Dec 13, 2016
By JANET MYERS
ABORIGINAL DREAM TIME IN AUSTRALIA
The air around us reverberated with the deep tones of the didgeridoo and the Tjapukai aboriginals stamped and gyrated to its beat. Their ebony bodies adorned with traditional vibrant body art. Soon it was our turn to get painted and we felt the cool swish of a paint brush as it added colour to our faces. Bright bands of colour sourced from local materials; ochre and iron clay pigments of red, yellow and white, and black from charcoal. We felt part of something special and free of any encumbrance we might have brought with us.
Next it was time to take the flickering tiki lit pathway to the site where the fire ceremony would take place. With great dexterity a spark was kindled from a spinning stick which in turn lit a handful of dry vegetation. The fire was coaxed into life and soon flames were leaping high in the air. Then after much dancing and chanting a marksman took a bow and shot a lighted arrow into the darkness. It symbolised our entry into ‘dream time’ and our exploration into the longest continuous cultural history of any group of people on earth -between 50,000 and 65,000 years.
In story time we learnt that In the beginning all earth lay sleeping. Nothing moved and nothing grew. Then one day the Rainbow Serpent awoke from her deep slumber underground. She slithered and wended her way over the land creating awesome patterns with her long winding body. When she returned full circle she called to the fat frogs who were filled with water. She tickled them until they convulsed with laughter and the water within them gushed out and filled her winding tracks. These became the rivers and along their banks grew grass and trees. Animals and birds awoke and followed the rainbow serpent across the land. They were happy. The Rainbow Serpent made laws. Those that kept the laws were given human form. Those who broke the law were turned to stone. And so the dream time continues
Through song and dance we continued our journey as the ancient totems of the rainforest tribes of Queensland pounded their beat and the deep throated tones of the didgeridoo added base pulsating undertones. From the excitement of a kangaroo hunt to foraging in the forest, from primitive fishing with line and hook in the ocean to tribal art which exploded in colour and often included the characteristic dot effect which also adorned their dark glistening bodies. There was plenty on display and more adorned everyday items around us and now that we had learnt about dreamtime the stories they told took on a whole new meaning.
There was plenty of interaction and this new found freedom seemed a world away from life back in the hotel in Cairns. There was feasting with a selection of items which would not normally feature on our table. Many of which were unfamiliar. Fortunately they did not include wriggling grubs! Many were fresh berries and fruits which we found delicious; the like of which are now just a distant memory. Australia has many experiences to offer but an evening spent with its indigenous people was for me one of its highlights.
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About the Author
JANET MYERS
I've been around for a while and tend to live and think outside the box. Although I currently write mostly travel articles, a career in teaching, tourism, media, graphic design, house restoration and owning a restaurant are a few adventures along the way. They say that once bitten by the travel bug there is no known andidote and it seems in my case to be true. I've visited much of the planet, learnt a lot, met some great people, experienced different cultures and had some great adventures