Aborigine Myths and Legends

by W. Ramsay Smith

Book Overview

For many of their campfire tales, the aboriginal people of Australia looked to the skies, where they found a twinkling text of morals and stories within their own version of the zodiac. Today, the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0091850398
• ISBN13: 9780091850395
• Release Date: January 1996
• Publisher: Trafalgar Square
• Length: 356 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.5" x 1.0" x 5.2"

Customer Reviews

Ancient Stories; Familiar Themes...

Myth and Legends of the Australian Aborigines is an interesting little book that would make a great resource for anyone who studies (or teaches!) mythology, social studies, anthropology, and / or comparative cultures at the high school and college levels. (I suggest 10th grade and above because of the content and vocabulary. The book would be an appropriate supplemental text in a college survey course related to the social sciences and / or Humanities.) The book is worth reading because it succeeds in connecting readers to Australian themes, and it fosters historical-mindedness as well as cultural appreciation. The book is divided into these five chapters: I. Origins This section introduces readers to the customs and traditions of the Aborigines, which establishes a genuine feel for their thinking, communicating, rites of passage, and didactic storytelling. Sketches depict important items such as bull-roarers, bowls, knives, masks, and other ornaments. In this chapter, "The Story of Creation," "The Coming of Mankind," "The Confusion of Tongues," "The Secret of Fire," and "The Birth of the Butterflies" are included among other thought-provoking tales. II. Animal Myths Stories in this section include "The Selfish Owl," "Why Frog Jumps into the Water," "Kinie Ger, the Native Cat," "The Porcupine and the Mountain Devil," "The Green Frog," "How the Tortoise Got His Shell," "The Mischievous Crow," "Whowie," "The Flood and Its Results," and "The Origin of Spencer's Gulf." III. Religion This section includes information on the Aboriginal beliefs in a Great Spirit and the son of the Great Spirit. Stories include "The Land of Perfection," "The Voice of the Great Spirit," and "Witchcraft." The Witchcraft section is quite long and discusses topics such as rain-making, medicine-men, Wirrie, crystals, tribal conflict, the Munkumbole, among others. IV. Social This section discusses at some length marriage customs, social / tribal relationships, social / tribal responsibilities and duties, hunting, fishing, and sports. V. Personal Myths The section contains "Kirkin and Wyju," "The Love Story of the Two Sisters," "Cheeroonear," "The Keen Keeng," "Palpinkalare," "Yara-ma-Yha-Who," and "The Origin of the Pleiades" ---among others. The book includes an informative Preface and Index as well. The book's font is clear, dark, and easy to see, especially for folks who wear eyeglasses. The black and white illustrations sprinkled throughout the book enhance the text with meaningful, memorable visuals. Footnotes offer additional explanations to intriguing cultural curiosities. NOTE: Student readers (high school levels especially) may need to keep dictionaries on hand as they read the book. Here are some samples of the potential vocabulary challenges in this book: subterranean, precept, epitome, acclimatized, emu, precipice, reverence, sentinels, waddies, goannas, totem, amends, sultry, rills, limpid, enthrall, adder, advocates, billabongs, lagoon, deftly...