Title: Australian Dreaming 40 000 Years of Aboriginal History

Author: Jennifer Isaacs

Description: According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is known today - human, animal, bird and fish - is part of one vast, unchanging network of relationships which can be traced back to the great Spirit Ancestors. The Ancestors are responsible for the era of Creation and for the whole pattern of life as Aboriginal people know it today. They govern the seasons and therefore the growth of natural vegetation. They also govern the natural reproduction of animal species and the cycle of life from birth to death..

The Dreaming continues in the spritual lives of Aboriginal people today. The events of the ancient era of Creation are enacted in ceremonies and danced in mime form. Song-poetry that is chanted incessantly to the accompanimentof didgeridoo or clapsticks, relates thestory of the events of those early times and brings the power of the Dreaming to bear on life today.

Australian Dreaming is the first Aboriginal history of the Australian continent and its people, as told by the Aboriginal story-tellers. Though traditionalmyths and legends, it gives an explanation of the formationof the landscape and creation of many outstanding geographical features. It recounts epic travels of the great Spirit Ancestors and tells how they created the animals and plants and gave birth to the earliest people of this land. Ir tells, also, how the Ancestors taught the Aboriginal people how to live in harmony with nature and how to behave towards one another, thus setting the pattern of Aboriginal culture which has survived for over 40 000 years.

This is a reprint of a classic: the first history of Australia by Aboriginal story-tellers.

Cover: Quality hard cover

Pages: 304

Language: English

Book Dimensions: 33.5cm x 24cm