The "Dreamtime" in a Nutshell

wil said:
in my 20's I discovered that anyone who lived half a century had some wisdom to impart if you were willing to listen (that was right after I got over the 'don't trust anyone over 30' stage
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Most, but not all. Although, if you count 'what not to do', all do.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
Yikes!!! It's going to take a while to get that image out of my head!
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I still can't get it out of mine and it's been almost 40 years!
Namaste Jesus said:
He could read and write a little, but he too had no formal education.
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Nanna Gymea can count pretty well and sign her name, but that's about it in that regard. She doesn't know everything, but she does know what's important and that's what really matters.
 
Namaste Jesus said:
Are there any similarities to the New Testament?
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Not that I'm aware of. After the story of creation, most of the dreamtime stories are about things specifically related to Aboriginal life. Although, there is a story about virgin birth. If memory serves, it had something to do with gals getting pregnant after swimming in a river. I don't remember what that was all about though.
 
Aussie Thoughts said:
Not that I'm aware of. After the story of creation, most of the dreamtime stories are about things specifically related to Aboriginal life. Although, there is a story about virgin birth. If memory serves, it had something to do with gals getting pregnant after swimming in a river. I don't remember what that was all about though.
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Was it the river itself, or what happened afterwards on the banks of the river?
 
Senthil said:
Was it the river itself, or what happened afterwards on the banks of the river?
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Ok, from what I was able to find out, this is a story primarily told by the tribes in the northwest territories. It takes place very early in the planet's history before the continents separated and drifted apart. The story goes that certain women, presumably virgins, became pregnant with spirit children after wading into the river. It is believed that these children were manifestations of the Divine and have walked the earth at different times throughout history.
 
How about stories of coming from other planets, or from the sky, in different lighter bodies than these dense ones?
 
Senthil said:
How about stories of coming from other planets, or from the sky, in different lighter bodies than these dense ones?
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Nothing like that. In Aboriginal culture. God first created the angels. They then came to earth penetrating the surface and all else emerged from within. As for lighter less dense bodies, in there culture that's the form our soul takes upon our demise and before we reincarnate. God is also of this form including all manifestations there of.
 
Aussie Thoughts said:
There's a Catholic church here that's very proud of their record for converting those poor heathen Aborigines and saving them from sin. They even allowed the Aboriginal community to decorate the church with native artwork to boost attendance.

If you go there you'll see the Aboriginals with their children sitting calmly during the sermon. Afterward they often stay behind to look at the artwork. If you look closely though, you'll see that the artwork depicts the Aboriginal story of creation and some other dreamtime events. The only reason the native people are attending that church is to teach their children their own story and the church officials are oblivious to it. Bloody marvelous!
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Fantastic. I just love when the powers that be get beaten at their own game... :p
 
Namaste Jesus said:
Fantastic. I just love when the powers that be get beaten at their own game... :p
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My dad took Nanna Gymea and several Abby kids to the first service. When they came back I asked one of the kids what they had learned in Church. He told me he had learned about the Angel of creation. At first, I thought the Priest had actually used the term, Angel of creation, but then the little guy said, "No, he told us about some bloke called Mathew. Nanna Gymea told us about the Angel of creation from the pictures on the wall." My dad got the biggest kick out of that.
 
wil said:
Does Nanna or the family celebrate, worship, or believe in any of the old abo ways?
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They do, but in our area it's more symbolic than anything else. Now, in some of the remote areas the Abbies still do some seriously weird sh!t.

Celebrating a gal's first menstrual cycle for instance. Among the Aboriginals this is a cause for great joy and news spreads fast. In our region the occasion is marked by fresh baked cakes and pies or a trip to town for ice cream. Strange as that may seem, in the remote regions entire villages will gather to witness the event.
 
I think coming of age ceremonies are common in a lot of religions. It involves greater responsibilities in tribal cultures, and much more. As such, it is great cause for celebration. We Hindus, in private home ceremony, celebrate this one with the first sari, and in many communities it may be a quite expensive one at that.

I have no idea why other cultures often describe cultures other than the one they're familiar with as 'weird'. I guess it's normal, but I find 'weird' a bit derogatory. It's good to see it going both directions, from afar. Then you get a better handle on the bigger picture.
 
Senthil said:
I have no idea why other cultures often describe cultures other than the one they're familiar with as 'weird'. I guess it's normal, but I find 'weird' a bit derogatory.
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I'm quite familiar with Aboriginal culture and I still find it weird. It's not meant as derogatory though, just strange or different than one might expect coming from modern society. I actually like the idea of celebrating coming of age, but can you imagine what the media would do with a story involving a young girl being paraded naked in front of the neighbors so they could witness her first monthly?

That's nothing compared to what happens to the blokes in those remote tribal regions when they come of age. I'll spare you the gory details, but it involves a stone ax and a camp fire! :eek:
 
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