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.
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>.
