Gamilaraay people

"The Kamilaroi or "Gamilaroi" are an Indigenous Australian Koori people who are from the area which extended from around Singleton in the Hunter Valley through to the Warrumbungle Mountains in the west and up through the present-day centres of Quirindi, Tamworth, Narrabri, Walgett, Moree, Lightning Ridge and Mungindi in New South Wales, to Nindigully in south west Queensland. The Kamilaroi is one of the four largest indigenous nations in Australia. The Kamilaroi language is classified in the Pama–Nyungan family of Australian languages. The Kamilaroi Highway is named after them, Sydney Ferries Limited's vehicular ferry "Kamilaroi" (1901–1933) was also named after them and a variety ofDurum wheat widely grown in their territory today is named after the Kamilaroi.

Dreamtime

Kamilaroi mythology includes Baiame, the ancestor or patron god. The Baiame myth tells how Baiame came down from the sky to the land, and created rivers, mountains, and forests. He then gave the people their laws of life, traditions, songs, and culture. He also created the first initiation site. This is known as a bora; a place where boys were initiated into manhood. When he had finished, he returned to the sky, and people called him the Sky Hero or All Father or Sky Father. He is said to be married to Birrahgnooloo (Birran-gnulu), who is often identified as an emu, and with whom he has a son Daramulum (Dharramalan). In other stories Daramulum is said to be brother to Baiame. It was forbidden to mention or talk about the name of Baiame publicly. Women were not allowed to see drawings of Baiame nor approach Baiame sites, which are often male initiation sites (boras). In rock paintings Baiame is often depicted as a human figure with a large head-dress or hairstyle, with lines of footsteps nearby. He is always painted in front view; Daramulum is drawn in profile. Baiame is often shown with internal decorations such as waistbands, vertical lines running down the body, bands and dots."

(from wikipedia)

What a beautiful concept! I wonder how boys where initiated into 'manhood'? The fact that they believe that the boy became the sky hero and married an emu is very appealing. A drawing of Baiame can be seen below. 

It is amazing how for the Gamilaraay people, this WAS there reality. They truly believed this, whereas from my perspective it is considered as a complete myth. However if they heard about my belief system (Christianity) they would probably consider it to be false and their beliefs to be true. The human capacity to believe in such things is incredible. It is also fascinating how cultures continuously come up with similar concepts of 'God'. Without seeing physically seeing this, we somehow see the same thing...If there was no God, why would there even be a concept of 'God'?