Australian Aboriginal Beliefs and Spiritualities - The Dreaming Flashcards
The Dreaming is
Aboriginal spiritual beliefs about the creation and existence of the world, believing in the connection of all life today human, animal or plant to the ancestral spirit beings of the Dreaming.
The nature of the Dreaming in relation to the origins of the Universe
The Dreaming includes explanations of the origins of the universe, that is, how the world came into being through the actions of their ancestral spirit beings, the creation of the physical world and the animals and plants, which inhabit this world.
The nature of the Dreaming in relation to sacred sites
The Dreaming is inextricably connected to the land, as the land is the physical medium through which the Dreaming is lived and communicated. Whilst all land is important to all Aboriginal people, particular sites, known as sacred sites, have a special significance for particular Aboriginal groups as they are connected with different events in the Dreaming.
The nature of the Dreaming in relation to stories of the Dreaming
Stories from the Dreaming describe Aboriginal Law and Lifestyle. The Dreaming is often described through stories which dictate the Ancestor Spirits moved through the land, creating features that are visible today
The nature of the Dreaming in relation to symbolism and art
Art is a very important method of communicating the Dreaming because it illustrates the actions of the Ancestor Spirits in the Land
Metatemporal
A concept, which incorporates the past, present, and future reality as a complete and present reality.
Diversity of the Dreaming
There are about 900 Aboriginal nations within Australia
which leads to Dreaming stories differing.
These differences are outworked in the specific ritual actions for within each group.
These ceremonies honour the ancestral totems, bringing the Dreaming into the present (metatemporality).
Totem
A totem is usually a plant or animal that represents a person or groups connection to the ancestral beings within the land.
Kinship
The complex system of belonging and responsibility within a clan. Not only is it based on familial relationships but also links with ones totem.
The importance of the Dreaming for the life of Aboriginal people.
The Dreaming is important for Aboriginal people as it provides guidance for how one should live their life (obligations to land, kinship, laws, rituals and ceremonies) what happens after death and law (responsibility to land and kinship).
Ancestral beings
are spirit entities from the early days of the world, according to the Dreamtime of Australia’s aboriginal tribes.
Inextricable
Impossible to seperate
Inextricable connection
The land, dreaming, people (past, present, future) and identity of Aboriginal people are inextricably connected. These elements cannot be separated.
