From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. WikiProject Australia or the Australia Portal may be able to help recruit one. If a more appropriate WikiProject or portal exists, please adjust this template accordingly.

Indigenous Australians can be classified into about 400 separate language groups, each of which has a distinct culture. For this reason it is incorrect to classify any attribute as universal to them as a whole. However, almost all the belief systems found seem to be what can be considered a polytheistic, animistic religion. Instead of 'Gods', words like Creator Spirits, Culture Heroes, or Aboriginal Ancestral Spirit are more often used.

Many similarities between the groups may be seen:

• The Australian Aboriginal cultures are based on nature in every aspect. Many of their mythological beings are commonly known right across Australia, a prominent example being the Rainbow Serpent.
• Humans are very much part of the land, and are associated with particular places.
• Another similarity is the so-called "Dreamtime". It is often thought of as the time in which the world was created, but correctly describes the process of the world being called into being. Another general explanation can be seen in anthropologist Max Charlesworth's reference to the Indigenous Australian "Dreamtime" as the ability to 'see with eternal vision' ^[1]. However, the word Dreamtime is now sometimes discouraged, as it implies a time which has now passed, whereas many Indigenous Australians maintain that The Dreaming time is still with us for those with eyes to see, and also included the future, and so it is now more commonly referred to as the Dreaming. In the Dreaming, there is no clear separation between humans and animals, and several of the spirits are able to change from human form to animal form at will, although clear distinctions are often made between "Dreamtime beings" and living animals and humans.
• Dreaming paths or songlines describe the path taken by the Ancestral Spirits during the Dreaming. As they travelled along these paths, they "sang" the rocks, plants, and animals into existence. These paths are sacred, and there are songs and ceremonies that describe the journeys along these paths. Particular places along the path (e.g. Ubirr) are especially sacred, and often considered dangerous for uninitiated people, children, or those of the wrong sex to visit.

Hiatt, L.R. (1974) Australian Aboriginal Mythology. (AIAS, Canberra)

• Lawlor, Robert (1991). Voices Of The First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal dreamtime. Rochester, Vermont: Inner Traditions International, Ltd. ISBN 0-89281-355-5