Dreamtime Stories as Literature
Explore the Dreaming as the world's oldest literary tradition, and learn to analyse Dreamtime narratives using the same literary skills we apply to written texts.
Acknowledgement: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we learn. Dreaming stories are sacred cultural knowledge that belong to specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. We approach these stories with respect, understanding that they are not simply "myths" or "fairy tales" but are living cultural, spiritual and legal knowledge. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
Important: Approaching the Dreaming with Respect
The Dreaming (also called the Dreamtime) is not the same as fairy tales, myths or legends as we understand those terms in Western literature. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the Dreaming is:
- ● Living knowledge that continues to shape life today, not something from the past
- ● Law and governance that guides how people should behave and relate to each other and the land
- ● Spiritual truth that holds deep cultural significance
- ● Owned by specific groups, and some stories are restricted and should not be shared publicly
In this lesson, we only discuss stories that have been publicly shared by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We study them as literature while acknowledging their deeper cultural significance.
What is the Dreaming?
The Dreaming (sometimes called Dreamtime) refers to the time when ancestral beings created the world. These powerful beings shaped the land, created rivers, mountains and plains, and established the laws for living. But the Dreaming is not just the past. It is also the present and the future. It is an ongoing relationship between people, land and law.
Different Aboriginal language groups have their own words for the Dreaming. For example, the Arrernte people of Central Australia call it Altyerre. Each group has its own Dreaming stories connected to their specific Country (the land and waters to which they belong).
Creation
How the land, animals, plants and people came to be
Law
Rules for behaviour, relationships and caring for Country
Connection
The ongoing relationship between people, land, ancestors and the spiritual world
The World's Oldest Stories: Oral Tradition
Aboriginal Dreaming stories are part of an oral tradition, meaning they are passed from generation to generation through spoken word, song, dance, ceremony and art rather than through writing. This is the longest continuous literary tradition in human history.
Some Dreaming stories encode information about real events that happened thousands of years ago. For example, stories describing rising sea levels along the Australian coast match geological evidence of events that occurred 7,000-10,000 years ago. This remarkable accuracy shows how effective oral tradition is at preserving knowledge across vast stretches of time.
How Stories Are Preserved
Story Elements in Dreaming Narratives
Like all great literature, Dreaming stories have recognisable narrative elements. We can analyse them using the same skills we use for written texts.
Characters
Ancestral beings who are often animals, natural forces or spirit beings with human-like qualities. Characters like the Rainbow Serpent appear in stories across many different Aboriginal groups.
Setting (Country)
Stories are always connected to specific places. The setting is not a fictional location but real Country that can be visited today. The story explains how that place came to be.
Plot
The sequence of events, usually involving the actions of ancestral beings as they move across Country, creating features of the landscape and establishing laws.
Moral / Lesson / Law
Dreaming stories teach people how to behave, how to relate to others and to Country, and what happens when laws are broken. The consequences in stories serve as warnings.
Connection to Country
Every Dreaming story connects people to their Country (the land and waters they are responsible for). This is a unique element not found in most Western literature.
Example Analysis: The Rainbow Serpent
The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most widely known Dreaming figures, with versions appearing across many Aboriginal language groups throughout Australia. While each group's story is unique, the Rainbow Serpent is commonly associated with water, creation and the life-giving power of rain.
A General Summary (publicly shared elements)
In the Dreaming, the Rainbow Serpent is a powerful ancestral being. As it moved across the empty land, its enormous body carved out rivers, valleys and gorges. Where it rested, it created waterholes and lakes. The Rainbow Serpent is a creator of life through water, but also a force that demands respect. When the laws are broken, the Serpent can bring destructive floods or withhold rain, causing drought. The Rainbow Serpent is still present in the land today.
Literary Analysis
Literary Techniques in Oral Storytelling
Oral storytelling uses many of the same techniques found in written literature, plus some that are unique to spoken performance.
Repetition
Key phrases and ideas are repeated for emphasis and to help listeners remember. This is similar to a chorus in a song.
Rhythm & Melody
Many stories are told with a musical quality, using rhythm to help the story flow and be memorable.
Imagery
Rich descriptive language that helps listeners "see" the story. A serpent carving valleys creates a powerful mental picture.
Personification
Animals and natural forces are given human-like qualities, motivations and speech.
Symbolism
Characters and events represent bigger ideas. Water symbolises life; fire symbolises transformation and renewal.
Performance
Voice, gesture, dance and audience participation add layers of meaning that written text cannot capture.
Oral vs Written Traditions
| Written Literature | Oral Tradition (Dreaming) | |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | Books, digital files | Memory, song, dance, art, Country |
| Age | About 5,000 years old | Over 65,000 years old |
| Performance | Usually read silently | Spoken, sung, danced, painted |
| Audience | Anyone who can read the language | Some stories are for everyone; some are restricted by age, gender or role |
| Connection to place | Often set in fictional places | Always connected to real, specific Country |
Key Vocabulary
The Dreaming / Dreamtime
The Aboriginal understanding of creation, law and the ongoing connection between people, land and the spiritual world. It is past, present and future.
Oral Tradition
Passing knowledge from generation to generation through spoken word, song, dance and art rather than writing.
Country
The specific land, waters and sky that an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander group belongs to and is responsible for caring for.
Ancestral Beings
The powerful creator beings of the Dreaming who shaped the land and established the laws for living.
Worked Examples
Identify the literary technique: "The Rainbow Serpent carved the rivers as it slithered across the dry land"
Step 1: What is happening? A serpent is creating rivers by moving.
Step 2: Is an animal doing something only humans/supernatural beings can do? Yes, it is creating geographical features.
Step 3: Does the language create a picture in your mind? Yes, "carved" and "slithered" are vivid action words.
Answer: This uses imagery (vivid visual description) and personification (the serpent acts with purpose and creative power).
How is a Dreaming story different from a fairy tale?
Step 1: A fairy tale is fictional entertainment, often set in imaginary places ("once upon a time, in a far-away land").
Step 2: A Dreaming story is connected to real, specific places. It is not just entertainment but also carries law, spiritual knowledge and ecological information.
Answer: A Dreaming story is connected to real Country, carries law and spiritual meaning, and is owned by specific groups. A fairy tale is fictional entertainment set in imaginary places.
Why is oral tradition an effective way to preserve knowledge?
Step 1: Oral tradition uses multiple forms: song, dance, art and story, each reinforcing the other.
Step 2: Stories are tied to specific places, so visiting Country triggers and reinforces memory.
Step 3: Specific people have responsibility for specific stories, creating a distributed system of knowledge keeping.
Answer: Oral tradition is effective because it uses multiple reinforcing methods (song, dance, art, place), has dedicated custodians, and has been proven to preserve accurate knowledge for thousands of years (e.g., sea-level rise stories matching geological evidence).
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
What is the best description of the Dreaming?
Question 2
Which literary technique is used when the Rainbow Serpent "created rivers by carving through the earth"?
Question 3
What is one key difference between the setting of a Dreaming story and the setting of a fairy tale?
Question 4
Why is repetition used in oral storytelling?
Question 5
How do we know that oral tradition can preserve accurate knowledge over very long periods?
Key Concepts Summary
- ● The Dreaming is not fairy tales. It is living cultural, spiritual and legal knowledge that connects past, present and future.
- ● Aboriginal oral tradition is the world's oldest continuous literary tradition, spanning over 65,000 years.
- ● Dreaming stories use literary techniques including imagery, personification, symbolism and repetition.
- ● Dreaming stories are always connected to real Country and carry law, ecological knowledge and spiritual meaning.
- ● We must approach Dreaming stories with respect, understanding their deep significance to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.