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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''' (also known as the '''Rainbow Snake''') is an important [[mythology|mythological]] being for [[Indigenous Australians|Aboriginal]] people across [https://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.

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 [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Outback Outback] "[https://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)

[https://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 [https://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.

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.

There are innumerable names and stories associated with the serpent, all of which communicate the significance and [[power]] of this [[being]] within Aboriginal traditions.

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.

The myth of the Rainbow serpent is sometimes associated with ''[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wonambi_naracoortensis Wonambi naracoortensis]'', a large snake of the now extinct [[megafauna]] of Australia.

==References==

==References==

* [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawlor,_Robert Lawlor, Robert] (1991). ''Voices Of The First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal dreamtime.'' Rochester, Vermont: [[Bear & Co.|Inner Traditions]] International, Ltd. ISBN 0-89281-355-5.

* [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawlor,_Robert Lawlor, Robert] (1991). ''Voices Of The First Day: Awakening in the Aboriginal dreamtime.'' Rochester, Vermont: [[Bear & Co.|Inner Traditions]] International, Ltd. ISBN 0-89281-355-5.

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==External links==

==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

* [https://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

* [https://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]

*The Rainbow Serpent Project www.rainbowserpent.co.uk [https://www.rainbowserpent.co.uk link title]