Wisdom from the Earth: The Living Legacy of the Aboriginal DreamtimeAustralian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are the oldest continuous living traditions on Earth. This book celebrates the deeply felt relationships between these Aboriginal peoples, the land, and their sacred heritage of the Dreamtime. All aspects of Aboriginal life derive their ultimate context from the Dreamtime--the primordial creation epoch that Aborigines have reenacted in ceremony since time immemorial--and from the essence they share with their Spirit Ancestors. This sacred source, known as the Law, underlies every activity of these people, fills all aspects of daily life with sacred purpose, and creates an enduring sense of connection for them to the land and to each other. Myth, kinship, song, dance and ceremony are all interwoven within a spiritual tradition that extends back into the timeless past and forward into an eternal future. Women and men occupy distinctly separate yet complementary spheres, each with its own unique traditions. And rituals celebrate every transition in life--from conception and birth, through entry into adulthood, to the ceremonies that make up "women's business" and "men's business," to the various stages of maturation, old age, and death. Wisdom from the Earth illuminates many facets of Aboriginal cultures and explores a number of the major Dreamtime songlines, ceremonies, and other spiritual practices, through eighty-two stunning color photographs accompanied by text--including some unforgettable dialogues with Aboriginal elders. |
From inside the book
Results 1-3 of 46
Page 119
... child is born . In the Great Victoria Desert , for example , a man will endeavour to have his wife give birth to their children within his own ' country ' - preferably close to a site or song line track associated with a totemic ...
... child is born . In the Great Victoria Desert , for example , a man will endeavour to have his wife give birth to their children within his own ' country ' - preferably close to a site or song line track associated with a totemic ...
Page 162
... children may be visible around the campfire but disappear when you get too close . A woman who wishes to give birth to a spirit child may go to one or other of the spirit places and perhaps swim in the waterhole or river and sit there ...
... children may be visible around the campfire but disappear when you get too close . A woman who wishes to give birth to a spirit child may go to one or other of the spirit places and perhaps swim in the waterhole or river and sit there ...
Page 166
... CHILD ― In addition to all the mythic and totemic considerations referred to earlier , the importance of the child's link with the land can also be seen through the bestowing of names . Individual names are usually given by senior ...
... CHILD ― In addition to all the mythic and totemic considerations referred to earlier , the importance of the child's link with the land can also be seen through the bestowing of names . Individual names are usually given by senior ...
Contents
CONTENTS | 6 |
Creation | 22 |
Myths of the Eternal Dreamtime | 41 |
Copyright | |
7 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
Aboriginal cultures Aboriginal groups Aboriginal spiritual Aboriginal women animals Anna Voigt Arnhem Land Arrernte artist associated awelye Berndt body bush camp Central Australia child circumcision clan Coo-ee Aboriginal Art Courtesy of Coo-ee Creation custodians dance Diane Bell dilly bags Djan'kawu djang Dreaming track Earth elders female fire ground Gunwinggu hunting Ibid initiation Jiritja kangaroo Karora Kimberley knowledge Kukatja kunapipi Kunwinjku Library The University linked living male moiety mother Mount Allen Mudrooroo myth mythic mythology Nakarra Nakarra Namarrkon Ngalyod Ngarinyin Northern Territory Oodgeroo Noonuccal painting performed Pitjantjatjara plant Rainbow Serpent regions relationship rites ritual and ceremony rock role Rover Thomas sacred ritual sacred sites SANTA CRUZ senior Law singing sisters skin name snake song cycle song lines specific Spirit Ancestors symbolic tjurunga totemic traditional Aboriginal tribes University Library Wandjina Warlpiri waterholes Western Australia wunggud yawulyu yilpinji Yolngu
References to this book
The Dictionary of the Esoteric: 3000 Entries on the Mystical and Occult ... Nevill Drury Limited preview - 2004 |