Home » Culture & Society » Legends & Folklore » Myths

The Australian Rainbow Serpent

Ranked #940 in Culture & Society, #22,949 overall

An Important Dragon of Creation Mythology

The Australian Aboriginal people believe the universe has two aspects - the physical world in which we live and another connected world from which it is derived called the Dreamtime. One of the most important dragons of creation mythology is the Australian Rainbow Serpent, its symbol being the rainbow bridging Heaven and Earth. For more information on the original painting Australian Rainbow Serpent by Susanne Iles please visit: http://www.susanneiles.com/rainbow.html.

If you enjoy this piece you may also enjoy the expanded article entitled The Dragon and Creation: Reclaiming the Sacred in Our Lives by Susanne Iles which may be found at http://www.bonesinger.com/essaycreate.html

The Australian Rainbow Serpent by Susanne Iles

The Australian Aboriginal people believe the universe has two aspects - the physical world in which we live and another connected world from which it is derived called the Dreamtime.

One of the most important dragons of creation mythology is the Australian Rainbow Serpent, its symbol being the rainbow bridging Heaven and Earth. Given the Dreamtime is connected to our world, the creation story of the Ancestors and their mythical past is simultaneously the creation of the present and our future. According to Aboriginal cosmology the link must be maintained if our future is to be made manifest.

There are as many legends of the Rainbow Serpent as there are tribes of people, but the common elements can be found as follows.

Dreamtime

Creation

The All-Mighty Creator formed the Earth and the heavens. However, at the time of creation the Earth in the Dreamtime was flat, colourless and desolate. The Rainbow Serpent descended from the sky and moved over the face of the Earth creating deep valleys and rivers, nourishing the planet and giving it form. Some legends tell the story of the Rainbow Serpent populating the world with plants, humans and animals.Other versions tell of the great serpent calling out to all the living creatures of the planet to come out of hiding and enjoy the land. The wise serpent taught them the laws of community, structure, ethics and respect.

By embracing our mythical past and remembering the wisdom of our ancestors we can re-create the sacred trust between Heaven and Earth to ensure a future for humankind.

Would You Like to Learn More? Australian Rainbow Serpent Links

Aboriginal Dreaming
The Rainbow Serpent came from Northern Australia in an era when the country was in its dreaming
origins.
Rainbow Serpent
Rainbow Serpent Wikipedia entry.
The Rainbow Serpent
Aboriginal Art Online offers quality paintings and limited edition prints by Australian Aboriginal artists - together with information and comment about Aboriginal art, cultures and society.
The Great Rainbow Serpent
"The country was flat. Goorialla, the great Rainbow Serpent, stirred and set off to look for his own tribe. He travelled across Australia from South to North. He reached Cape York where he stopped and made a big red mountain called Naralullgan. He listened to the wind and heard only voices speaking strange languages..."
Kakadu National Park: Ubirr Art Site
Rainbow Serpents, or Rainbow Snakes, are powerful Creation Ancestors that are known to many Aboriginal people throughout Australia. They are believed to be one of the oldest artistic symbols used in the world and seem to hold value and power wherever they are depicted.

The Rainbow Serpent Has Many Names

There are as many names for the Rainbow Serpent as there are tribes in Australia. Some of the names are listed below:

Rainbow Serpent Names

Recommended Reading

Loading

Australian Rainbow Serpent, Painting by Susanne Iles

Rainbow Serpent painting by Susanne Iles

Original artwork available at http://www.susanneiles.com

SusanneIles.Com Blog

Reconnecting Our Natural World With The Divine

Current news and information about Susanne and her art studio in Castletownbere, Ireland.
Loading

I'd Love to Hear from You

Please leave a message

  • tcorbs Mar 15, 2012 @ 2:43 pm | delete
    Never heard of the Australian rainbow serpent, interesting mythological creature!
  • TTMall Mar 5, 2012 @ 4:41 pm | delete
    Very informative lens. Well done!
  • bloomingrose Feb 20, 2012 @ 11:34 pm | delete
    Blessed another one of your beautiful lens, and bookmarked it so I can come back to it later. :)
  • eagle eye Feb 6, 2012 @ 6:54 pm | delete
    Could it be that the rainbow serpent story refers to Aurora type atmospheric disturbances associated with solar flares which drive geologic disturbances? All creation myths have their roots in the physical and understanding them is a valuable source of knowledge of events with cycle times that get lost in the noise of the everyday life.
  • Susanne_Iles Feb 6, 2012 @ 11:01 pm | delete
    @eagle eye..thank you for your astute observation. It would be well worth exploring. I'd often thought the rainbow serpent came from a more watery origin, like Tiamat from Babylon as a water-based creatrix. The rainbow would be a sign of her/his presence and the arrival of life giving water. Your explanation would give rise to the power behind the presence..thanks for giving me some interesting food for thought!
  • Load More
Show All

by

Susanne_Iles

Welcome! I am a symbolist painter and writer. My portfolio can be viewed at http://www.susanneiles.com
Thank you so much for visiting!

You can lea... more »

Feeling creative? Create a Lens!

Explore related pages

Dragons and Creation Mythology 

Loading

Related Tags