In our group we concentrated on Dreamtime connected with the way of life and Aboriginal Art. Dreamtime, also known as The Dreaming, describes how the landscape was created and life started. It is not comparable with our Genesis. The Dreaming is much more detailed and complicated. Dreamtime tells the story about spirits born from earth. Earth itself is thought to be present eternally. Those spirits formed the land and prepared it for the human beings. After creating it and passing the knowledge necessary for survival and social living to the human beings, the spirits disappeared back into the earth, over the sea or into the sky. The sun, the moon and the stars, for example, are all dreamtime figures. By wandering through the landscape the spirits left tracks which became sacred sites. You can find information about some of those places in the text on the rainbow serpent.

Dreamtime legends are different from tribe to tribe. Each Koori, that's how the native inhabitants are called, has his own dreaming. Everybody has a special bird or animal totem and is not allowed to hunt or eat this. There are lots of storys and legends about all kinds of animals and totems. You find one of those legends under Dreamtime story. All those legends are very important for the Koori. Only these stories are giving their lives a meaning.

Besides that the Dreaming explains the universe, nature, creatures, life itself and the cycle of life and death. Dreamtime is always there and never ending. The Dreamtime gives rules for social life. With these rules the Koori live in harmony with the land, the animals and the spirits. Further information on how the Dreaming influences family life and on some some rituals and ceremonies you can find under Aboriginal life.

For the Koori the symbol of the Dreaming are the Tjuringas. Tjuringas are very special stones. They are pear-shaped, oval or round and represent the owners totem animal or spirit. The Koori legends have never been written down. They have been told from generation to generation for at least 40.000 years. They are expressed in art and poetry, music, drama and dance. Especially Aboriginal Art is very impressive. The Koori had developed an advanced kind of art (especially in painting) already a long time ago. You find some examples under Aboriginal art.

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