102,863
edits
Changes
From Nordan Symposia
Jump to navigationJump to searchNew page: Image:lighterstill.jpgright|frame The '''Rainbow Serpent''' (also known as the '''Rainbow Snake''') is an important mythological being ...
[[Image:lighterstill.jpg]][[Image:Aboriginal_Painting.jpg|right|frame]]
The '''Rainbow Serpent''' (also known as the '''Rainbow Snake''') is an important [[mythology|mythological]] being for [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people across [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia Australia], although the [[creation myth]]s associated with it are best known from northern Australia.
The Rainbow Serpent is seen as the inhabitant of permanent waterholes and is in control of life's most precious resource, [[water]]. He is the underlying [[Aboriginal mythology]] for the famous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback Outback] "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunyip bunyip]". He is the sometimes unpredictable Rainbow Serpent, who vies with the ever-reliable [[Sun]], that replenishes the stores of water, forming gullies and deep channels as he slithered across the landscape, allowing for the collection and distribution of water.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamtime Dreamtime] stories tell of the great Spirits during creation, in animal and human form they molded the barren and featureless [[earth]]. The Rainbow Serpent came from beneath the ground and created huge ridges, mountains and gorges as it pushed upward. The Rainbow Serpent is known as Ngalyod by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunwinggu Gunwinggu] and Borlung by the [[Miali]]. He is a serpent of immense proportions which inhabits deep permanent waterholes. (Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History ISBN 0-7018-1330-X)
Serpent stories vary according to environmental differences. Tribes of the monsoon areas depict an epic interaction of the Sun, Serpent and [[wind]] in their Dreamtime stories, whereas tribes of the central desert experience less drastic seasonal shifts and their stories reflect this.
It is known both as a benevolent protector of its people (the groups from the country around) and as a malevolent punisher of law breakers. The rainbow serpent's mythology is closely linked to [[Earth]], water, life, social relationships and [[fertility]].
There are innumerable names and stories associated with the serpent, all of which communicate the significance and [[power]] of this [[being]] within Aboriginal traditions.
The myth of the Rainbow serpent is sometimes associated with ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonambi_naracoortensis Wonambi naracoortensis]'', a large snake of the now extinct [[megafauna]] of Australia.
==References==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawlor,_Robert Lawlor, Robert] (1991). ''Voices Of The First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal dreamtime.'' Rochester, Vermont: [[Inner Traditions]] International, Ltd. ISBN 0-89281-355-5.
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/torwebster/?action=view¤t=rainbowserpent-website-sm2.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/torwebster/rainbowserpent-website-sm2.jpg
==External links==
* [http://www.nlc.org.au/html/abt_rainbow.html Explaining Northern Land Council's use of the Rainbow Serpent in its logo] Accessed 8 July 2008
* [http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/australia/jennifer.sumner.aborigines/myth1.htm A rainbow serpent myth accompanying Jimmy Njiminjuma bark painting ] Accessed 8 July 2008
*The Rainbow Serpent Project www.rainbowserpent.co.uk [http://www.rainbowserpent.co.uk link title]
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Religion]]
[[Category: Languages and Literature]]
The '''Rainbow Serpent''' (also known as the '''Rainbow Snake''') is an important [[mythology|mythological]] being for [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people across [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australia Australia], although the [[creation myth]]s associated with it are best known from northern Australia.
The Rainbow Serpent is seen as the inhabitant of permanent waterholes and is in control of life's most precious resource, [[water]]. He is the underlying [[Aboriginal mythology]] for the famous [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback Outback] "[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bunyip bunyip]". He is the sometimes unpredictable Rainbow Serpent, who vies with the ever-reliable [[Sun]], that replenishes the stores of water, forming gullies and deep channels as he slithered across the landscape, allowing for the collection and distribution of water.
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamtime Dreamtime] stories tell of the great Spirits during creation, in animal and human form they molded the barren and featureless [[earth]]. The Rainbow Serpent came from beneath the ground and created huge ridges, mountains and gorges as it pushed upward. The Rainbow Serpent is known as Ngalyod by the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunwinggu Gunwinggu] and Borlung by the [[Miali]]. He is a serpent of immense proportions which inhabits deep permanent waterholes. (Australian Dreaming: 40,000 Years of Aboriginal History ISBN 0-7018-1330-X)
Serpent stories vary according to environmental differences. Tribes of the monsoon areas depict an epic interaction of the Sun, Serpent and [[wind]] in their Dreamtime stories, whereas tribes of the central desert experience less drastic seasonal shifts and their stories reflect this.
It is known both as a benevolent protector of its people (the groups from the country around) and as a malevolent punisher of law breakers. The rainbow serpent's mythology is closely linked to [[Earth]], water, life, social relationships and [[fertility]].
There are innumerable names and stories associated with the serpent, all of which communicate the significance and [[power]] of this [[being]] within Aboriginal traditions.
The myth of the Rainbow serpent is sometimes associated with ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonambi_naracoortensis Wonambi naracoortensis]'', a large snake of the now extinct [[megafauna]] of Australia.
==References==
* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawlor,_Robert Lawlor, Robert] (1991). ''Voices Of The First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal dreamtime.'' Rochester, Vermont: [[Inner Traditions]] International, Ltd. ISBN 0-89281-355-5.
http://s87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/torwebster/?action=view¤t=rainbowserpent-website-sm2.jpg
http://i87.photobucket.com/albums/k153/torwebster/rainbowserpent-website-sm2.jpg
==External links==
* [http://www.nlc.org.au/html/abt_rainbow.html Explaining Northern Land Council's use of the Rainbow Serpent in its logo] Accessed 8 July 2008
* [http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/australia/jennifer.sumner.aborigines/myth1.htm A rainbow serpent myth accompanying Jimmy Njiminjuma bark painting ] Accessed 8 July 2008
*The Rainbow Serpent Project www.rainbowserpent.co.uk [http://www.rainbowserpent.co.uk link title]
[[Category: General Reference]]
[[Category: Religion]]
[[Category: Languages and Literature]]
