306
she pledged to turn those who
obeyed her into humans and those
who did not into stone. The serpent
kept her word and gave those she
transformed into humans a totem of
the creature they had previously
been, such as kangaroo, emu, and
carpet snake. The human tribes
then began to distinguish
themselves by their totems.
To ensure there was enough
food for everyone, the Rainbow
Snake forbade the people fromTHE DREAMING
The joyful cries of Australian
magpies at daybreak are a celebration
of their success in creating the first
dawn, according to the Wathaurong
people of southwest Victoria.longer sticks and pushed them up
until the sky locked into place. The
sun then appeared in the first ever
dawn, prompting the birds to burst
into joyful song.Creating a river
The Yorta Yorta people, who have
traditionally occupied an area in
northeastern Victoria and southern
New South Wales, recount a story
that explains the formation of the
Murray River, Australia’s longest
watercourse. At the time of
creation, Baiame, a creator spirit,A fearsome Rainbow Serpent
bristling with sharp teeth decorates
the roof of a cavern in a sandstone
overhang at Mount Borradaile,
Arnhem Land, Northern Territory.eating the creatures that their
totems symbolized. This belief
partly explains why totems are
such a significant part of
Aboriginal cultural identity.First dawn
Many Dreamtime stories describe
the origin of natural phenomena
and the formation of particular
landmarks. The Wathaurong people
of southwest Victoria, for example,
have a Dreaming story that
explains the origin of the sunrise.
They say that the sky once covered
the earth like a blanket, blocking
out the sun’s light and making
everyone crawl around in the dark.
The clever magpies decided to do
something about the situation.
They collected long sticks in their
beaks and, working together,
pushed them against the sky until
they had lifted it up. However, the
sticks were not strong and the sky
was in danger of collapsing. Acting
quickly, the magpies grabbed evenThe Rainbow Serpent
One of the most important
characters in the Dreaming
stories of many mainland
Aboriginal groups, the Rainbow
Serpent is often connected
with watercourses, such as
billabongs (a pond left behind
after a river changes course),
rivers, creeks, and waterholes.
It is considered to be the source
of all life and the protector of the
land and its people.
Stories vary among the
tribes, depending on local
climatic conditions. Those ofthe monsoon areas, for example,
link the Rainbow Serpent to the
rain and wind. Its connection to
climate can make the serpent a
destructive force.
The Rainbow Serpent’s
mythology is further linked to
social relationships and fertility.
It is often featured in ceremonies
marking young men’s transition
from adolescence to adulthood.We are all visitors to this
time, this place. We are just
passing through. Our purpose
here is to observe, to learn,
to grow, to love ... and then we
return home.
Aboriginal sayingUS_302-307_The-Dreaming.indd 306 06/12/17 3:01 pm
307
Mount Elephant, a landmark in the
Goldfields region of Victoria, is said
by the Tyakoort Wooroong people to
be the body of a man turned into stone
after a bloody fightsaw an old woman, Gumuk Winga,
with an empty coolamon (carrying
vessel). The old woman appeared
hungry, so Baiame suggested that
she go search for yams. Picking up
her digging stick, the old woman
set out, accompanied by her dog.
Gumuk Winga walked and walked,
but could not find any yams. As
time went on, she became weary
and slowed down, dragging her
digging stick through the earth.
Day had turned to night, but still
there was no sign of any yams.
Baiame waited for Gumuk
Winga, but she did not return.
Eventually the spirit summoned the
Rainbow Serpent, who was
sleeping beneath the earth, and
asked him to search for the old
woman and bring her back safely.
Almudj set off, following the marks
left by the old woman’s digging
stick. The snake’s body moved
gracefully across the land, leaving
deep crevices in the hills andvalleys. The rainbow colors from
Baiame’s body covered the trees,
plants, birds, butterflies, and all
other creatures.
All of a sudden, Baiame called
out loudly. Thunder cracked,
lightning flashed across the sky,
and rain fell. It rained for days, and
the crevices left by Almudj filled up
with water. When the rain stopped
and the mist cleared, the Murray
River—called Dungala by the Yorta
Yorta people—was formed.Battle of the mountains
The Tyakoort Woorrong people
of southwestern Victoria have
another story about how the
landscape around them was
created. They relate that the area’s
two most prominent mountains,
Mount Elephant and Mount
Buninyong, were once men.
Elephant had a stone axe, which
Buninyong coveted. When
Buninyong offered some goldOCEANIA
in exchange for the axe, Elephant
accepted. The two men met at
present-day Pitfield Diggings
(a former mining site southwest
of Ballarat) and made the swap.
Later, however, Buninyong
decided that he no longer needed
the axe and wanted to get back
his gold. When Elephant refused
to return it, Buninyong challenged
him to a duel at the same spot
where they had met.
No sooner had the fight got
underway than Elephant put his
spear through Buninyong’s side.
Moments later, however, Buninyong
struck Elephant’s head with his
stone axe. The two wounded men
staggered off in opposite directions
and soon both died. Their bodies
turned into mountains. On the
side of Mount Buninyong, a hole
symbolizes the cut made with
Elephant’s spear, while another
hole on the top of Mount Elephant
represents Buninyong’s deadly
blow to Elephant’s head. ■The elders guard the Law
and the Law guards the
people. This is the Law that
comes from the mountain.
The mountain teaches
the Dreaming.
Guboo Ted Thomas
Aboriginal leader (1909–2002)US_302-307_The-Dreaming.indd 307 06/12/17 3:01 pm