This classic resource is organized as follows: Chapter I: Origins The Customs and Traditions of Aboriginals The Story of the Creation The Coming of Mankind The Peewee’s Story The Eagle-hawk and the Crow The Birth of the Butterflies The Confusion of Tongues The Discovery and the Loss of the Secret of Fire The Moon The Wonderful Lizard The Lazy Goannas and what happened to them How the Selfish Goannas lost their Wives What some Aboriginal Carvings mean Chapter II: Animal Myths The Selfish Owl Why Frogs jump into the Water This is the legend of the frogs. Kinie Ger, the Native Cat The Porcupine and the Mountain Devil The Green Frog How the Tortoise got his Shell The Mischievous Crow and the Good he did Whowie The Flood and its Results How Spencer’s Gulf came into Existence Chapter III: Religion The Belief in a Great Spirit The Land of Perfection The Voice of the Great Spirit Witchcraft Chapter IV: Social Marriage Customs The Spirit of Help among the Aboriginals Ngia Ngiampe Hunting Fishing Sport Chapter V: Personal Myths Kirkin and Wyju The Love-story of the Two Sisters Cheeroonear The Keen Keeng Mr and Mrs Newal and their Dog Thardid Jimbo Palpinkalare Perindi and Harrimiah Bulpallungga Nurunderi's Wives Chirr-bookie, the Blue Crane Buthera and the Bat Yara-ma-yha-who The Origin of the Pleiades

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 starry birds, fishes, and dancing men that provided a backdrop to life Down Under for thousands of years have found a new popularity beyond Australia. With this colorful compilation of oral traditions, readers can savor the tales as they were told by their aboriginal narrators. Footnotes throughout the text clarify occasional obscurities, providing background on aboriginal life and customs as the need for explanation arises. For the most part, however, the author allows the myths to speak for themselves, without any attempt to support or disprove anthropological theories. The myths range in nature and tone from reverent recountings of the origins of the world and human life, to legends about the roots of religious and social customs, to fanciful and humorous animal fables. Unabridged republication of Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals, Ballantyne Press-Spottiswoode, Ballantyne & Co. Ltd., London, n.d., ca. 1930. Index. 63 black-and-white illustrations.

Collection of traditional Aboriginal stories from South Australia, written David Uniapon, an early Aboriginal activist, scientist, writer and preacher, who appears on the Australian $50 note. The stories originally appeared in 'Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals', but were attributed to W. Ramsay Smith, FRS, anthropologist and Chief Medical Officer of South Australia. For this edition the stories have been re-edited, with the cooperation of Uniapon's descendants, and for the first time appear as the work of their true author. The editors contribute a substantial introduction that gives the historical and cultural context of Uniapon's work, and the story of this publication. Includes photos, glossary and bibliography. Muecke is Professor of Cultural Studies in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Technology, Sydney. Previous works include 'Reading the Country' and 'Paperbark: A collection of Black Australian writing'. Shoemaker is Dean of Arts at the Australian National University. Previous works include 'Black Words, White Page' and 'Mudrooroo: A critical study'.

Aboriginals believe they have lived in Australia since the Dreamtime, the beginning of all creation, and archaeological evidence shows the land has been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Over this time, Aboriginal culture has grown a rich variety of mythologies in hundreds of different languages. Their unifying feature is a shared belief that the whole universe is alive, that we belong to the land and must care for it. This was the first book to collate and explain the many fascinating elements of Aboriginal culture: the song circles and stories, artefacts, landmarks, characters and customs.

This volume contains an illustrated collection of Australian Aborigine folklore, rewritten for a general audience. "Some Myths and Legends of the Australian Aborigines" is highly recommended for those with an interest in mythology and Australian Aboriginal culture, and it would make for a worthy addition to collections of allied literature. Contents include: "Why the Crow is Black", "How the Stars Were Made", "Rolla-Mano and the Evening Star.", "The Story of the Seven Sisters and the Faithful Lovers", "A Legend of the Sacred Bullroarer", "The Great Fight.", "The Flying Chip.", "Why Blackfellows Never Travel Alone - A Legend of the Wallaroo and Willy-Wagtail", etc. Many vintage books such as this are becoming increasingly rare and expensive. We are republishing this volume now in an affordable, modern, high-quality edition complete with a specially commissioned new introduction. First published in 1923.

For centuries, the spiritual life of the Australian Aborigines was concealed behind a veil of misunderstanding and prejudice. In this work, Cowan recounts some of the major myths and analyzes them in detail. The myth material stands alone, independent of Aboriginal culture, and through it we are offered an insight into the Paleolithic tradition.