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Cyclical time -

In Australian Aboriginal culture, time is considered cyclical. This contrasts with the Western concept of time, which recognizes a distinct past, present, and future.

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"Everywhen" -

The Dreaming are stories about how the universe came to be, and aren't limited to the past. They are considered as taking place "everywhen."

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"Everywhen" -

Taken at its simplest, everywhen means everywhere, at all times. In other words, it's the universal operation of Spirit, everywhere, throughout all time.

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Oldest cultures on Earth -

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures are the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. They have walked their lands for at least 60,000 years.

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Ancestors -

It's believed the Creator spirit and the ancestors reside in The Dreaming, or Spirit World, and that eventually when a person passes away, they go there, too.

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Lore -

The Dreaming is the basis for all the beliefs and lore that Aboriginal people live their lives by. It often involves stories about the supernatural, as well as heroic figures.

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Purpose -

These tales have a central purpose: to pass on the cultural values, knowledge, and belief systems in The Dreaming to the next generation.

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Artistic outlet -

The stories are told through multiple forms, not limited to spoken word but also song, dance, and painting. As it is a way of passing on cultural heritage, it's extremely important.

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A worldview -

The Dreaming is a term coined by anthropologists to describe this worldview. The Dreaming itself provides an explanation for Creation.

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A worldview -

This worldview contains blueprints for life, as well as rules and laws for living, including social relationships, religious activities, economic activities, art—the rules governing all the activities of life.

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Knowledge -

All knowledge is said to come from The Dreaming, and it's contained in two separate forms. The first is rock engravings, ground paintings, bark paintings, song, and dancing.

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Knowledge -

The second way the knowledge of The Dreaming is held and expressed is through story. Aboriginal people are grounded in a non-Western/European worldview.

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"Going through the law" -

There is a formal process of learning about The Dreaming called "going through the law" that some young men and women begin when they reach puberty.

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"Going through the law" -

This is a lifelong process of learning the knowledge of The Dreaming in a highly structured, formalized, and controlled manner.

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From the beginning -

The Dreaming is the belief that Aboriginal groups have been in Australia since the beginning. In the beginning, the land was flat and empty.

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From the beginning -

The Dreaming signifies the time when ancestral spirits came out of the Earth and down from the sky. Once there, they created and shaped rivers, forests, mountains, land formations, and desert.

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Ceremonies -

Their ceremonies also shaped the land, becoming rocks, trees, and plants that can still be seen. For instance, if a battle took place, the blood from the wounds of the Warriors would seep into the lands and become red ochre. The places of these ceremonies and battles are usually sacred.

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All other life-forms -

The spirits are also credited for creating all other life-forms, including birds, kangaroos, fish, and even people.

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The Dreaming and ethos -

Stories of The Dreaming are passed down to continue the narrative, but also ethos. Many legends underscore a clan's relationship to a particular animal or totem.

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The Dreaming and ethos -

That clan must look after the animal or totem as part of their stewardship to the natural world. Many Dreaming stories demonstrate a knowledge of the environment.

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Significant landforms -

Significant landforms feature prominently in The Dreaming, for example the Uluru. In Aboriginal culture there is a belief that the ancestors stay close to these sites.

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Time -

This is why time doesn't feature prominently in Aboriginal spirituality, because it's believed The Dreaming is still existing today.

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Characters -

Dreaming stories often contain flawed characters. These are designed to show children what they should and shouldn't do.

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Characters -

For example, a story will show greed and violence in a negative way, while promoting an approach of kindness and love.

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"Alcheringa" -

The term The Dreaming arose in the late 19th century. It's often disputed whether The Dreaming is an accurate translation of its origin word—alcheringa in Arandic.

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"Alcheringa" -

It's argued by some that the word translates better to "eternal" or "uncreated."

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Story reference -

Many stories in The Dreaming reference an extraordinary part of the landscape, which might only be known to a handful of Indigenous communities.

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Continuity -

At the heart of The Dreaming is the concept of continuity, the idea that things remain the same. Humans are carers of the land, not owners. Relationships are how things get done, and what people have is shared under this different worldview.

Sources: (Working with Indigenous Australians) (Deadly Story) (Britannica) (Twinkl)

See also: Australia's mythical creatures

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