Australian Creation Story Discussion
There are five main characteristics of creation stories. They are as follows: 1. To explain how life began, 2. To explain why things are the way they are in nature, 3. To establish a belief in a higher power, 4. To establish a moral code of conduct, and 5. They provide a sense of purpose and order for life.
1. How life began: In the beginning the earth was bare and plain. There was no life. The sun, moon, and stars slept beneath the earth with all the eternal ancestors. One day, the eternal ancestors broke through to the surface. They arose in dreamtime and wandered the earth, sometimes in anial form, sometimes in human shape, sometimes part human and animal, and sometimes part human and plant.
Two such beings, self-created out of nothing, were the Ungambikula. They wandered the earth and found half-made human beings. They were made of plants and animals and were shapeless bundles. The Ungambikula carved heads, bodies, legs, and arms out of the bundles and made faces, hands, and feet. That is how every man and woman was transfomed.
After the eternal ancestors were done with their work, the went back to sleep. Some went back underground and some became trees and rocks. Everywhere the ancestors went, they left traces of their presence in rocks, waterholes, and trees.
2. Why things are the way they are in nature: Rocks, trees, and other things in nature are from the ancestors who went back to sleep.
3. Belief in a higher power: The higher power in the Australian creation story would be and Ungambikula and the eternal ancestors.
4. A moral code of conduct: People should have allegiance to nature.
5. Provide a sense or purpose and order to life: They provided a sense of order to life by creating it. Before the carved the humans out of the bundles of nothing, there was no life.
Before God created anything on earth, it was dark and without void, just like before the Ungambikula awoke and created the humans in the Australian story, it was dark. God created everything, and when the Ungambikula awoke, somethings were already created. God created us out of dirt, and the Ungambikula created humans out of half-made humans. When the eternal ancestors were done with their work, they went back to sleep and God is still here with us. The eternal ancestors left sacred traces of their presence and we also have God's sacred presence with us. God was one and their were two Ungambikula who created the Australians.
Krista Walley, Enotris Armstrong, Ashley Jones, Nicole Baker
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9 comments:
This creation story was my original pick from the internet. I think group 1 did a good job relating the story. I have always found Australia interesting but I have never read anything on its creation myths.
this is well organized and pretty interesting. it's weird how all different types of people have their own way the world was created.
It's interesting how the god's are supposedly still around us and with us, but kind of disappointing that they would all now be inanimate and asleep. I can just picture myself knocking on a rock and saying, "Hey, are you in there? Wake up." What's the purpose in creating something if you don't hang around to enjoy it? (No offense to anyone reading this blog who might actually believe that).
I think this creation story is very interesting! I also think it is so weird that the god's are now asleep?? How do they worship sleeping god's?
Personally, I like this creation myth. It was very interesting how the humans were created. However, it is a little weird how they were carved out of "bundles."
I think group 1 did a nice job!! I have also always found Australia interesting and I think this story is neat. It was kinda weird how the humans were created though.
this was a good and interesting story. it took me along time to read it but it was good, but i only trust th way i was tought on how the world was created.
this story was well done and organized. it had its own way of creation.
I think group 1 did a good job. I had a hard time understanding this specific creation story, so I think they did very well to be able to break it down like they did.This creation story is now one of my favorites. .
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