Arts and Culture
Dreamtime
Australian Zebra Finches in natural habitat
Aboriginal Culture is enriched with a tapestry of history and filled with codes of honour in living amongst their own and other tribes and the respect of the land. Storytelling is a way the Aboriginal communities share their history and Dreamtime so that it remains alive for future generations.
What is Dreamtime?
Dreamtime and Dreaming are phrases used to describe the Australian Aboriginal belief in the world’s formation. The ancestor spirits developed and formed the natural aspects of the land in the Dreamtime. They also established living norms, a moral code, and guidelines for interacting with the natural world.
Aboriginal people lacked a written language, all vital knowledge had to be passed down orally, and the Dreamtime stories were an excellent means of doing so.
People used to learn about the Dreamtime while on the land – at the location where the story took place and where the ancestors left their imprint. This procedure is known as ‘passing through Law’ in Central Australia.
Dreamtime connection to the land
When the elders teach the young people about the law, they take them out onto the land to show them the landforms and tell them stories. This reveals why Indigenous people value the country and having access to it. As a person grows older, their Dreamtime stories are frequently fleshed out, with layers upon layers of meaning added.
The land is a thriving, spiritual landscape for the Aboriginals. To this day, the spirits of the forefathers who began in the Dreaming still roam the country. Dreaming stories depict the olden days, but for many Australian Indigenous people, they remain a normal occurrence. The Dreaming stories serve as a bridge between history, today, and beyond.
North Western Desert is simply beautiful.
Winbargo at sunrise
What do the stories teach us?
One example would be how to conduct oneself in vital areas like marital law and the concepts of sharing and honorable behavior. There are more morals that these stories can teach us and future generations. In many of the stories, we learn about our predecessors doing badly, as well as the disastrous consequences that can occur.
Dreamings are passed down through the generations by Aboriginal people. They’re in charge of reproducing and preserving them using ancient beings’ rites and other methods.
It’s crucial to remember that no Indigenous person owns a story. For the time being, they are only the assigned custodian. There are areas where men and women jointly govern, places where men may go but do not fully comprehend the concept, and places where men may never go.
The Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is one of Australia’s most powerful and well-known ancestors, it is known throughout the country and appears in works by Sydney-based artists all the way to Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
It is also said to be one of the most well-known Aboriginal creation myths. This ancestor ghost has been depicted in over 6,000-year-old rock art. A story about lust, love, passion, and danger.
Painting is one of the many innovative media Elders are using to pass down Dreamtime stories today. Artists can convey the stories of the country to the children who are watching and singing while they mark out the features in the terrain.
Don’t forget to visit our blog where we will share beautiful stories of the past learning about the culture and life of the Aboriginal people.
If you would like to learn more about the talented artists of the Papunya Tula Movement that live in Alice Springs and view their paintings of the Western Desert please visit www.aboriginal-art.com.au, Facebook, Instagram, or email [email protected]
Aboriginal-Art is an Anthropic arm of efunder Pty Limited and is a non for profit organization with an initiative to raise funds to support a variety of causes for the Aboriginal communities in the Western Desert.
Judy Corak
Chairperson
Co-Founder of Efunder and Aboriginal-Art