1 what was the rainbow serpent myth course

The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is an immortal being and creating God in Aboriginal Mythology. It is a popular image in the art of Aboriginal Australia. It is the shape of a rainbow and a snake.

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What does the Rainbow Serpent teach?

Water and the Rainbow Serpent Different stories emphasise different relations with water, which can be associated with rain, the giver of life, but is also something strong and potentially destructive, to be feared and respected. The Rainbow Serpentis usually (but not always) associated with water.

What is the Rainbow Serpent dance about?

When we come together and dance the path of the Rainbow Serpent it is a recollection of our past and a map into the future. The ancestors and spirits are still resting and healing all the damage brought to our countries but when they returned language and Law to us they healed the lands, waters and people.

Where did the rainbow serpent myth originate?

Though the concept of the Rainbow Serpent has existed for a very long time in Aboriginal Australian cultures, it was introduced to the wider world through the work of anthropologists.

Why is the rainbow serpent called the Rainbow Serpent?

Rainbows are believed to be the serpent snaking from one watering hole to the next, replenishing waterholes around the country. This is the explanation given as to why some sources of water never dry up even during times of great drought. It represents the life-giving value of water as well as the cycle of the seasons.

Why is it called the Rainbow Serpent?

The Rainbow Serpent got its name because Aboriginal people believed that the rainbow in the sky was a sign that the Rainbow Serpent was traveling f...

What's the moral of the Rainbow Serpent?

There is no single moral to the Rainbow Serpent, in the way that myths and fables in the western tradition have them. The story of the Rainbow Serp...

What is a Rainbow Serpent?

The Rainbow Serpent is a creator god and the most important figure in Aboriginal Mythology. There are many different stories told of the Rainbow Se...

What is the Rainbow Serpent's mythology?

The Rainbow Serpent's mythology is closely linked to land, water, life, social relationships, and fertility. The Rainbow Serpent often takes part in transitions from adolescence to adulthood for young men and swallows them to vomit them up later.

What is the rainbow serpent?

For the loa in Vodou, see Ayida-Weddo. Australian Aboriginal rock painting of the "Rainbow Serpent". The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is a common deity often seen as a creator god, known by numerous names in different Australian Aboriginal languages by the many different Aboriginal peoples. It a common motif in the art and religion ...

How did the Rainbow Serpent create the landscape of Australia?

Another tale is told in Dick Roughsey 's children's book, which tells how the Rainbow Serpent creates the landscape of Australia by thrashing about and, by tricking and swallowing two boys, ends up creating the population of Australia by various animal, insect, and plant species.

What is the significance of the rainbow serpent?

The serpent is viewed as a giver of life through its association with water, but can be a destructive force if angry. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most common and well-known Aboriginal stories and is of great importance to Aboriginal society. Not all of the myths of the ancestral being link a rainbow with the snake and not all describe ...

How was Wolfe Creek created?

This story explains how the Wolfe Creek Crater, or Kandimalal, was created by a star falling from heaven, creating a crater in which a Rainbow Serpent took up residence , though in some versions it is the Serpent which falls from heaven and creates the crater.

What is the most common motif in Rainbow Serpent?

The most common Rainbow Serpent myth is the story of the Wawalag or Wagilag sisters. According to legend, the sisters are travelling together when the older sister gives birth, and her blood flows to a waterhole ...

What does the serpent have on its head?

The serpent is sometimes ascribed with a having crest or a mane or on its head, or being bearded as well.

What is the significance of the rainbow serpent?

It is one of the oldest continuing religious beliefs in the world and continues to be a cultural influence today.

Where did the rainbow serpent come from?

The Rainbow Serpent came from beneath the ground and created huge ridges, mountains, and gorges as it pushed upward. The Rainbow Serpent is understood to be of immense proportions and inhabits deep permanent waterholes and is in control of life's most precious resource, water.

How was Wolfe Creek created?

This story explains how the Wolfe Creek Crater, or Kandimalal, was created by a star falling from heaven, creating a crater in which a Rainbow Serpent took up residence , though in some versions it is the Serpent which falls from heaven and creates the crater.

Why is the rainbow serpent drawn mouth open?

Some rock art has been discovered in which the Rainbow Serpent was drawn mouth open and tongue out to represent the vaginal opening and streaming menstrual blood.

How did the Rainbow Serpent influence modern culture?

The Rainbow Serpent, in addition to the continuation of traditional beliefs (which can be the subject of religious controversy), is often referenced in modern culture by providing inspiration for art, film, literature, music, religion, and social movements.

What is the serpent mythology?

There are many names and stories associated with the serpent, all of which communicate the significance and power of this being within Aboriginal mythology. It is viewed as a giver of life, through its association with water, but can be a destructive force if angry.

What is the rainbow snake?

The Rainbow Serpent or Rainbow Snake is a common deity (also known as numerous other names in different Australian Aboriginal languages) often seen as a creator god and a common motif in the art and religion of Aboriginal Australia. Not all of the myths of the ancestral being link a rainbow with the snake, and not all describe the being as a snake, ...

What was the rainbow serpent's dream?

The Rainbow Serpent. At the beginning of the Dreamtime, the earth was flat and dry and empty. There were no trees, no rivers, no animals and no grass. It was a dry and flat land. One day, Goorialla, the rainbow serpent woke from his sleep and set off to find his tribe.

Why did the sailor turn his body into a big arc of beautiful colours?

He hid in the sky away from the people chasing him and he saw their sadness at losing these two young men . He decided to try and make them happy again so turned his body into a big arc of beautiful colours.

What did Goorialla call frogs?

Goorialla lay in the sand all alone until he decided to create more life in the world. He called “Frogs, come out!” and frogs rose out of the ground with their bellies full of the water they stored.

What happens if animals disobey the rules?

The animals that disobey the rules will be punished. ”. Some animals followed the rules and were rewarded by being turned into humans. Other animals disobeyed the rules and were turned into the stone that makes the mountains. One day, it started to rain. And it rained like it had never rained before.

Where did animals live?

Some animals lived in the sea, swimming back and forward. Some animals lived in the sky, flying with their friends to distant places. Some animals lived on the land, digging and playing in the sand. They were happy and gathered food and water to bring back to their own tribes.

What snake did Bruce find?

They find a taipan, which Bruce calls "one of the world's most venomous snakes."

What is a rainbow made of?

A rainbow is a multicolored arc made by light striking water droplets.

Why is the rainbow serpent important?

The Rainbow Snake is held in respect because of the ability to renew life by shedding the skin and emerging anew. Aboriginal myths about the rainbow serpent often describe a fearful creature that swallows humans only to regurgitate them, transformed by her blood.

What do rainbow serpents sing?

Rainbow Serpent Rituals. People pay great respect to the Rainbow Serpent, especially as they approach a waterhole. They will sing out the Spirit from distance away, telling that they are coming to the waterhole, telling what their intentions are.

Why are rainbow snakes forbidden?

Often certain activities are forbidden at these places for fear that the wrath of the great snake will cause sickness, accidents and even tempests. This is not always the case however and there are many Rainbow Serpent sites today ...

What is the longest uninterrupted mythological tradition in the world?

By painting this figure on bark today, Aboriginal people are carrying on the longest uninterrupted mythological tradition in the world, which has been the subject of art and ceremo ny for possibly thousands of years. It remains as one of the oldest and continuous religious beliefs for human kind, and its images continue to be painted by Aboriginal artists today.

What is the rainbow serpent?

The Rainbow Serpent is a huge python-like creature. [2] However, the color of the creature tends to vary - some say that this creature is celestial blue, others say that it is multicolored, and others say it had yellow and red stripes down its body.1 The variations in color is due to the fact that there are many different areas that have the rainbow serpent as a part of their mythology - Australia, Congo, Dahomey, Haiti, Melanesia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, and Polynesia. [2]

What is the symbolism behind the rainbow serpent?

Although this creature bears different names, the basic symbolism behind this creature remains the same: one of a dual nature. Many different religions have at least one creature with a dual nature, and for these mythologies the Rainbow Serpent is just that.

Why is the rainbow serpent a symbol of rebirth?

[3] Why is this particular creature in so many different mythologies? Perhaps it is because the mythology spread; but this is doubtful, as the areas are at different sides of the world. It is most probably due to the mystery of the rainbow itself, which could have spurred on the need for such a myth. [1]

Why is the rainbow serpent greedy?

it was said that the rainbow serpent was a greedy creature, which held all the waters and vegetation of the world because the humans did not need it. Although many tried to persuade or slay the dragon in order to obtain the vegetation and water, it was to no avail. So, a shaman transformed himself into a beautiful creature and flew around the rainbow snake, thus distracting it. Then, the Rainbow Serpent was slain and the vegetation and waters of the world were released. There are many different names for the rainbow serpent. Read more about the Rainbow Serpent within Australian myth. [3]

Is the Rainbow Serpent a good dragon?

Much like Chinese dragons, the Rainbow Serpent was often seen as a good being that provided for humans. However, they, again much like Chinese dragons, were said to cause mass destruction if provoked to do so. This led many to see this creature as something to love and fear. The connection between the Rainbow Serpent and Chinese dragons is still unknown. [1]