The Myth of The Rainbow Serpent

In Australia, there is a myth that has been told over many ages and still exists today.  The myth is the story of the creation of the earth and an explanation of the origins of people.  The aboriginal myth of the rainbow serpent is an ancient story and significant part of the historical culture of Australia. The story of the rainbow serpent has slight differences dependent on where it is told in Australia. However, the main aspects of the myth of the rainbow serpent remain unchanged. The myth of the rainbow serpent traces its roots so far back that it is speculated that it may be the world’s oldest ongoing religious tradition.

As the myth goes, the earth was in dream time and everything lay asleep. Nothing grew or moved. Then the rainbow serpent awoke and began to slither around the earth in all directions. As the serpent traveled, it left its tracks imprinted in the earth. When it had traveled the whole earth, it returned to the center where it had come from.  The serpent called out to the frogs urging them to come out of the earth.  The frogs slowly came to the surface, full of water they had stored in their sleep.  The serpent tickled bellies of the frogs and when they laughed their water spread over the earth filling the trenches formed by the serpents travel. With this water, grass began to appear and trees grew across the earth. Life on earth began and all of the birds, reptiles, and mammals followed the rainbow serpent, the mother of life, to the surface of the earth.  They were all happy and hunted for food in with their tribe. The earth was full of life. The rainbow serpent created laws for all animals to follow. However, there were some animals that caused trouble and refused to obey the rainbow serpent’s laws. This angered the serpent and he scolded the animals by saying, “those who keep my law I shall reward well, I will give them a human form. They and their children’s children shall roam this earth forever. This shall be their land. Those who break my law I shall punish. They shall be turned to stone, never to walk the earth again.” So those who broke the law were turned to stone and became mountains and hills. While those that obeyed the law were given a human form and a totem of the animal they originated from. Tribes formed under their totems and so that no one tribe would starve, the rainbow serpent decreed that no one should eat from their own totem. Thanks to this, there was food for all. So the tribes lived on the land given to them by the Rainbow serpent; the earth mother.

 

In some versions of the myth of the rainbow serpent, there are two serpents, one male and one female, that create the world. The male serpent known as Ngolyod is the transformer of the land. Ngolyod is credited with making bodies of water and mountains and hills. The female serpent known as Yingarna is the mother of life. Females have the amazing ability to create new life which is why, in the myth, the female serpent Is responsible for bringing life to the earth.

This myth of the rainbow serpent is extremely important to the aboriginal culture of Australia. The myth tells the story of how the earth and it inhabitants came into existence. As for any religion, the story of origin is significant to understanding the rest of that religion. The myth not only explains the origin of the people but it tells of the creation of the land. By showing how the perfect the world is in origin, the myth sets a goal of how life should be for all living creatures. Stories of origin also have a main character or powerful being that creates the world. When the rainbow serpent first awakens, the world is motionless and lifeless. The serpent travels across the land, changing the landscape and making the geography of the earth. The serpent fills its tracks with water, making all the rivers and other bodies of water. The serpent’s law to the animals has two effects on the earth. By rewarding the loyal animals, the serpent creates the first people who classify themselves by tribes.  The animals that rebel and disobey the law are turned to mountains. The creation of the land and all geography is explained through the rainbow serpent myth.

 This myth also helps observers understand the tribal nature of the society that the religion came from. From this myth, one can perceive that the culture of the religion is strongly based on tribes. The origins of the tribes of the land are explained through the serpent’s law. The myth tells of how each tribe received its totem from the serpent. Each tribe’s totem is representative of the animal from which they descend. The rainbow serpent myth also explains that the tribes live in harmony for two reasons. The first is that the serpent gave each tribe land that cannot be taken away and secondly, the rule that no tribe shall eat from its own totem helps ration food for each tribe. With plenty of food and land that is undisputable, there is no conflict between the tribes.  The designation of land and food act as a social economic standard for the culture of the religion.

 The myth of the Rainbow serpent is chalked full of symbolism. The serpent itself is a symbol of many different ideas. Fertility is one of the major associations made with the rainbow serpent. The idea of fertility is present in every aspect of the myth like the creation of the earth, animal and plants. The serpent is also the reason there is floods. The floods are thought to be punishment given out by the serpent for transgressing against its law. The serpent holds an important position for both punisher and mother of life.

The myth of the rainbow serpent is not only an interesting story, but a looking glass into the culture of the aborigines of Australia. This myth is one of the longest ongoing religious traditions that is still told and celebrated today. The story of the rainbow serpent explains the origins of animals, humans, mountains, rivers, and even tribes. This all-encompassing myth focuses on the rainbow serpent and how it created the world.

                 Works Cited

JJabocrack. "Legend of Rainbow Serpent." YouTube. YouTube, 27 Apr. 2009. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-r0Nh_IEAn4>.

"The Rainbow Serpent." Rainbow Serpent and the Dreamtime. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/rainbow.php>.

"The Rainbow Serpent." The Rainbow Serpent. Web. 09 May 2012. <http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/australia/jennifer.sumner.aborigines/MYTH1.HTM>.