Australia. Guide to Australia

To understand the structure of society Aboriginal, first of all you need to know a good specificity and strength of religious feeling, permeate its structure. Particularly evident influence of religion in relation to the land. Ownership of land in the European sense of the aborigines there was no. The territory passed from generation to generation. Most land is owned by its inhabitants, and not vice versa. After all, she served as the abode of the spirits of ancestors, laid the beginning of beginnings; Land was seen as something more than entrusted to the care of the tribe, and not for practical use.

Delivery (groups of people, related to the origin from a common ancestor) jealously guarded traditional habitats, along with magical rituals, totems and songs.

Religion had great magical powers, embodied in the mythology, songs, and carried a strong emotional charge in the ceremonies, often colorfully decorated. Religion entirely subordinate to adulthood native, he gave her a lot of time and effort, performing various rituals, fully mobilizing their intelligence on memorizing myths, cycles of songs, ceremonies and artful ornaments, accompanying the performance of each rite. Religion demanded absolute faith in the real value of all worship.

The basis of Aboriginal religious cult was the idea of ​​a "Great Time", when the earth was flat, and awakened from the dream characters marked the beginning of life on earth. This idea of ​​living in the stories of the spirits of ancestors, and related details formed the basis of social order.

Gone to heaven heroes have left the standards of conduct, Aborigines were strict. Any violation or failure to comply with them could bring retribution: deprive the offending food or rain. Myths have lived for centuries, imprinting in the most important rituals. Acts of the great hero of the heavenly Bialig celebrated Aboriginal area New South Wales. This character was named Bundzhila known natives of central and western Victoria, as Biamban, Goin, Nurelli-populations of other regions.

In the lower reaches of the river Murray there was a belief in the rainbow-serpent, appear in the sky during a rain. She was ordered to rejuvenate the land. The image of Mother Earth, as the mighty creature from the world of the ancestors, existed among the Aboriginal Northern Australia and adjacent islands. Her children, spirits were "ancestors" of the various tribes. The legend about her was the basis for the emergence of complex ritual cycle.

Similar rituals were distributed in the habitat areas of other tribes furious passion, and different performance. The time they were appointed elders. Rituals were in the nature of dramatic dramatizations of various myths, where the central place was given to concepts, chants and dances. Members perfectly aware of their role, and the whole ceremony was poured into an impressive performance, where the actors, it seemed, themselves turned into powerful, revered ancestors. The ceremonies took place in secret places, with outsiders and women they are not allowed, They scare away a special Christmas tree gud (Ratchet) - A small plaque with a flat piece of wire at the end of.

An integral part of rituals, ornament drawing totemiche-ray values ​​in the body of participants, as well as the surrounding rock, land and sacred objects. For this purpose, ocher, human blood and bird feathers. Participant's head was crowned with the decoration of grass, leaves and human hair. All this created a strong and vivid impression.