is always on the 100k out for the kurunpa (spirits) Of children who have left their sleeping bodies, heedless Of the dangers and go frolicking among the gum trees. If caught, the child spirit is eaten. The mamu is like a cat with a mouse, as it does not eat its victim immediately, rather it playing with it until the fun is over. It is believed a child whose spirit has been eaten becomes listless and out of sorts. The family will seek out a Ngangkari to return the child's spirit. The women say the good mamu will look after you when you are traveling.