Primary Orality The Songlines http www dreamtime net
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Primary Orality “The Songlines” http: //www. dreamtime. net. au/inde x. cfm 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” • First European account – William Dampier “The Fatal Shore” Robert Hughes. P. 48. Second account by Captain James Cook. . “They appear to some to be the most wretched people upon the earth, but in reality they are far happier than we Europeans, being wholly unacquainted not only with the superfluous but the necessary Conveniences so much sought after in Europe, they are happy in not knowing the use of them. They live in Tranquillity which is not disturb’d with the Inequality of Condition” (p. 54). 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” • Who are they? Evidence points to original man. Archaeological evidence of 40, 000 years. • Tribal, important kinship and family ties, nomadic. • 200 - 250 languages today, most moribund or extinct. 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” • What are the Songlines? Intricate pathways all over the country – the stories of the land. ‘An unsung land is a dead land’ (Chatwin). • How are they recorded? Passed down through the generations. Melodic principles, beats and rhythm. • What are the stories about? Practical – nature and local resources. Mythological – stories of the ancestors, bunyips and other supernatural phenomenon. • Who tells the stories? Elders, lawmen, women, and those initiated through age and wisdom. The stories contain multiple levels of complexity. 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” • What is ‘The Dreaming? ’ • Aboriginal creation story – Genesis. An integral part of all Aboriginal culture and language. • Where is the text? Communications of another type. • http: //www. aboriginalart. com/arn_pages/dreamings. html 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” Genius and Genesis 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” Aboriginal Art – Communication through symbols – Iconography. http: //www. jintaart. com. au/iconography/icon pg 2. htm 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
Primary Orality “The Songlines” • Where are the stories today? Revival of indigenous languages. • Diminished population through civilization. Death, disease and the ‘stolen generations’. • Culture in crisis. Many stories are lost or dramatically altered by western contact. Primary orality, does it exist today? 9. 2. 2005 Margaret Johnson
