This document presents a traditional Aboriginal Dreamtime story about the Rainbow Serpent, a significant figure in Indigenous Australian mythology. The narrative describes how the Rainbow Serpent emerged from the earth, traveled across the land, and shaped the landscape by forming mountains, valleys, and rivers. It highlights the creation of lakes and rivers through the interaction between the Rainbow Serpent and the frogs. The story emphasizes the importance of laws set by the Rainbow Serpent for the animals and tribes living on the land. Those who obeyed were rewarded with human form, while those who disobeyed faced punishment. The document is structured as a narrative, suitable for educational purposes, and aims to convey cultural values and beliefs about land stewardship. It serves as a resource for understanding Aboriginal culture and storytelling traditions.
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The Rainbow Serpent
The following story is based on a traditional Aboriginal
Dreamtime story, involving the Rainbow Serpent.
Long, long ago in the Dreamtime, the Earth
lay flat and still. Nothing moved
and nothing grew. One day, a
beautiful snake awoke from her slumber
and came out from under the ground. This
snake was known as the Rainbow Serpent.
She travelled for a very long time, far and
wide. As she made her way across the land, her
body formed mountains, valleys and rivers.
The Rainbow Serpent was the Dreamtime
creature who shaped the Earth. After all
of her travelling, she grew tired. She
curled up and went to sleep.
After some rest, she returned to the place
that she had first appeared and called
out to the frogs, “Come out! The
frogs woke up very slowly because
they had so much water in their
bellies. The Rainbow Serpent tickled
their stomachs, and the water began
to fill the tracks that the Rainbow
Serpent had left. This is how the
lakes and rivers were formed.
After this, water, grass and trees began
to grow. All the other animals that lived in rocks, on the plains,
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The Rainbow Serpent
in the trees and the air began to wake up and follow the Rainbow
Serpent. They were all happy with the Earth.
The Rainbow Serpent made laws that they all had to obey. Some
did not like this and began to cause trouble. The Rainbow Serpent
said, “Those who obey will be rewarded; I shall give them human
form. But, for those who don’t, they will be punished and turned
to stone.”
The tribes of people lived together on the land given to them by
the Rainbow Serpent. They knew that the land would always
be theirs, as long as they took care of it. They believed that no
one should ever take it away from them.
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