According to aboriginal tradition, history begins with the Dreamtime. A period long ago before time began, but is still with us now. In Aboriginal view, time is not linear. There are no words for past or future. Instead, events are often placed in time according to their importance to the individual or community with more important events perceived as being closer to the present. The Aboriginal people’s traditional beliefs state that their origins lie in the Dreamtime and it is the concept of the Dreamtime that links the many different Aboriginal people and their spiritual paths.
In the Dreamtime, a lot happened. The very first beings were told to have emerged from the Earth, from the sky or from the seas. Known by many different names, these beings are often referred to as ‘Ancestors’ or ‘Ancestral Spirits’. Everything was made in the Dreamtime. The first beings that emerged from the earth shaped it with their bodies. They made everything, the rocks, the mountains, plants and the animals. The Ancestors made the Aboriginals as well, and left certain sights to show which places are sacred.
The Ancestors assumed the form of humans, animals and super humans and moved through the grey, featureless landscape. Shaping it with their bodies, they created humans, animals, plants and lots of stories. Throughout the Dreamtime, the Ancestors deposited Guruwari seeds into the ground which are known as the ‘seeds of life’.
During the Ancestors travels, they dropped Guruwari seeds. These were the seeds of life. The Guruwari seeds exist through the generations and through them our day to day life is linked with life in the Dreamtime. Eventually the Ancestors grew tired and returned beneath the land, the places of where they returned being sacred. This marked the end of the dreamtime. The Aboriginal Dreamtime is connected with the land. The land is not interchangeable, and every part of it has its own unique connections with the Ancestors who walked there, named it and created it. Through the Guruwari, the Aboriginal people have a strong connection with the ancestors and with the land.
Traditionally, the Aboriginals use ritual as a way of making direct contact with their Ancestors. The initiation ritual often recreates episodes from the Dreamtime through dance, music and a variety of art forms such as body painting. There are also many different specific rituals such as funeral rituals.
In the Dreamtime, a lot happened. The very first beings were told to have emerged from the Earth, from the sky or from the seas. Known by many different names, these beings are often referred to as ‘Ancestors’ or ‘Ancestral Spirits’. Everything was made in the Dreamtime. The first beings that emerged from the earth shaped it with their bodies. They made everything, the rocks, the mountains, plants and the animals. The Ancestors made the Aboriginals as well, and left certain sights to show which places are sacred.
The Ancestors assumed the form of humans, animals and super humans and moved through the grey, featureless landscape. Shaping it with their bodies, they created humans, animals, plants and lots of stories. Throughout the Dreamtime, the Ancestors deposited Guruwari seeds into the ground which are known as the ‘seeds of life’.
During the Ancestors travels, they dropped Guruwari seeds. These were the seeds of life. The Guruwari seeds exist through the generations and through them our day to day life is linked with life in the Dreamtime. Eventually the Ancestors grew tired and returned beneath the land, the places of where they returned being sacred. This marked the end of the dreamtime. The Aboriginal Dreamtime is connected with the land. The land is not interchangeable, and every part of it has its own unique connections with the Ancestors who walked there, named it and created it. Through the Guruwari, the Aboriginal people have a strong connection with the ancestors and with the land.
Traditionally, the Aboriginals use ritual as a way of making direct contact with their Ancestors. The initiation ritual often recreates episodes from the Dreamtime through dance, music and a variety of art forms such as body painting. There are also many different specific rituals such as funeral rituals.