Wisdom from the Earth: The Living Legacy of the Aboriginal Dreamtime

by Anna Voigt, Neville Drury

Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are the oldest continuous living traditions on Earth. This book celebrates the deeply felt relationships between these Aboriginal peoples, the land, and their sacred heritage of the Dreamtime.

All aspects of Aboriginal life derive their ultimate context from the Dreamtime—the primordial creation epoch that Aborigines have reenacted in ceremony since time immemorial—and from the essence they share with their Spirit Ancestors. This sacred source, known as the Law, underlies every activity of these people, fills all aspects of daily life with sacred purpose, and creates an enduring sense of connection for them to the land and to each other. Myth, kinship, song, dance and ceremony are all interwoven within a spiritual tradition that extends back into the timeless past and forward into an eternal future. Women and men occupy distinctly separate yet complementary spheres, each with its own unique traditions. And rituals celebrate every transition in life—from conception and birth, through entry into adulthood, to the ceremonies that make up "women's business" and "men's business," to the various stages of maturation, old age, and death.

Wisdom from the Earth illuminates many facets of Aboriginal cultures and explores a number of the major Dreamtime songlines, ceremonies, and other spiritual practices, through eighty-two stunning color photographs accompanied by text—including some unforgettable dialogues with Aboriginal elders.

Genres: Australia

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

Reviews

[Julie Bozza · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book that feels very genuine. The traditional beliefs and lives of the Australian Aboriginals are explored in easy-to-read detail, and a few whitefella misconceptions are succinctly laid to rest along the way. The Introduction provides a useful overview of the Aboriginals' history, including summaries of the main issues in how their culture relates to white Australian culture today. All of which is accompanied by some truly stunning photographs. Recommended for anyone interested in these peoples who are part of the longest continuous living culture in the world.

[Ishaan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book as part of some research (a personal curriculum?) that I’m doing on different cultural/spiritual approaches to conservation and the environment. I knew very little about Aboriginal Australian culture, and I learned so much from this book. I also want to mention just how beautiful of a book it is. It’s really good quality, and there are so many beautiful pieces of artwork included in the pages that make it a valuable resource and always engaging to turn the page. This book is mainly focused on the traditions of the Aboriginal people in the Arnhem Land and Kimberly regions of northern Australia, but there are a good amount of examples from all over Australia. It was really well researched, with plenty of direct quotes from Aboriginal elders and a very thorough bibliography. My favorite sections were chapter three “Sacred Earth, Sacred Land” and chapter four “Song Line, Music, and Dance”. That’s where I learned the most about the ways that Aboriginal myths are deeply tied to the environment. I also had never really heard about song lines before, and I found the idea of song lines as maps fascinating to learn about. The other sections in the book were focused more on gender, marriage, family structure, and coming of age in traditional Aboriginal culture, which isn’t necessarily why I picked up the book, but I still learned a lot. Since this book is from 1997, some of the information is probably out of date, but I’m really glad that this resource exists and that I was able to read it.