Australian Aboriginal Supernatural Beliefs Term Paper

PAGES
3
WORDS
726
Cite

Australia's Aboriginal Supernatural Beliefs The word 'aboriginal' means 'first' or 'earliest known' (Humphreys, p1).

The Australian Aborigines share a unique relationship with Earth Mother that is a "connection [going] back to the beginning of our existence and it brings with it a sense of responsibility and respect for the Earth Mother. Our people were expected to take care of our sacred Earth Mother; that was a responsibility given to us from time immemorial" (Earth, p1). This relationship with the earth is evident in many old religions, but the Aborigines could be considered the first, as there has been evidence of their existence in Australia almost 12,000 years before Europeans in Europe.

Aborigines believe the creation of the universe and all things within it happened during "Dreamtime" when "spirit ancestors wandered through the land, created the physical environment and landforms, gave life to plants, animals and humans and established the order - laws, customs and beliefs - of Aboriginal society" (Dream, p4). These spirit ancestors fell from the sky and sprang from the waterways, and possessed supernatural powers that allowed them to change their form,...

...

The Rainbow Serpent is often associated with water and is considered the source of all life. For the Aborigines, water was a sacred element - from the desert tribes to the coastal villages, water was the essence of life and "the Rainbow Serpent is said to dwell in deep, permanent waterholes, many of which have a sacred significance to Aborigines" (Experience, p4.)
Another important aspect of Aboriginal beliefs, is "Dreaming," or totem. Everyone has one, and it is up to that individual to look after it. According to a Councilman in Australia, "We are put in this world to conserve the things that we look into. That's why we have a totem system" (Dream, p5).

Dreaming trails link certain sacred watering holes, landforms and food sources across Australia, and in essence these trails are 'lore records' which ensure Aboriginal survival. "Certain landmarks, where significant Dreamtime events…

Sources Used in Documents:

Bibliography

Experience Aboriginal Australia"

Australia

Australian Tourist Commission, 2003.

Ennis, D. Earth Mother and the people: The true meaning of aboriginal rights
Online, 2003. http://users.orac.net.au/~mhumphry/aborigin.html


Cite this Document:

"Australian Aboriginal Supernatural Beliefs" (2003, April 08) Retrieved April 25, 2024, from
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/australian-aboriginal-supernatural-beliefs-147151

"Australian Aboriginal Supernatural Beliefs" 08 April 2003. Web.25 April. 2024. <
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/australian-aboriginal-supernatural-beliefs-147151>

"Australian Aboriginal Supernatural Beliefs", 08 April 2003, Accessed.25 April. 2024,
https://www.paperdue.com/essay/australian-aboriginal-supernatural-beliefs-147151

Related Documents

Art, ritual, and religion are inseparable in the aboriginal societies of Oceania. Aboriginal myths of creation and the Dreamtime are rendered in art and permeate the various types of art found throughout indigenous Australia from bark and rock paintings to the modern renditions on canvas. Similarly, the art of Pacific Islands before 1980 is inseparable from their cultural contexts. The concept of art is different in the Pacific Islands than

Many claim Islam increases their sense of worth. Islam particularly appeals to disaffected young men. Solomon, 23-years-old, participated in a television interview. "It's not a part of our religion to stand there and get stepped on," Solomon said. "That's why Islam is so good for the Aboriginal people." (Australian Aborigines...) Europeans prefer the name "Koori" for Aborigine, even though they named the native Australians "Aborigine." Aborigine, however, means "from the

Art in South America and
PAGES 5 WORDS 1645

This work of art depicts a struggle between two ancestors, the Bungalung man and a Tingari man, the latter of whom was trespassing on sacred land (No author). The copious quantity of dots, particularly the white ones, evinces the full force of the elements invoked by the Bungalung Man to beat his opponent into submission. The power of the Bungalung man is evinced by the fact that he leaves

Chapter 2: Review of Related Literature Chapter Introduction This chapter provides a review of the literature concerning hypnosis, Eastern Meditation, Chi Kung, and Nei Kung and how these methods are used to treat various ailments and improve physical and mental functioning. A summary of the review concludes the chapter. Hypnosis In his study, "Cognitive Hypnotherapy in the Management of Pain," Dowd (2001) reports that, "Several theories have been proposed to account for the effect of

ethnological investigation and analysis, is centered on cultural and religious activity in a contemporary community situation. Essentially, the aim of this research was to observe various cultural and social behavior patterns as they pertain to religion and spirituality in society. Two faiths were observed over a period of time. A Western religious faith such as Catholicism was compared to an Eastern faith such as Buddhism. This topic was chosen for

Some Chinese researchers assert that Chinese flutes may have evolved from of Indian provenance. In fact, the kind of side-blown, or transverse, flutes musicians play in Southeast Asia have also been discovered in Africa, India, Saudi Arabia, and Central Asia, as well as throughout the Europe of the Roman Empire. This suggests that rather than originating in China or even in India, the transverse flute might have been adopted through the