The Rainbow Snake

Week 1

The Rainbow Snake

(An Aboriginal Myth)

It happened so long, long ago. Remembered by the ancestors in Dreamtime and passed on from generation to generation. That is how the story came to me; from Kiri to her daughter and so on to my mother and me. There are paintings too - brightly coloured, patterned pictures that also tell the story…

Kiri stood in amazement on the edge of her village, gazing at the darkening sky while rain fell softly. There before her appeared multicoloured ribbons of light. A rainbow! She had only witnessed this miracle a few times before – it left her speechless with wonder. She sat down to watch for a while under the small canopy of a eucalyptus tree.Kiri glanced back at her village where her friends played in the brown dirt. Everything was drab and colourless. The only colours she ever saw hung in the air, draping her world in a glimmering cloth. She could see her people cease their activities as, one by one, they gazed at the fantastical sky. Kiri turned back.

Suddenly, as she watched in rapt fascination, the rainbow began to change. It seemed to move and writhe, to twist and curl. One end transformed into a glistening head, its mouth stretching, yawning wide with gaping jaws, while the other end flicked wildly, its scales of every shade and hue flashing against the dark sky. One moment it was there, the next it had snaked its way silently down to earth and disappeared. Disappointed, Kiri returned to her village. “Where has it gone and why should it choose now to become a snake?” she wondered. “Perhaps it was lonely.”

A celebration was planned by the tribal elders to rejoice in the coming of the Rainbow Snake to earth. Everyone was happy-happy. There was much feasting and dancing the following day. Their music whirled through the bush, leaping from tree to tree, until it reached the ears of the Rainbow Snake itself. It swayed its mighty head and waved its tail to the rhythm of the didgeridoo. Slowly, slowly it slithered and danced towards the source of the sound. Kiri saw its coming. “The Rainbow Snake!” she cried in fear. But no one could hear her above the music and laughter. It slipped closer and reared up until it blocked out the sun and Kiri’s world fell dark and silent. The music died away, the dancers froze, the warriors reached for their spears.

The Snake opened its mouth… “I am Rainbow Snake. We are as one. You play music I have only heard in my dreams and speak the language of my thoughts.”

One of the elders stepped forward in the silence saying: “Then you are welcome friend. Let us celebrate together the wonders of our world. Dance and feast with us until we sleep.” A great shout of joy leapt from the people and Kiri cavorted around, no longer afraid.

For many weeks the Rainbow Snake talked and shared stories. During the day it wrapped itself around the village to protect it from the wind and at night it feasted and danced with the people, who decorated their bodies with feathers and patterned their skin. This was always remembered as The Happy Time.

One night Kiri spied two boys from the village, friends of hers, creep out at dusk with their spears. They wanted desperately to be good warriors and were off to practise their skills. Kiri followed them at a safe distance watching and learning, hiding behind bushes. Without warning it began to rain. Soaking wet, the boys searched for shelter. Kiri saw them enter a cave and thought to follow them, but just as she reached the cave’s entrance it closed trapping the boys inside. “This is no cave,” thought Kiri, fear gnawing inside her. The boys had stumbled into the mouth of the sleeping Rainbow Snake. “Rainbow Snake, wake up!” she shouted. “You have eaten two young warriors!”

The Snake opened its eyes but knew it was too late. The boys were deep inside its coiling stomach. “Aiee little one! They are gone and now I must go too. My friends will not forgive me this terrible mistake.” So it slunk away silently over the wet earth leaving Kiri alone. It was a dripping and unhappy girl who crept into her hut that night to tell her mother all that had happened. “Nothing can be done until morning,” her mother told her as she rocked her to sleep.

But in the morning the warriors would not listen to Kiri’s story of the mistake. “Murder!” they yelled, grabbing their spears. Only the boys’ mothers sat down and wept. The warriors followed the Snake along the valley it had carved in the wet earth, until they found it resting on the peak of Bora-bunara. Kiri watched in dismay as three young warriors climbed nimbly up the mountainside. They slit open the side of the Snake - its brightly coloured scales cascading down - and shouted to the boys inside. Then, to everyone’s amazement, the fluttering of wings was heard as two spectacularly coloured birds emerged in their place. They soared up in their indigo and blue-green plumage high above the mountain and with a joyous cry flew away.

The young warriors started back down the mountain, consoled by the transformation of the boys, but they did not see the Snake open its eyes wide in anger. “My mistake threatened our friendship,” it hissed, “but you have betrayed me! You have defiled my skin. I’m hungry now and I’LL EAT YOU ALL!” Its vivid red tongue darted down amongst the rocks and its tail lashed crazily, smashing the peak of the mountain and sending it crashing down.

Mortally afraid, Kiri and the other villagers reacted – some froze in fear, others ran. Kiri hid behind a large gum tree with her mother who grasped Kiri to her for protection. What she saw was unforgettable. The magic of the Rainbow Snake rained

down on them. As her people ran away they were changed into different creatures - leaping kangaroos, creeping tortoises and turtles. Some, rooted with terror, turned into trees which others scuttled up as wide-eyed frightened koalas. Yet more leapt off the mountainside, flying off to the west, or burrowed down into the earth in their efforts to get away.

Finally the Rainbow Snake was exhausted. It looked around and saw the devastation. It knew its time on Earth was over and it must return to the spirit place above. Kiri stared fixedly as, with a swish of its tail, it reared up into the sky and disappeared.

The few remaining people returned sorrowfully to the village, wiser than when they left, and life returned to something close to normal. Eventually they feasted and danced again, but without the same joyous freedom. They lived alongside the new animals and plants and gave thanks for the colours that had entered their lives and, just occasionally, when the rain and sun appeared together, the rainbow shone, bejewelled in the sky, reminding them of The Happy Time and how it was lost.

Week 1

Dreamtime

The expression 'Dreamtime' is most often used to refer to the 'time before time', or 'the time of the creation of all things', while 'Dreaming' is often used to refer to an individual's or group's set of beliefs or spirituality.

For instance, an indigenous Australian might say that they have Kangaroo Dreaming, or Shark Dreaming, or Honey Ant Dreaming, or any combination of Dreamings pertinent to their 'country'. However, many indigenous Australians also refer to the creation time as 'The Dreaming'.

What is certain is that in Aboriginal culture, 'Ancestor Spirits' came to Earth in human, animal and plant forms and that the land, the plants and animals were given their form as we know them today. This time when the ancestral spirits emerged from beneath the earth is called Dreamtime.

These Spirits also established relationships between groups and individuals, (whether people or animals) and where they traveled across the land, or came to a halt, they created rivers, hills, etc. and there are often stories attached to these places.

Ancestor spirits behaved like people, fighting, loving, hunting, and competing. They taught their descendants the sacred rituals and the symbols and designs used in paintings. They were also the law makers, and from their deeds, Aboriginal people learned how to behave and to live with each other.

Once their work was done, the Ancestor Spirits changed again; into animals or stars or hills or other objects. For indigenous Australians, the past is still alive and vital today and will remain so into the future. The Ancestor Spirits and their powers have not gone, they are present in the forms into which they changed at the end of the 'Dreamtime' or 'Dreaming', as the stories tell.

The stories have been handed down through the ages and are an integral part of an Aboriginal person's 'Dreaming'.

The Dreaming

Dreaming is the “embodiment of Aboriginal creation which gives meaning to everything”

(Aboriginal Studies Syllabus Years 7-10, Board of Studies NSW, 1993, p. 49)

Week 1

Picture story map for- The Rainbow Snake name

1 / 2 / 3
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4 / 5 / 6
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7 / 8 / 9
opener

Week 1

The Kangaroo and the Porpoise

Once upon a time, in the time called Dreamtime, there were a Kangaroo and a Porpoise. Both these animals lived in the country of what is now the Northern Territory in the time of our ancestors, and were able to talk, laugh, argue, love and hate just like us. They both used to hunt for bush tucker (things to eat) – lizards and fruit, berries and birds.

One day, Kangaroo said to Porpoise. “If I look after your baby while you go hunting, will you look after my baby while I go hunting. That way, we can both hunt for enough to eat, and we can feed our babies.” Porpoise thought this was an excellent idea. So she stayed with her baby and with Kangaroo’s baby, and looked after them while Kangaroo went hunting.

When Kangaroo came back, she found that Porpoise had looked after her baby very well. She was happy because she had hunted well and had found lots of bush tucker to eat.

So then Kangaroo agreed to look after Porpoise’s baby while Porpoise went off to hunt for her own bush tucker to eat. While Porpoise was away, Kangaroo looked at the two babies. Her baby was small and ugly, like a little frog, while Porpoise’s baby was smooth and beautiful. Kangaroo decided not to give Porpoise back her baby but to keep her for herself.

After hunting lots of bush tucker, Porpoise came back. “Give me back my baby,” she said to Kangaroo. “She is hungry and crying for milk.” But Kangaroo refused to give her back. “I want to keep your baby!” This made Porpoise very angry.

Porpoise tried to snatch her baby back, but Kangaroo would not let her. She tucked Porpoise’s baby down into her pouch. “She is crying for me, not you,” she said. “She wants to stay with me, and be my daughter.” “No! She wants me. She wants her milk,” cried Porpoise, trying to get her baby back from Kangaroo.

Kangaroo wanted Porpoise to go away and leave her the baby. She took a stick and hit Porpoise on the top of the head. This made a hole in Porpoise’s head. It also made Porpoise very angry indeed. Porpoise took a stick of her own and hit Kangaroo across the arms. She broke both Kangaroo’s arms.

Now Kangaroo had two broken arms and she could not pick up her own small ugly baby. She hopped away as fast as she could on her long back legs, carrying Porpoise’s baby in her pouch. Porpoise was left behind. She was really sad and angry too. “I don’t want Kangaroo’s baby!” She picked up Kangaroo’s baby and threw him into the Pandanus trees.

Then Porpoise ran away looking for Kangaroo and her own baby. In her sadness, she came to the sea. She ran into the sea and started to swim about under the water. When she came up to the surface, she spurted water out through the hole in her head. “I like this,” she said. “Now I will live in the sea, and no-one will be able to get my babies.”

So from that day to this, Porpoise has lived in the sea and spurted water out of the hole in her head that Kangaroo made with the stick.

And from that day to this, Kangaroo has hopped around on her long back legs holding her little bent and broken arms in front of her. And because she cannot pick up her baby, she has to crawl into her pouch and stay there. And the baby still looks a bit like a porpoise.

As for the little ugly baby that Porpoise threw away, he has turned into a little white frog and is still living there in the Pandanus trees to this day.

Week 1

Just then Fox came sneaking past. “Hello, who are you?”
“I’m Badger,” said Badger.
“What can you do?” asked cunning Fox.
“Not much,’ said Badger. “I dig a lot, and think a lot...”’
“That’s nothing,” sneered Fox. “I can run, I can hide, I can sneak inside a chicken coop and create havoc!”

British version

Just then …………… came …………………… past. “Hello, who are you?”
“I’m Badger,” said Badger.
“What can you do?” asked …………………………………………………………………..
“Not much,’ said Badger. “I dig a lot, and think a lot...”’
“That’s nothing,” …………………… ………………………. “I can …………, I can ……………………, I can ……………………………………………………………………………………….
Just then …………… came …………………… past. “Hello, who are you?”
“I’m Badger,” said Badger.
“What can you do?” asked …………………………………………………………………..
“Not much,’ said Badger. “I dig a lot, and think a lot...”’
“That’s nothing,” …………………… ………………………. “I can …………, I can
……………………, I can …………………………………………………………………………….……..
Just then …………… came …………………… past. “Hello, who are you?”
“I’m Badger,” said Badger.
“What can you do?” asked …………………………………………………………………..
“Not much,’ said Badger. “I dig a lot, and think a lot...”’
“That’s nothing,” …………………… ………………………. “I can …………, I can
……………………, I can …………………………………………………………………………….……..

Week 1

Unknown word / Definition

Word Bank

Week 2

Internet Research Recording Sheet.
Story 1 / Story 2 / Story 3 / Fascinating Facts

Week 1/2

Lungkata – The Blue-tongue Lizard Man

Lungkata the Blue-tongue Lizard Man had two sons. As his sons they owed him respect and obedience. These virtues are very important in Aboriginal culture.
One day, Lungkata’s two sons were out hunting. After many weary hours of travelling and hunting, they finally speared a kangaroo, and killed it.
They were so hungry after all their hunting and running, that they decided to ignore the law, which told them that they should take the kangaroo back to their father and share it with him.
They cooked the kangaroo and ate it themselves.
Lungkata waiting at home became more and more suspicious about their long absence. He realised what must have happened, and he grew very angry. His sons had broken the law and disgraced him.
Lungkata blew on his firestick. It glowed and glowed, brighter than ever with the fire of his anger.
Lungkata set fire to a dry bush which immediately burst into flame and crackled and burned. Tongues of fire licked out, just like the tongue of the blue-tongued lizard. These long tongues of flame lit the ground and travelled across the land.
Swiftly, the flame tongues sought out the two disobedient sons of the Blue-tongued LizardMan. They were sleeping having eaten well. The flame tongues licked them, burning their hands and feet.
The two sons sprang up, and, with cries of alarm, tore down branches from the trees. Madly they tried to beat out the tongues of flame that were licking all around them.
It was useless. However fast they ran, and however hard they beat with the branches, the tongues of fire followed them, licking at their heels, just like the tongue of the Blue-tongued Lizard.
Eventually, the two sons were so exhausted that they couldn’t run no longer, and the flames overwhelmed them.
Today the blue-tongued Lizard still runs, licking and flicking its tongue, across the deserts of Australia as a reminder.

Week 2