Adnoartina is known as a religious deity in the Australian Aboriginal culture. [1] This deity is described as taking the form of a gecko lizard and is considered to be a sacred ancestral being. [1] Adnoartina offers an Indigenous understanding to the creation of Uluru, an Australian historical landmark. [2] This landmark is regarded as one of the most sacred land formations in Australia and an ‘iconic’ tourist attraction. [3] As Adnoartina is a key figure in the creation of Uluru, this deity is a symbolic figure in the Aboriginal religion. [4]
Adnoartina is central to one of the world's oldest religious beliefs as Aboriginal mythology has existed for centuries. [5] However, the significance of Adnoartina continues to be a cultural influence as stories are passed down through generations of ancestors. [5] Such stories are known as dreamtime stories, which are fundamental to the Aboriginal religion. [6] Though Adnoartina originates from Aboriginal mythology, this deity is further present in published academia. The published studies of Adnoartina have communicated the significance of this deity in the Aboriginal culture. Adnoartina is regarded as a spiritual figure in the dreamtime and continues to be a motif in the art, music and ceremonial practices of the Aboriginal culture. [4]
Adnoartina is derived from the Indigenous Diyari people, alternatively transcribed as ‘Dieri.' The Diyari community is located in South Australia, east of Lake Eyre. This cultural group recognise Adnoartina as one of the great spirits in dreamtime stories. [7]
The god always helps and protects uluru. [1] The gender of Adnoartina varies between being curvy or straight stories as this deity is commonly referred to as a female goddess however, other stories describe Adnoartina as a male god or a non-gendered being. [8] Adnoartina’s story is a teaching of creation and essentially describes how Uluru came to have its red ochre. The narrative follows the rivalry between Adnoartina and Marandi the dog as they hunted the same prey. [9] According to legend, Adnoartina challenged Marandi and as they fought, Adnoartina bit into Marandi’s neck, spilling his blood onto Uluru and staining it red. [9] The story further details how geckos were shaped to fend off predators as Adnoartina’s tail was used as protection during the fight. [4] The following extract is sourced from Aiston and Horne’s published book from the year 1924.
“Marindi the dog leapt up and tried to catch Adnoartina by the back of the neck and shake the life out of him. But the lizard ran in low beneath the terrible fighting teeth. He seized the dog by the throat and hung on. In vain Marindi shook him and scratched at him with his claws. The sharp teeth sank in and in, until at last the red blood spurted out." [9]
There have been alternative understandings of Adnoartina as not all stories link to the ochre of Uluru. In some narratives, the stain from Marandi’s blood is the source of ochre from the Pukardu Hill site. [10] This site is dual-named by the Government of South Australia as ‘Parachilna Ochre Mine’ and ‘Vukartu Ithapi’ and is located 19 kilometres (12 miles) south-east of the Flinders Ranges. [11] In other stories, Marandi’s blood is the source of ochre from the rocks on the banks of the Mecca creek, located in the Cloncurry Shire region in Queensland. [4] However, the dominant narrative is that the story of Adnoartina relates to the ochre of Uluru. [2]
As the ochre from Uluru is spiritually valued across various tribal groups, there have been accounts of similar deities to Adnoartina. [4] As Adnoartina is derived from the Diyari people, different tribes recognise deities such as 'Kuringii', 'Kilowilina', 'Perilingunina', 'Itikaru' and 'Tjapara' as key figures in the creation of red ochre. [4] Therefore, dreamtime stories are diverse in perspective as these deities are often described as taking the form of an emu. [4] However, a link across all stories is the belief that Uluru’s red ochre was created from the blood of a sacred being.
Though Adnoartina has existed for centuries in the Aboriginal culture, this deity was introduced to a global audience through observational studies. [4] For example, the published work of ethnographer George Aiston and anthropologist George Horne offers direct knowledge of Adnoartina from the 1920s. [9] Aiston in particular lived with the Diyari people for many years and translated the story of Adnoartina for English speaking people. [4] This has contributed to the knowledge of Adnoartina through the observations and documentation of the Aboriginal culture. [9] However, this western means of publication has the potential to be culturally stereotyped. [12] Unlike other mythologies, Aboriginal stories are not spoken in the past tense, rather, it is fundamentally believed to be a teaching of the past, present and future. [12]
Uluru is considered sacred to the Aboriginal people as it is known to protect ancient spirits of the region. [13] In this sense, Uluru is deeply important to the Aboriginal cultural identity. [13] As the creation of Uluru is central to Adnoartina’s story, this deity is regarded as an important figure in the Aboriginal culture. [4] The blood of Marindi that was described to have dyed Uluru with red ochre is considered to be of spiritual value for Indigenous Australians. [4] In the Aboriginal culture, this ochre is believed to hold spiritual power, particularly through the connection to Aboriginal mythology. [14] As the creation of Uluru is fundamental to the story of Adnoartina, the red ochre from this site is considered to be particularly valued. [14] This ochre is used for ceremonial practices and art to communicate the story of Adnoartina and related beings. [4] For example, red ochre is essential for the 'Mindari' ceremony of the Diyari people, otherwise known as the 'peace ceremony.' [14] Red ochre is used in this ceremony for the purpose of symbolic and decorative ritual as people are painted and given bundles of red ochre to form a spiritual connection to Adnoartina. [14] Other forms of ceremonial practice were the red ochre expeditions which the Diyari people considered to be a spiritual journey. [14] This expedition socially connected the Indigenous people as different tribes would travel to the source of Uluru’s red ochre. [4] It was believed that the red ochre expeditions had the power to connect the Indigenous people to Adnoartina and other related beings. [4] Red ochre was further significant to the Aboriginal community as it was historically used as a currency in trade. [4] The ochre from Adnoartina’s story was valued in this context through the connection to mythology. [14]
Dreamtime stories are closely linked with the Aboriginal tradition as they are a spiritual understanding of creation and how the universe came to be. [5] It was believed that in reciting the dreamtime stories, people were able to experience the spirituality of beings such as Adnoartina. [2] In the Aboriginal tradition, dreamtime stories were significant to unify and influence language, religion and the laws of the Aboriginal communities. [5] Traditionally, Aboriginal mythology united local tribes as well as members of different tribes. [4] Therefore, stories such as Adnoartina were considered to be an important aspect of the Aboriginal culture. [4] Dreamtime stories have little relation to western understandings as they are formed through symbolic and spiritual concepts of creation. [6] Unlike western knowledge, dreamtime stories are often communicated through speech, rather than transcribed. [15] As described by Indigenous elder Graham Paulson, “an Aboriginal cosmogony begins in the ‘Dreamtime.' This is the time before the world was shaped in the way we know it to be now.” [16] Adnoartina is considered to be a significant figure in this mode of knowledge to understand how Uluru was formed with red ochre. Paulson further describes how the place of emergence and interaction of spiritual beings are “valued according to the importance of that part of creation to the local tribal group.” [16] As creation in Adnoartina’s story took place at Uluru, this deity holds sentiment to one of the most sacred sites in the Aboriginal culture. [2] Uluru is considered to be a significant cultural landmark to various tribal groups and therefore, Adnoartina and related beings are valued as key figures in the dreamtime. [2] The tradition of animal symbolism in dreamtime stories were considered to be purposeful in unifying all forms of life. [6] Adnoartina reflects this tradition being a lizard guardian and was especially significant to the Diyari people as lizards were considered the most sacred of all animal beings. [7]
Adnoartina continues to be significant in the Aboriginal culture as dreamtime stories are passed down through generations of ancestors. [5] The tradition of storytelling allows spiritual beings such as Adnoartina to live on through the legends of the dreamtime stories. [5] This is considered to be important as Aboriginal mythology is valued by the Indigenous people as a timeless teaching. [12] Beings such as Adnoartina are believed to offer spiritual knowledge that is significant to past, present and future Indigenous people. [12] Therefore, the passing down of knowledge is fundamental to the Aboriginal religion. [12] Adnoartina now appears as inspiration for the stories, art, ceremonies and music of modern culture. [5] In modern art, red ochre is a primary material for many Aboriginal artists through its distinctive red colour and sheen quality. [4] The ochre from Adnoartina’s story is especially valued through the spiritual link to Aboriginal mythology. [4] This particular red ochre is called 'yamparnu' in the Aboriginal language. [4] As dreamtime stories were often an oral teaching, art has become particularly important in modern culture to pass on knowledge of the dreamtime. [17] This physical form of creative expression and sharing knowledge of beings such as Adnoartina is considered to be significant to the longevity of the Aboriginal culture. [17]
As the creation of Uluru is central to Adnoartina’s story, this deity is linked to a historical landmark that continues to be regarded as a universal symbol of Australia. [13] The world heritage status of Uluru further relates Adnoartina to modern culture through the category of ‘commemorative sites’ to respect the tradition of Aboriginal beliefs. [4] In this sense, Uluru has been acknowledged as a spiritual site for the Indigenous Australians through the sacred link to beings such as Adnoartina. [18] Uluru is famous in tourism for people to travel and witness what is widely perceived as one of Australia’s natural wonders. [19] In this sense, tourism can have a positive effect through keeping Indigenous culture integrated in modern times. [19] As Uluru has influenced modern culture through tourism, the story of Adnoartina continues to be shared to a modern audience. [19] However, tourism can have a counter effect as there have been reports relating to the lack of respect for Indigenous land. [19] A common concern relates to the cultural issues of promotional tourism in respecting the authenticity of sites considered sacred to the Indigenous Australians. [19] As Adnoartina holds cultural significance to the Aboriginal people, the Australian government has listed restrictions on tourism such as banning people from climbing Uluru. [20] This was stated to acknowledge the importance of Uluru to the Indigenous people and the spiritual connection to mythological beings such as Adnoartina. [20]
Adnoartina was a character mentioned to be a part of the Old World Council in the 2022 novel Music in the Mirrors . [21]
Australian Aboriginal religion and mythology is the sacred spirituality represented in the stories performed by Aboriginal Australians within each of the language groups across Australia in their ceremonies. Aboriginal spirituality includes the Dreamtime, songlines, and Aboriginal oral literature.
The Dreaming, also referred to as Dreamtime, is a term devised by early anthropologists to refer to a religio-cultural worldview attributed to Australian Aboriginal beliefs. It was originally used by Francis Gillen, quickly adopted by his colleague Baldwin Spencer and thereafter popularised by A. P. Elkin, who, however, later revised his views.
The Wandjina, also written Wanjina and Wondjina and also known as Gulingi, are cloud and rain spirits from Australian Aboriginal mythology that are depicted prominently in rock art in Australia. Some of the artwork in the Kimberley region of Western Australia dates back to approximately 4,000 years ago. Another closely related spirit entity is the creator being Wunngurr, a being analogous to the Rainbow Serpent in other Aboriginal peoples' belief systems, but with a different interpretation.
Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia. The park is home to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta. It is located 1,943 kilometres (1,207 mi) south of Darwin by road and 440 kilometres (270 mi) south-west of Alice Springs along the Stuart and Lasseter Highways. The park covers 1,326 square kilometres (512 sq mi) and includes the features it is named after: Uluru and, 40 kilometres (25 mi) to its west, Kata Tjuta. The location is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for natural and cultural landscape.
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock and officially gazetted as Uluru / Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone formation in the centre of Australia. It is in the southern part of the Northern Territory, 335 km (208 mi) southwest of Alice Springs.
Indigenous Australian art includes art made by Aboriginal Australian and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including collaborations with others. It includes works in a wide range of media including painting on leaves, bark painting, wood carving, rock carving, watercolour painting, sculpting, ceremonial clothing and sand painting; art by Indigenous Australians that pre-dates European colonisation by thousands of years, up to the present day.
Ngiṉṯaka, also spelled Ngintaku, is a giant perentie lizard Ancestral Being from Aṉangu and Pitjantjatjara religion and mythology. It is associated with Angatja, an area along an important songline.
A songline, also called dreaming track, is one of the paths across the land within the animist belief systems of the Aboriginal cultures of Australia which mark the route followed by localised "creator-beings" in the Dreaming. The paths of the songlines are recorded in traditional song cycles, stories, dance, and art, and are often the basis of ceremonies. They are a vital part of Aboriginal culture, connecting people to their land.
Melanesian Meriam people are an Indigenous Australian group of Torres Strait Islander people who are united by a common language, strong ties of kinship and live as skilled hunter–fisher–gatherers in family groups or clans on a number of inner eastern Torres Strait Islands including Mer or Murray Island, Ugar or Stephen Island and Erub or Darnley Island. The Meriam people are perhaps best known for their involvement in the High Court of Australia's Mabo decision which fundamentally changed land law in Australia - recognising native title.
Mutitjulu is an Aboriginal Australian community in the Northern Territory of Australia located at the eastern end of Uluṟu. It is named after a knee-shaped water-filled rock hole at the base of Uluṟu, and is located in the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Its people are traditional owners and joint managers of the park with Parks Australia. At the 2011 census, Mutitjulu had a population of 296, of which 218 (71.2%) were Aboriginal.
Bark painting is an Australian Aboriginal art form, involving painting on the interior of a strip of tree bark. This is a continuing form of artistic expression in Arnhem Land and other regions in the Top End of Australia, including parts of the Kimberley region of Western Australia. Traditionally, bark paintings were produced for instructional and ceremonial purposes and were transient objects. Today, they are keenly sought after by collectors and public arts institutions.
In Australian Aboriginal mythology of the Bundjalung, an area known as "the land of the three rivers, "the Dirawong, an unseen spiritual creature also known as the goanna spirit, is one of the Creator Beings of the Bundjalung, that 1) Protects 2) Guards, 3) Battles the Rainbow Snake, 4) Helps the people with,
Tom E. Lewis was an Australian actor and musician. He was an Indigenous Australian from the Murrungun people. His first major role was the title role in the 1978 Fred Schepisi film The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith.
Australian Aboriginal culture includes a number of practices and ceremonies centered on a belief in the Dreamtime and other mythology. Reverence and respect for the land and oral traditions are emphasised. Over 300 Languages and other groupings have developed a wide range of individual cultures. Due the colonization of Australia under terra nullius concept these cultures were treated as one monoculture. Australian Aboriginal art has existed for thousands of years and ranges from ancient rock art to modern watercolour landscapes. Aboriginal music has developed a number of unique instruments. Contemporary Australian Aboriginal music spans many genres. Aboriginal peoples did not develop a system of writing before colonisation, but there was a huge variety of languages, including sign languages.
Bush medicine comprises traditional medicines used by Indigenous Australians, being Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Indigenous people have been using various components of native Australian flora and some fauna as medicine for thousands of years, and many still turn to healers in their communities for medications that provide physical and spiritual healing.
An Australian Aboriginal sacred site is a place deemed significant and meaningful by Aboriginal Australians based on their beliefs. It may include any feature in the landscape, and in coastal areas, these may lie underwater. The site's status is derived from an association with some aspect of social and cultural tradition, which is related to ancestral beings, collectively known as Dreamtime, who created both physical and social aspects of the world. The site may have its access restricted based on gender, clan or other Aboriginal grouping, or other factors.
Edwin "Guboo" Ted Thomas, a Yuin man, was a prominent Aboriginal leader. He toured Australia with a gumleaf orchestra during the Great Depression of the 1930s, played rugby league and became a respected elder who campaigned for protection of sacred sites on the South Coast. He went to the United Nations in New York and urged the World Council of Churches to accept Indigenous religions, and also met the Dalai Lama.
Bantu mythology is the system of beliefs and legends of the Bantu people of Africa. Although Bantu peoples account for several hundred different ethnic groups, there is a high degree of homogeneity in Bantu cultures and customs, just as in Bantu languages.
Australian mythology stems largely from Europeans who colonised the country from 1788, subsequent domestic innovation, as well as other immigrant and Indigenous Australian traditions, many of which relate to Dreamtime stories. Australian mythology survives through a combination of word of mouth, historical accounts and the continued practice and belief in Dreamtime within Aboriginal communities.
distance used in article determined by using measuring tool on the source website