Aboriginal people are very religious and spiritual, but rather than praying to a single god they cannot see, each group generally believes in a number of different deities, whose image is often depicted in some tangible, recognisable form.
In Australian Aboriginal mythology, Baiame (or Biame, Baayami, Baayama or Byamee) was the creator god and sky father in the Dreaming of several Aboriginal Australian peoples of south-eastern Australia, such as the Wonnarua, Kamilaroi, Guringay, Eora, Darkinjung, and Wiradjuri peoples.
Dreamtime is the foundation of Aboriginal religion and culture. It dates back some 65,000 years. It is the story of events that have happened, how the universe came to be, how human beings were created and how their Creator intended for humans to function within the world as they knew it.
Terms to know animism- the belief that all things have souls and spirits that live after death polytheistic- the belief in multiple gods monotheistic- the belief in one god reincarnation- the belief that an individual is reborn in another body after death totems- a method of preventing marriage between relatives.
Through systems of totemic belief, individuals and groups are linked in many different ways to both the things of nature and the all-powerful beings of the spiritual realm. Totemic beliefs are more highly elaborated among Aboriginal people than among any other people.
The Dreaming is used to represent Aboriginal concepts of Everywhen, during which the land was inhabited by ancestral figures, often of heroic proportions or with supernatural abilities. These figures were often distinct from gods, as they did not control the material world and were not worshipped but only revered.
Aboriginal people are very religious and spiritual, but rather than praying to a single god they cannot see, each group generally believes in a number of different deities, whose image is often depicted in some tangible, recognisable form.
An Aboriginal person's soul or spirit is believed to "continue on after our physical form has passed through death", explains Eddie Kneebone. After the death of an Aboriginal person their spirit returns to the Dreamtime from where it will return through birth as a human, an animal, a plant or a rock.
It is believed that our Creator Spirits and Ancestors reside there and that we too will eventually go there when we pass away. The Dreaming is the basis for all the beliefs and Lore that we as Aboriginal people chose to live our lives by.
To the Anishinaabe, Mother Earth is both the physical manifestation and embodiment of creation, and the Great Spirit Manitou who created it. Walking in harmony with the world is extremely important to the Anishinaabe culture and explains, in part, why there are so many Aboriginal people in constant distress these days.
Hinduism has been called the oldest religion in the world. The word Hindu is an exonym although many practitioners refer to their religion as Sanātana Dharma (Sanskrit: सनातन धर्म, lit.
There are Aboriginal Catholic Ministries in every State and Territory of Australia. These services can provide support in incorporating the gifts of Aboriginal culture, rituals and symbols into liturgy and the spiritual life of the school. Contact details for these ministries can be found here.
The word bunyip is usually translated by Aboriginal Australians today as "devil" or "evil spirit".
The Mimi are tall, thin beings that live in the rocky ridges of northern Australia as spirits. Before the coming of Aboriginal people they had human forms. When Aboriginal people first came to northern Australia, the Mimi taught them how to hunt and cook kangaroos and other animals.
Uluru is considered sacred to the Aboriginal people as it is known to protect ancient spirits of the region. In this sense, Uluru is deeply important to the Aboriginal cultural identity. As the creation of Uluru is central to Adnoartina's story, this deity is regarded as an important figure in the Aboriginal culture.
Why is this so? The tradition not to depict dead people or voice their (first) names is very old. Traditional law across Australia said that a dead person's name could not be said because you would recall and disturb their spirit.
In many areas of Indigenous Australia, reproduction of the names and photographs of deceased people is restricted during a period of mourning. The length of this time varies and is determined by the community.
Corroborees/Rituals
Ceremonies including corroborees and rituals, are held frequently and for many different reasons. These include mythological (Dreamtime) stories outside of initiation and within, secret events at sacred sites, home comings, births and deaths.
Aboriginal Death Beliefs
When it comes to the dead, most tribes traditionally believed that the spirit needed to go to the Land of the Dead. Notions of heaven and hell though, were not a part of their beliefs. So the idea of an Aboriginal afterlife with rewards or punishment does not exist.
Christianity has influenced Aboriginal spirituality in many ways, and many Aboriginal people are Christians. Aboriginal and Christian spirituality can sometimes peacefully coexist in the same person's belief system, and churches open up to this change.
Indigenous Australian religion
Aboriginal Australian religious practices associated with the Dreaming have been practised for tens of thousands of years.
The trimurti collapses the three gods into a single form with three faces. Each god is in charge of one aspect of creation, with Brahma as creator, Vishnu as preserver, and Shiva as destroyer.
In Arrernte mythology, Karora is a bandicoot ancestral deity. According to one legend, during the Dreamtime Karora lay sleeping in the earth when from his head rose a tall pole called a tnatantja.
Lizards are part of the Dreaming stories that relate to the creation of the natural world and to the role of Ancestors and humans in that world. The Thorny Lizard or Mountain Devil Lizard plays a major role in the Dreaming story of Central Australia. Artists represent the landscape that the Lizard Ancestor created.