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Starlore was passed down from generation to generation through the teachings and storytelling of the Elders. There are songs for every event including: hunting, funerals, seasons, animals, and landscapes. Stories of the Dreaming were told around campfires, where things of concern were also discussed and important information relayed. Dreaming law and lore told the tribe about their spiritual history, how to treat each other, and how to conduct their daily life. Suitable punishments for individual transgressions of these tribal and totemic laws were determined by knowledgeable Elders. Storytelling and Song often accompanied by dance movements have been a central element of Aboriginal Australian life since the beginning of time.
The story of the
Aboriginals is in the land; the law is imprinted upon their sacred spaces. The
Dreaming Tracks distinguish all features of the land created by their Spirit
Ancestors as they travelled across it.
These songlines are the footprints of their Spirit Ancestors as they sang Beingness into the landscape, setting the law. Elders are respected by the clans and the tribe because they pass on the traditional stories and skills. The Elders use every available opportunity to teach the children about their way of life and their relationship to the sacred world. Stories are told as they walk to the waterholes, as they grind seeds, and as they sit around the campfire. In Aboriginal kinship stories, the rules for relationships between people are delineated. They provide the Dreaming Tracks and the law of the land. The songlines of the Dreaming Tracks have one characteristic melodic form throughout, even songs depicting the travells of an ancestor across thousands of miles.
Dreamtime songs are a
series of short verses that describe happenings or locations associated with
ancestors. Ceremonial songs include portrayal of pertinent occurrences with
dance movements... Continue on
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