susimusic

Aboriginal people believe that in the Dreamtime the traditional Aboriginal way of life was established by these mythical Beings: this way of life is still followed in traditional Aboriginal society today. They believe that their ancestors were taught about their tribal lands by the mythical Beings, and were told how they, as descendants of these Beings, should behave. This was their Dreamtime and this teaching is as important to them as the "Ten commandments were to the ancient Hebrews. The Dreamtime ended, no one knows how or why, and time and life, as we know it, began. For Aboriginal people the land has a very special meaning for all over the land there are features which are reminders of those giant Beings of the Dreamtime. When they see a mountain or river, a rock or a tree, they think of the mythical Beings that had a part in their own creation. The Aboriginals believe that they are directly descended from these mythical Being. When the Dreamtime ended, the people were left with a social and cultural heritage which came from their ancestors. All the rites and ceremonies are, and always were, aimed at preserving this heritage. Their ancestors from the Dreamtime also gave them possession of tribal lands, and hence tribal land, and all forms of life contained within it, are regarded as a sacred trust.

The Beginning Of Life - Story

In the Dreamtime all the earth lay sleeping. Nothing grew. Nothing moved. Everything was quiet and still. The animals, birds and reptiles lay sleeping under earth's crust
Then one day the Rainbow Serpent woke from her slumber and pushed her way through the earth's crust, moving the stones that lay in her way. When she emerged, She looked about and travelled over the land, going in all directions. She travelled far and wide, and when she grew tired she curled herself into a heap and slept. Upon the earth she left her winding tracks and the imprint of her sleeping body. When she had travelled all the earth, she returned to the place where she had first appeared and called to the frogs, "Come out!"
The frogs were very slow to come out from beneath the earth's crust, for their bellies were heavy with water which they had stored in their sleep. The Rainbow Serpent tickled their stomachs, and when the frogs laughed the water ran all over the earth to fill the tracks of the serpents wanderings - and that is how the lakes and rivers were formed.
Then the grass began to grow, and trees sprang up,and so life began on earth.
All the animals, birds and reptiles awoke and followed the Rainbow Serpent, the Mother of Life, across the land. The kangaroo, wallaby and emu tribes lived on the plains. The reptile tribes lived among the rocks and stones, and the bird tribes flew through the air and lived in the trees.
The Rainbow Serpent made laws and she said, "To those who keep my laws I shall reward. I will give them a human form. They and their children, and their children's children shall roam the earth forever. But those who break my laws I shall turn to stone."
Those who obeyed her laws she turned into humans but those who disappeared became the rocks of the earth.

Aborigine Dreamtime Meditation
Instrumental Runtime: 16 minutes

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Jason recording the didge for Susimusic

Jason Salmon is a professional Didgeridoo player from Brighton