Mysteries of the dream-time - the spiritual life of Australian Aborigines

137 Pages·1992·3.735 MB·English

by  Cowan, James

‘Cowan’s work raises questions and stirs our spiritual consciousness’.
W. Lambrecht, Parabola

‘James Cowan brings with him quite another kind of understanding’.
Kathleen Raine, Resurgence

MYSTERIES OF
THE DREAM-TIME
THE SPIRITUAL LIFE
OF AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINES
JAMES COWAN
Revised edition

PRISM • UNITY
First published in Great Britain in 1989 and reprinted 1990.
This new edition published 1992 by
PRISM PRESS
2 South Street, Bridport,
Dorset DT6 3NQ

Distributed in the USA by
AVERY PUBLISHING GROUP INC.,
120 Old Broadway, Garden City Park, New York NY 11040

Published in Australia by
UNITY PRESS,
6a Ortona Road, Lindfield,
NSW 2070

1 85327 077 6

© 1989, 1992 James Cowan
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any
form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the
publishers.

Printed and bound in the Channel Islands
by The Guernsey Press Company Limited.
Contents

Introduction 1
1. Spiritual Discipline and Psychic Power 5
2. Landscape as Tradition and Metaphor 23
3. The Dream journey 43
4. Pilgrimage of the Soul 57
5. Nature as Numen 71
6. The Metaphysics of Space 87
7. The World of Totems 105
8. Solitude and Community 117
9. Towards a New Dreaming 129
Select Bibliography 139
Index 141

7
For Richard Dickinson
frater
8
Photographs

1. A view from one of the caves in Obiri Rock, Arnhemland
Escarpment area. Many of these caves have been overpainted by
successive generations since the first inhabitants arrived over the land
bridge from Asia, 50,000 years ago. Obiri Rock, like Nourlangie and
Uluru (Ayers Rock), is an ‘Open-air Cathedral’ recording the sacred
images of the Aboriginal culture.

2. Lightning Man, Nourlangie Rock. Note the tiny axeheads protruding
from his body and limbs. These, clashing against the heavens, create
lightning during the rainy season, a pontifical statement nevertheless
from the Dreaming.

3. Lightning Man, Namargin, painted in the X-ray style unique to this
region of Australia. His ‘inner’ body is revealed in its physiological
exactitude as well as a patterned work of art.

4. Barramundi fish and Spirit Figures, Nourlangie Rock. Without facial
expression, these Spirit Figures are iconic representations of spirit types
rather than individual people.

5. Male tribesman painted in the ‘stick’ style, an earlier style to that of
X-ray. He is carrying hunting equipment such as spears and a stone axe,
as well as dilly bags.

6. Part of the main frieze, Nourlangie Rock, depicting a confrontation
between Lighting Man and his wife (top figure) arid Namanjolk, a
malign Spirit Figure. This frieze was retouched by Barramundi Charlie
some 20 years ago. Since then he has died. It is unlikely that any of his
friends have the technical expertise to renew this remarkable painting.
Unfortunately, ritual renewal by surviving members of the tribe has so
far failed to re-occur. If this situation should continue, then the djang of
this important hot place will eventually diminish.

7. Barramundi fish and female Spirit Figure painted in the X-ray style,
Nourlangie Rock.

8. Sea turtle painted in the X-ray style. Turtles are speared in the ocean
off the coast of Arnhemland.

Photographs by Colin Board