The Dreaming

Their culture heritage is also based on myths and legends.

Mount Uluru (or Ayers Rock), a larg sandstone rock formation in central Australia lying 335km South West of Alice Springs, is considered as a sacred land by the Arboriginal people of the area as it is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Unesco is now listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Those myths and legends are based on a what is called TJUKURRPA (translated as the Dreaming). It is their equivalent, in a way, of our Bible's stories, but there is no book existing that contains all its stories.

The Dreaming talks mainly about the creation of Earth. The Arboriginal World is divided into 3 parts : the physical world, with the land, animals and plants; the human world, with humans; and the sacred world, with spirits. This stories were transmitted through the years by ceremonies and paintings.

Mount Uluru

There are a number of accounts differing from each other and especially on the origins of Mount Uluru. One of them talks about the mountain built during the creation period by two boys who played in the mud after rain. When they had finished their game they travelled south to Wiputa ... Fighting together, the two boys made their way to the table topped Mount Conner, on top of which their bodies are preserved as boulders.

But often the creation of Earth is assigned to Warramirrungundjui, a sort of Godess who came out of water and created the first human being and then transformed herself into a rock.

There is also the story of the Rainbow Serpent, that is assigned to the creation of animals, ranges, and colours; and the story of Tagai that decided of the arboriginal constellations.

The Rainbow Serpent