The Dreaming
The Aboriginal religion is the Dreaming.
The Aboriginal Dreaming is very much centred around the land, many of us believe we are part of the Earth and we call her Mother.
We call the Dreaming Nanga Mai.
Many religions have a god and we are no exception, we call our God Byamie the creator. Byamie created the earth, rivers, trees, animals and us. We all come from the need to inherit this wonderful land. The need to walk and believe that Byamie created the spiritual world for us to nurture and look after gives Aboriginal people a purpose in society.
Byamie trusted us with his creation and we are bound by Aboriginal lore to look after it.
Traditional Societies had the lore’s that their belief system was imbedded in them to follow, by the Elders, who were the custodians of the land, earth, sky and water and all who live within its boundaries. .
Aboriginal Society and land
Without understanding the past it is extremely difficult to understand the present.
Aboriginal view – the environment sets the rules or boundaries and the society or culture adapts to suit.
Western view – the society or culture sets the rules or boundaries and adapts the environment to suit.
Concept of Dreaming
Story
How the porcupine got his quills.
There once lived Bagaloo. Bagaloo was an evil man that use to travel through out the country stealing women to make his bride. But one day Bagaloo came to the camp and took away Garndi.
Now Garndi was married to Noola. When Noola discovered what had happened to Garndi he gathered together the young men and they went after Bagaloo.
The men found Bagaloo camping by the waterhole.they speared him with all their spears and that is how the Bagaloo got his quills.
Aboriginal stories have two (2) components or elements:
1. Creation – about spirituality.
2. Behavior and consequences – the laws.
The story of Bagalooo contains two (2) important meanings:
1. it tells of how the porcupine was created and
2. it also tells of the behaviour and consequence of this behaviour.
Any story has levels of meanings that were and are relevant to the knowledge level of the audience.
Through out Australia Common themes or ideas exist between groups of people in relation to the Dreaming or Dreamtime.
Ø The world always existed but was featureless.
Ø Supernatural beings created the geographic features.
Ø Supernatural being returned to the land, sea, skies or became features.
Ø Reincarnation.
All Aboriginal religion is strongly influenced by the environment. Religion provides an explanation of the world as Aboriginal people know it and as any religion does it gives the laws that are followed in daily living.
All life as it is today – human, animal, bird and fish are part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced/linked to the great spirit ancestors of the Dreaming.
There are three (3) aspects of the Dreaming:
Ø Human World.
Ø Physical World.
Ø Sacred World.
There are also two (2) components:
Ø Spirituality.
Ø Laws.
Sacred Sites:
Each tribal group has its own places that are the links with the spirit ancestors. The sites have several significant meanings.
Ø These sites are sacred (have religious significance).
Ø Ceremonies were held at the sites and were organised by owners of the country.
Increase sites:
Ceremonies were carried out at increase sites. The chanting of songs and the performance of tribal rituals increased many items eg possums, kangaroo, goannas and emus.
Totems:
All people had a totem. The totem may have been an animal or plant. The totem is special to a person and it is unthinkable that a person should hunt or kill their totem.
Objects:
Many objects contained power and magic. These objects may have been rocks, stones or pebbles.
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