Spiritual World

The Dreamtime is a term that describes unique stories and beliefs owned and held by different Australian Aboriginal groups. The history of the Dreamtime, word and its meanings, says something about the development of the ideas held about the Aboriginal world, and how they are expressed through art.

First of all the land (or country) is what defines Aboriginal people. Aboriginal people from the coast describe themselves as “saltwater people”, those from river areas are “freshwater people”, and those from central arid regions are “desert people”. “Country is not just a beautiful place, to us it is everything,” “It holds out stories, our religion, our customs and our ancestors.”

This is because Aboriginal peoples believe their ancestral spirits emerged from the earth and the sky. These ancestral beings are the hero-creators, and it’s through their journeys that Aboriginal people believe all living things are created. These creation forces are constantly present, hence the strong cultural connection between Aboriginal people, the land and place. In some places, the spirits who created the world are known as wandjina rain and

Dirawong and Bunjil. Similarly, the Arrernte people of central Australia believe that humanity originated from great superhuman ancestors who brought the sun, wind and rain as a result of breaking through the surface of the earth when waking from their slumber.

Some people describe the the Rainbow Serpent as an immortal being and creating God. They illustrate the importance and dominance of its presence within Aboriginal traditions. It is said to be the giver of life due to its connection to water; however, it can be a destructive force if enraged.

It is a timeless classic from the Dreamtime. There are innumerable names and stories associated with the Rainbow Serpent, all of which communicate the significance of this being within Aboriginal traditions. The stories tell how the Rainbow Serpent came from beneath the ground and created huge ridges, mountains and gorges as it pushed upward. The name also reflects the snake-like meandering of water across the landscape and the colour spectrum sometimes caused by sunlight hitting the water. Paintings of the Rainbow Serpent first appeared in art more than 6000 years ago, and perhaps as early as 8000 years before the present, as the seas rose after the last Ice Age. Today the Rainbow Serpent is associated with ceremonies concerning fertility and abundance, as well as the organisation of the community and peace keeping (see two serpent stories below, page 34).

According to the legend, the Rainbow Snake had been very bad. What he did is secret knowledge. A weeum ("cleverman", "man of high degree of initiation" or "man with great powers") named Nyimbunji from the area known as Bungawalbin called on Dirawong to help protect a yabbra (bird) from the Rainbow Serpent. Dirawong chased the Rainbow Serpent from inland eastward towards the coast and as they went they formed parts of the Richmond River. At Maniworkan they left the Richmond River and kept on going east. Halfway down the Evans River, Dirawong caught Rainbow Serpent. The Serpent turned around and bit Dirawong on the head. Dirawong then withdrew from the battle in order to eat some herbs and to recover from the snakebite. Meanwhile, Rainbow Serpent had reached Evans Head. Dirawong was nowhere to be seen, so Rainbow Serpent decided to go back west. He then went into the Evans River and coiled himself around and created Snake Island. As he turned, his body made a larger island in the river, now known as Pelican Island. When Rainbow Serpent spotted Dirawong heading towards him, he quickly turned round; and this time he kept going until he reached Burraga (the Tasman Sea), and transformed himself into an island, so Dirawong would not recognise him. Dirawong reached the coast at Evans Head. Dirawong then laid down next to the coast, facing the Burraga, waiting for Rainbow Serpent to come back. A deposit of red ochre at Goanna Headland originates from the wound where the Rainbow Serpent bit Dirawong.

The Wandjina are ancestral clan spirits with the Mowanjum, Aboriginals in the neighbourhood of Kimberley in Western Australia. Wandjina images are painted on the rock galleries and in caves throughout the region, marked in red and white ochre. The Wandjina images are painted in significant ritual sites for Aboriginal people of the region, and the paintings were traditionally repainted each decade to ensure the image was kept fresh and lively. These mythic beings are regarded also as powerful rainmaker spirits; they are held responsible for the formation of the landscape, human beings, animals and plants. They are prayed to and beseeched for an increase of fertility. Together with the Wandjina also the Gyorn Gyorn or pronounced Gwion Gwion are depicted as the ancestors of the Aboriginal people. (Wandjina: the word djinn is the name for a spirit in the Islamic religion. Any

The significance of the Wandjina story is shared by a number of language groups across the west and coastal areas of the Kimberley, including Ngarinyin, Worrorra, and Wunambul people. Wandjina is the most significant Creation Spirit, associated with rain and therefore the seasonal regeneration of the land and all natural resources. The body of Wandjina is often shown covered with dots that represent the rainfall. The cyclonic wet season brings rain to the Kimberley, and elements of the torrential rains, lightning and thunder are often included in the imagery around the head of the Wandjina. Ceremonial dances that pay homage to the Wandjina Rain Spirit can include headdresses that symbolically refer to lightning and thunder. The facial characteristics of Wandjina can be seen to represent climatic features. The eyes of the Wandjina can represent thunderstorms and even the line between the eyes resembles a nose, but is actually a power line which is used to transfer energy. Small brush marks on the Wandjina’s body usually represent rain drops. When depicted with only head and shoulders the Wandjina is said to be moving across the sky in a cloud or storm. A full-bodied Wandjina is said to be present walking the earth.

For people of Mowanjum community, near the town of Derby in the Kimberley, the Wandjina brought the law, the culture and the language of their people. Their Dreaming stories tell of the first Wandjina, called Idjair, who lives in the Milky Way and is the father of all Wandjinas. The Wandjina Wallungunder was Idjair's first son and he created the Earth and all life upon it. After that he created the first human beings, the Gyorn Gyorn people. Wallungunder travelled back to Idjair to bring back

more Wandjinas to give the Gyorn Gyorn people laws to live by. There are three Wandjinas which represent the three language groups of Mowanjum. They are Namarali for the Worrorra people, Wodjin or Wanalirri for the Ngarinyin people, and Rimijmarra for the Wunambul people. Some attempts to date the rock paintings of Wandjina in the Kimberley suggest that they may date back 4,000 years. The Wandjina images are often painted alongside much older images of Gwion Gwion (Bradshaw figures), that date back at least 18,000 years. While the Gwion Gwion paintings have been fused into the rock by millennial climate changes, the rock paintings of Wandjina are temporal and will deteriorate with the effects of fire, flooding, rainstorms and human and animal contact. Contemporary Aboriginal artists of the region continue to paint the Wandjina images on canvas, which allows the great Rain Maker image to move beyond his traditional Kimberley sites.

Mimis or Mimih spirits are fairy-like beings of Arnhem Land in the folklore of the Aboriginal Australians of northern Australia. They are described as having extremely thin and elongated bodies, so thin as to be in danger of breaking in case of a high wind. To avoid this, they usually spend most of their time living in shady rock crevices. According to Aboriginal folklore, Mimi had human form and made the first rock paintings before the Aboriginal people came to northern Australia. The Mimi taught the Aboriginal people how to paint, and how to hunt and cook kangaroo meat. The Mimi are considered to be mischievous but generally harmless.

Long ago in the Dreaming a young boy wanted to be a great hunter but he never had any success. Every day he watched enviously as the other tribesmen returned in triumph with their prey. One day he decided to leave camp and hunt for an Echidna, but no matter how hard he tried his efforts always came to nothing. As evening fell he sank wearily to his knees, disheartened by his lack of that moment when the sun went down, the Mimi spirits began to emerge from the shadows and cracks in the rocks. Every night they were busily engaged looking after the land and the animals of the bush.

When the boy first noticed the Mimi spirits he was worried, but he soon realised that they meant him no harm. In fact they were full of merriment and mischief and charmed him into following them back to their magical world among the rocks and

shadows. The boy grew to love the life of the fun-filled Mimi and in return they made him one of their own people.

However, back at his camp, the boy's father was sorely missing his son and set out to search for him. He was an experienced hunter who was able to follow the boys tracks but was mystified when they came to a dead end. So, without any other option, he sat down to pray for help from the spirits. He began to chant and chant, hour after hour, day after day, week after week until he was able to hear the Mimi spirits singing inside the rocks. The more he chanted the better he could hear them and what's more, he began to hear the voice of his son among them. With rising hope, he chanted louder and louder and for such a long time that his hair and beard grew and grew, over his shoulders hunting skills. Just at, down his chest, around his ankles, across the ground, and into the rocks where it wrapped tightly around his sons waist. With a mighty tug the father whipped him out of the Mimi's world like a fish on a line.

Although the boy had enjoyed life with the Mimi, he was so happy to be reunited with his own people. He recognised the great love that his father had shown by tracking him down and now understood that he was loved unconditionally for who he was and not for his skills at hunting or any other activity.

In the bark painting above by Anchor Barrbuwa Wurrkidj, a painter from Western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory, the white area represents the rock, while the red area represents a chamber inside the rock where the Mimi live.

Although the Mimi are spirits, they have a human form with matchstick thin bodies, a big head and long spindly arms and legs. They are usually portrayed carrying their weapons and tools, and accompanied by their pets: kangaroos, crocodiles, rock pythons, goannas, echidnas,fish, turtles, butterflies, birds and too many more to mention. They are very friendly spirits but can become angry if an outsider threatens one of their pets. The Mimi only come out at night to hunt, fish, cultivate the land and hold their ceremonies. Once the Aboriginal people were born, the Mimi taught them their hunting skills and how to manage fire for cooking and protection against the elements. They also taught them how to dance, sing and paint on rocks or bark. Much of the Aboriginal culture in Northern Australia respects the good example of the Mimi.