The real Rainbow Serpent?

Every culture or belief system in the world has its own version of the creation story, some countries hatched from a giant egg, were created by thought or, as below, were fished out of the sea.

The Register 30 Sep 1921 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63428975

Something they all tend to have in common is that they usually feature a god or animal turning a vast emptiness into a world appropriate for human use. Oh, and devils. Just because life was never meant to be easy.

Australian Aboriginals use the term Dreamtime to describe the time when their world and ancestors were being shaped. One of the most famous and important Dreamtime characters of Australian Aboriginals is the Rainbow Serpent.

According to myth, the slitherings of this giant snake created the mountains and valleys. This story is probably the most well-known and widespread of all the Dreamtime myths.

Of course, Australia is well-known for its unusual, and at times dangerous, animals but I think that we are pretty lucky we don’t have giant, valley carving snakes travelling around the countryside today!

This post was inspired by this interesting article in the Herald-Sun about the discovery of giant snake skeletons in outback north Queensland. These snakes weren’t just big.

“Dated back to the Pleistocene epoch, between 2 million and 11,700 years ago, the fossils are believed to be akin to a constricting python, a predator that grew up to 7m long and as thick as a telegraph pole.”

Bushwalking wouldn’t have held the same kind of pleasure in those days would it? Although I love the comment from Dr. John Scanlon, one of the finders of giant snakes, who said;

“Serpent myths are universal, but whatever way you look at it, the world was a far more interesting place with giant snakes in it.”

Yes. It probably was. Although that kind of sounds like that old curse, ‘may you live in interesting times’. If there was a chance of coming across one of these guys in your garden (or a 5 metre Megalania, giant lizards and giant snakes at the same time, eek!) I think that Australians would be known for living in bunkers and having a tank parked in every driveway….

For those of you who have never heard of the Rainbow Serpent or Dreamtime myths here is a clip of the Rainbow Serpent story. It is narrated by the famous Aboriginal actor David Gulpilil and features the 1975 art of David Roughsey.

A xmas blister.

This year the Man and I got a good xmas present from Number 1 son. Number 1 has been learning guitar this year, and since the start he has wanted an electric guitar. Really, he is 11, what 11-year-old boy wouldn’t want one?!

We made him a deal, to learn for a while on an acoustic guitar, and then we would think about it. Number 1 has been diligently going to lessons, practicing randomly at home and has even managed to sneakily wangle his way into an occasional extra weekly lesson at school without anyone noticing that he has ducked out on maths!

When xmas rolled around it was pretty obvious what he would ask for wasn’t it? Well, on xmas morning the guitar he wanted was under the tree and he was a very happy boy.

Anyway, what was the present the Man and I got you ask? Look at the thumb in the picture below…. blistered.

When parents spend a ridiculous amount of money on a xmas present they are really happy to see it used 😀

A happy kid, in pain, but happy.

My favourite xmas present.

I don’t review books here on Buried Words and Bushwa. Although I love to read, I prefer to leave it to people who are better at it than I could be.

I am going to talk about a book today though although it is not so much a review as a rant about how much I love it.

My family was doing a Kris Kringle this year so a friend was given all of our names to match up, and we were each given a person to buy for.

I was very hopeful that Youngest Sister would be the one to get my name. Along with my dad the two of us are the big book lovers of the family and she always gets me something wonderful.

Luckily she did, and this time she remembered my love of Shaun Tan, so one of the books in my present was the utterly wonderful Tales from Outer Suburbia.*

I am a confirmed Shaun Tan fan and one of my favourite books ever is The Arrival. No words, just pictures, and the reunion near the end brings a tear to my eye every time. You can imagine how eager I was to see what treasures Tales from Outer Suburbia might contain, and I wasn’t disappointed.

In Tales from Outer Suburbia Shaun Tan tells small tales of strange things happening in everyday places, Eric the exchange student and his departing gift, what really happens to discarded poetry, Grandpa’s wedding. The gentle stories have a feeling of both melancholy and wonder.

All of the stories are accompanied by beautiful drawings of both the instantly recognizable and the totally unexpected. Televisions with teeth and speedy legs, a vista of suburban houses all with backyard missiles, a crowd of giant clockwork birds towering over a creeping car.

As always, I have to go back to linger over his drawings. They are so simple and beautiful that whenever I pick up a Shaun Tan book it makes me want to rush out and buy a new set of drawing pencils and a fresh art book. I can’t draw of course, he just makes me want to!

*The other was Terry Pratchett’s The Compleat Ankh-Morpork, just to ensure no housework gets done at all today 😉

How to make gravy.

It is xmas eve here, and I doubt I will be posting tomorrow as we will be buried in torn xmas paper and eating inappropriate breakfast food, shortbread and chocolate mainly.

In the spirit of xmas here is one of the best Australian songs of all time, How to Make Gravy by the wonderful Paul Kelly.

It is a great song about being away from your family at xmas time, and, of course, how to make gravy “Just add flour, salt, a little red wine and don’t forget a dollop of tomato sauce for sweetness and that extra tang“.

Even though his live versions are always fantastic, I chose to post this film clip because they are singing on a rooftop under that most Aussie of xmas things, a tinsel adorned Hills Hoist.

I hope you all have a great day and that santa brings you exactly what you need. I have requested peace and happiness and a sleep-in.

With the kids already crying out in anguish “Oh why isn’t it xmas already!” at every turn I think the last is a little optimistic though…..

Merry xmas everyone 😀

If you are scared of snakes, look away now….

I know that some people delight in sharing the terrors of Australian wildlife with the world, making them think that after setting foot on our shores death could come from anywhere, at any time, and without warning. This news article from the Herald-Sun is not going to help matters…..

Today the Mitchell St Childcare Centre in Darwin was temporarily closed thanks to an ‘inundation of snakes’. How many snakes make an inundation you ask?

The director of the childcare centre was alerted to the snakes presence when a baby one was found in a side room. They had the same snake problem last year so she had a fairly good idea of what was going on.

Some blokes from the council turned up to take care of things and decided that taking some wall panels off would be the best way to get to the root of the problem. Once the panel was removed 23 babies, and their 2.5 metre mother, were discovered and a wildlife ranger was called to take care of them. Inundation indeed!

The snakes turned out to be harmless Carpet Pythons, and many of the kids, and the parents who were arriving to pick them up, seem to have been quite amused by proceedings. Carpet Pythons are quite common in Darwin so I guess they were just glad it wasn’t their own wall the snake decided to make a home in.

If you are a little nervous of the wildlife in Australia don’t let this put you off visiting us though. For your entertainment here is a song to scare you encourage you to come; the Scared Weird Little Guys Come to Australia. 😉

Doomsday fling. 1953.

I know that there was a possibility that the world would end today, on the 21st of December, but assuming that little event didn’t go to plan I am scheduling this post anyway 😉

The Charleville Times 5 Nov 1953 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article77004298

I bet you didn’t all go out and do things that you would regret, assuming that there would be no tomorrow to wake up and feel regretful in did you?

No, neither did I.

In late October 1953 the religious leader from the town of Muerzzuschlag, Austria, informed his people that the end of the world was nigh, and, unfortunately for neighbourhood peace, they were a little less sceptical that we are.

In the expectation that the time for repercussions was ending those villagers went on a doomsday spree, borrowing money they were unable to repay, dumping their wives for their girlfriends, giving away their belongings or dancing the night away.

Probably the most popular person in the village was the local publican who served free drinks to all comers.

I wonder what those villagers who weren’t members of the sect thought of the gullibility of those end-of-the-worlders?

Apparently there were a lot of regretful people when the world continued on. The authorities were called in to sort things out, and I guess for a few people their own personal little world had ended.

I am using this as an excuse to add a clip of my favourite end-of-the-world movie scene, the start of Armageddon.

“It happened before, it will happen again. It’s all a question of when…”

Just not today 😉