Many places in Australia are sacred to the Aboriginals. Uluru for example is believed to be the final resting place of the Rainbow Serpent, a mighty ancestoral figure. All around the monolith sacred places are decorated by colorful drawings, some depicting ancestoral figures, some dreamtime stories some episodes from daily life. These galleries allow a glimpse into a fascinating past.
Though the Aboriginals did not develop an alphabet in our sense of speaking, their paintings tell their stories to those who are able to read them. Besides carrying over the traditions of former generations, often these stories enable the Aboriginals to survive in an environment seemingly hostile for human beings. Below some common symbols from the Adyamathana men from the Flinders Ranges have been collected.
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Trails of these icons symbolize emu (warratyi) and wallaby (Andu) tracks. |  |
This is a goanna, a large lizard. In central Australia sometimes these animals can be found sunbathing in the middle of the road. |
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A circle stands for a campsite (Arngu). Many symbols show their meaning from a birds eye view. |  |
Concentric circles stand for a waterhole (Awl) or a spring. The more circles the symbol has, the larger the waterhole. |
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This is a Yura man (Yuramiru). Sometimes a man is just depicted by a half-circle showing him from above sitting. |  |
Now this is the Yura woman (Yuraatu). |  |
These concentric half-circles stand for a fixed shelter or a cave (Widlaya). |  |
A boomerang (Wadna) is used as a hunting weapon and as a ceremonial object. Not all boomerangs return! |
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The Gathering of people during an initiation ceremony. The circles are representatives of the initiates mother and auntie of the opposite kin group. the initiate enters the circle and is smoked by burning varti vaka (native plumb bush) |  |
The initiate running through the circle of women and throwing a spear, decorated with feathers, backwards to be caught by a waiting initiated man. |  |
At this stage of the ceremony all the nonŠinitiates run into the middle of the ceremonial ground and are ritually beaten by an older initiated man. |
| Sometimes symbols are combined in larger drawings or pictures, often telling a whole story. As a small example, an animal passing by a camp on the way to water may appear like this: |  |
The ochre colors used for the paintings are made from natural sandstone found in ochre pits in colors ranging from almost white or bright yellow over red to dark brown and black. As the colors are soluble in water, they can only be applied in dry, sheltered places as found in Uluru or Kakadu NP. In open places, the paintings often have been replaced by carvings. The sample shown below is from Wallace Rockhole, an Aboriginal settlement near an old permanent waterhole.
These rock carvings are not only an art object but can be used to find the
way through the desert from waterhole to waterhole. Permanent waterholes
landmark the crossing of songlines and are central points in the life and
culture of the desert people.
Join now a warp to Kakadu national park to visit
the Anbangbang Gallery.
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