The Aboriginal Dreamtime
The Aboriginal people believe that the earth and everything in it was made by their ancestral spirits. This is called the Dreamtime or the Dreaming. It was a time when the rivers, mountains, rocks, deserts and plants were made. According to the Aborigines, the Dreamtime is the time before men and women were created, when there was no earth and no sky. In the Dreamtime, sprits called Dreamings started to awaken and walk through the featureless land. They started to create the earth and the sky, man and woman. Every clan of Aborigines has their own stories about the Dreamtime and the Dreamings.
The Dreamtime stories are an important part of the Aboriginal culture. These stories tell how the land and animals etc came to be.
Task 1: (1 point)
- Watch the Dreamtime Story "The Rainbow Serpent" (the one on this page!)
- Summarise the story in less than ten sentences.
Task 2: (2 points)
- Why are stories told? Click on the buttons below to help you
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Why are stories important to the indigenous?
Task 3: (3 points)
- Find another Aboriginal dreamtime story that interests you by clicking the buttons below
- What does this dreamtime story mean? What is it’s message or meaning?
- Illustrate your summary with pictures that represent the Aboriginal myth/legend, don’t forget to write the title of the story.
Calculate your points for each task completed, record them and continue on your journey...
Goodluck!