Religion HSC NOTES
Religion and Belief Systems in Australia post-1945
1.1 Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualties
Kinship and the Dreaming
The Dreaming is the key concept underpinning all aspects of Aboriginal spirituality and, indeed, all facets of traditional Aboriginal life.
At its basis is an ancient event whereby the ‘sky heroes’ (ancestral spirit beings) formed everything upon the earth (oceans, mountains, rocks, insects, animals etc) from a featureless, never-ending plain.
Yet the dreaming exists in the present and future also.
It is an eternal, timeless cycle of metaphysical (supernatural) existence where humankind, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
Kinship is the fabric of traditional Aboriginal society, which is essentially one large extended family. Everybody is related through the complex web of the dreaming
Totems
Tribes are made up of clans, each descended from a spirit ancestor denoted by a totem (a kind of emblem, often an animal or bird).
The totem is considered to be a natural part of the region the clan originated from (their ‘belonging place”) and will be painted on their sacred objects
These objects represent the ongoing life force of the Dreaming and will be used at ceremonies
The totem unifies the clan under the leadership of the spirit ancestor and thereby creates a metaphysical connection with other clans bearing the same totem
Individuals also have their own specific totem
Aboriginal society believes the procreation was a dreaming event
It is held that human spirits inhabit the air and are ‘dreamt’ into a woman’s body at the behest of a totem
This creates a transcendent bond between a human and his/her totem as well as a dreaming kinship with other individuals bearing the same totem
Spirit ancestors
The spirit ancestors expect the members of these kinship groups to fulfill certain obligations
They are expected to obey the tribal laws and beliefs and to subordinate individual interests to the greater good of the community
Thus,
1.1 Contemporary Aboriginal Spiritualties
Kinship and the Dreaming
The Dreaming is the key concept underpinning all aspects of Aboriginal spirituality and, indeed, all facets of traditional Aboriginal life.
At its basis is an ancient event whereby the ‘sky heroes’ (ancestral spirit beings) formed everything upon the earth (oceans, mountains, rocks, insects, animals etc) from a featureless, never-ending plain.
Yet the dreaming exists in the present and future also.
It is an eternal, timeless cycle of metaphysical (supernatural) existence where humankind, physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing
Kinship is the fabric of traditional Aboriginal society, which is essentially one large extended family. Everybody is related through the complex web of the dreaming
Totems
Tribes are made up of clans, each descended from a spirit ancestor denoted by a totem (a kind of emblem, often an animal or bird).
The totem is considered to be a natural part of the region the clan originated from (their ‘belonging place”) and will be painted on their sacred objects
These objects represent the ongoing life force of the Dreaming and will be used at ceremonies
The totem unifies the clan under the leadership of the spirit ancestor and thereby creates a metaphysical connection with other clans bearing the same totem
Individuals also have their own specific totem
Aboriginal society believes the procreation was a dreaming event
It is held that human spirits inhabit the air and are ‘dreamt’ into a woman’s body at the behest of a totem
This creates a transcendent bond between a human and his/her totem as well as a dreaming kinship with other individuals bearing the same totem
Spirit ancestors
The spirit ancestors expect the members of these kinship groups to fulfill certain obligations
They are expected to obey the tribal laws and beliefs and to subordinate individual interests to the greater good of the community
Thus,