Australia, sacred land of the Aborigines
In the great myth of origin, man and everything in the universe are articulated in a complex belief system. This extremely rich mythology is called the Dreamtime. It is expressed notably through an abundant oral literature, song and dance. At the heart of this system is totemism. This belief is based on a relationship of kinship between each human being and everything that is part of Creation (animals, plants, springs, mountains, rocks...): all are invested with a spiritual value. As a principle of organization and identification, both individual and collective, totemism both expresses and explains the Aborigines' respect for nature as a whole. Aboriginal beliefs consider that the world was previously unformed and unbalanced. It is then that Warramurrungundji gave birth to human beings. He was followed by other spirits, who sculpted the relief of the earth. Thus, Ginga, the crocodile ancestor, shaped the rocky lands, Gandajitj, the giant kangaroo, dug the canyons and caves. Almudj, the rainbow snake, created the lines of hills. Known under different names, they are spread in many places on the whole continent. The snake, a particularly emblematic animal, is the guardian and protector of places vital for survival in desert regions. Once their creative acts were complete, the great ancestral spirits showed the first humans the pilgrimage routes. Seeing their lives as a journey in search of their ancestors, the Aborigines went from site to site(walkabout), embarking on an initiatory journey where they sang Dreamtime tunes, the songlines, adapted to each place. Moreover, the aboriginal religion is characterized by secret rites and initiation ceremonies. Far from being a religion that seeks to proliferate, it seeks on the contrary to reserve its knowledge to the initiated. Depending on the region, these rites extend over more or less long periods. In general, a child is initiated with a group of men from puberty until he is about 40 years old. He is taught the rites, the codes, but he is also revealed the mysteries of the aboriginal cosmogony. Women are excluded from the sacred initiation, which is exclusively reserved for men.
The creative myths
For the Aborigines, many stories explain the creation of the world. About 500 tribes lived on the continent when the colonists arrived, but despite the obvious disparity of cultures, there is a common core to all these religions. The most widespread belief is that of the goddess-creator: a goddess who was asleep and locked in the basement escaped and used her powers to make the years rain on the wasteland. The traces left by her passage draw the rivers, the mountains, or the valleys. Some places watered by the milk of her breasts become fertile and grow fruits, flowers and large tropical forests. After creating the animal kingdom, she finally wakes up a man and a woman and teaches them the customs they must apply: respect the living, the Earth, everything is sacred and is part of the world she created "you are not the owners of the Earth, but only the guardians" she declares before returning to slumber in the bowels of the Earth. But another original myth follows: the argument and lament of the animals. They complained about their anatomy and this reached the ears of the Great Creator Spirit. Thus, the Goddess decided to listen to their complaints and to grant their wishes for transformation. The wombat, too skinny, wanted to be lively and stocky, the echidna asked for quills to protect itself, the cockatoo wished for a yellow crest to color its plumage and a strong beak to crush all the seeds. The kangaroos, on the other hand, wanted to be more colorful, smaller, and climber... So different marsupials with different characteristics populated the territory. The platypus was the most indecisive, he hesitated between the assets of the duck, the otter, the beaver or the snake. She transformed it into a very particular appearance answering the various criteria requested by the platypus: impossible to confuse it with another animal, it could be mammal, bird and reptile at the same time!
European missionaries and evangelization
Contrary to popular belief, the colonization of Australia by the British was not a peaceful occupation. When James Cook disembarked on May 6, 1770, he took possession of the land on which he landed on behalf of the King of England, head of the Anglican Church. The Aborigines welcomed the settlers at first, according to the laws of hospitality, but realized that their sacred lands were coveted. Thus, acts of renunciation were later signed by Aborigines who could neither read nor write: they gave up the land on which they lived without knowing it. The European missionaries, Catholics and Protestants, who already had the knowledge or experience of the colonization of America, already had the intention of assimilating the Aborigines to the Western culture. The colonists and other missionaries were able to control the Aboriginal rebellions by expeditions called "pacification", a term that does not reveal the real colonial practices. Thus, throughout the territory, some missionaries gradually baptized the natives while others took an interest in local cultures: these missionaries, also considered the first ethnographers, were responsible for studying languages and cultures. For example, in central Australia, a Lutheran mission coordinated by Pastor Strehlow was established at the end of the 19th century. In order to "protect" them from the brutality of the cattle ranchers, the mission learned about the rites and cults of the Aranda Aborigines and the pastor's son even became an anthropologist. Encouraging the Aborigines to convert to Christianity, some missionaries also made local and Christian spirituality co-exist through syncretism: Jesus is equated with a creator ancestor, or an equivalent is established between a mythical figure and the god of the Christians, as was often done in South America. For example, a millenarian cult was established around the figure of a Jesus with half-white and half-black skin.
A predominant Christianity
When the first colony was established, two-thirds of the original Europeans were Protestants and one-third were Catholics. This predominantly British immigration set the tone for decades and decades: the Australian people would be educated in the Christian tradition. Then, the 1901 Constitution prohibited the government from establishing a church or interfering with religious freedom. However, the country remained predominantly Christian and the monarchy was still approved by its inhabitants. This is still reflected in the numbers, with 25.3 per cent Catholic and 17.1 per cent Anglican
In November 1999, voters even refused to abolish the Australian monarchy in a referendum: anarchist or republican, political beliefs do not prevent Australians from loving and respecting their Queen. If Christianity is so persistent, it is because Elizabeth II, "the nation's grandmother," maintained very conservative beliefs in a world that has completely changed. Modern Australians are not immune to the nostalgic figure of the Queen, who is more symbolic than political. Ambassador of the monarchy and the Christian religion, she was the first Australian monarch to visit the country: her visits provoked huge crowds and, at the time, it is estimated that three quarters of the Australian population would have travelled to see her. Elizabeth II's values promoted culture, philanthropy and charity, principles of life that went beyond religion
But the affection for this unifying ideal has not prevented Australians from losing interest in the Church: today, they continue to support the monarchy in part, but as they move down the age scale, this support becomes a minority. Anglicanism has been competing with Catholicism, Hinduism and Islam for the past 50 years. For example, there are 2.5 per cent Buddhists and 2.2 per cent Muslims. In 2012, there were 4,300,000 atheists in the country. This trend is particularly noticeable among Australians who are descendants of populations from all over the world: they no longer maintain the traditions of the Commonwealth and are looking for a little more modernity. Multicultural Australia is therefore increasingly skeptical of the power of the monarchy and, indirectly, of the Church.
Modern beliefs and legends
Beyond religions and spiritual beliefs, Australia is also the playground of some legends related to its history and territory. Have you ever heard of the "Drop Bear"? Invented to scare children, and sometimes tourists, the legend of the Drop Bear is in fact a running gag that consists in the existence of a giant and carnivorous koala. The latter surprises its prey by throwing itself on them from the treetops. Another belief even advises to apply Vegemite behind the ears in order to make them run away!
Less funny, an aboriginal legend explains the existence of the koala: a tribe would have taken in a child after the death of his parents. Ill-treated and thirsty, he chewed eucalyptus leaves for a long time to quench his thirst. One day, left alone, the child grabbed the tribe's water containers and fled to the eucalyptus. The tribe, pretending not to hold a grudge, persuaded him to go back down. The child, confident, returned to the ground, but he was betrayed: they hit him and as the blows went on, the child transformed and covered himself with hair before hurrying back to the eucalyptus: transformed into a koala, he will stay on his eucalyptus to escape from the men
After the legends of the bush, urban legends also know a certain success such as the legend of the ghost of the farmer Frederic Fisher: one of the most popular in Australia. This former convict, who became a farmer in Campbelltown, south of Sydney, disappeared in a mysterious and sudden way. Since then, Fisher is said to still haunt the place. Inland, in the heart of the desert, Australians take the appearance and visit of aliens very seriously. Some localities have become tourist centers dedicated to the observation of little green men: the town of Wycliffe in the Northern Territory has even proclaimed itself the Australian capital of aliens. According to the locals, you will have the chance to see UFOs every day..
