"The stories of the Rainbow Serpent remain foremost at the heart of Aboriginal people, and should be for all people who live in Australia. These are stories of deep spiritual belief that connect us to the power of this country. They reflect a caring for country, and the cultural principles and laws that have remained steadfast and strong across millennia."
"The Rainbow Serpent presents this ancestral being, also known as Goorialla, as a huge and powerful force shaping the world, whose dramatic movements creates the landscape. The serpent is at once inspiring and frightening, causing people to flee and take the form of Australia's rich variety of birds and animal life including the form of emu, turkey, brolga, barramundi, tortoise and possum. The serpent creates the laws of human society and shows people how to perform ritual song and dance."
The Rainbow Serpent creation narrative originates with the Lardil people of Mornington Island in the Gulf of Carpentaria and expresses deep spiritual connection to place. The ancestral being Goorialla is portrayed as a vast, powerful force whose movements form the landscape and whose presence inspires both awe and fear. Many creatures and people transform in response to the serpent, becoming the region's varied animals and birds. The serpent establishes social laws, teaches ritual song and dance, and instructs people in caring for country and one another. The Rainbow Serpent continues to live in the life of its people as enduring ancient law.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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