The Rainbow Serpant (Mitchell Bundick)

For assignment one, I chose the Rainbow Serpent creation myth. The Rainbow Serpent is one of the most widespread ancient creation stories in Australian Aboriginal mythology, and proceeds like this: Many years ago, the land was completely flat without geologic features such as rivers or mountains. Goorialla, the giant ancient serpent, set off to travel the land to find a tribe he could live with. As Goorialla traveled, his body formed rivers, gorges, and creeks behind him. As he continued to travel North, Goorialla created two mountains called Naradunga, known today as Mount Mulgrave, and Minalinha. Eventually, the serpent found a tribe of people to settle with at the meeting point of two rivers. Shortly after Goorialla was accepted by the tribe, a big storm came, and they had to seek shelter. Two young men, known as the Rainbow Lorikeet, came looking for shelter from the raging storm. After they had no luck with the rest of the tribe, they came to Goorialla. The serpent told the boys they could come in and when he opened his mouth to let the brothers in, he swallowed them. Following this encounter, Goorialla fled the tribe after concern that the tribe would notice the boys were missing. The morning after, the tribe noticed they were gone and saw the tracks of Goorialla, but the serpent was never seen again. However, after rainfall, you can see the spirit of Goorialla in the sky in the form of a rainbow.  This creation myth emphasizes the serpent carving waterways, mountains, and gorges from previously flat land as it traveled (the "awakening of the land"). As a result of these geologic features, ecosystems were able to form. Connecting this creation myth with religion and nature, the serpent is associated with rain. It is believed that disrespecting water bodies or natural features can result in upsetting the serpent, leading to harsh storms. Respect for the natural landscape and water bodies promotes both ecological health and spiritual peace, while maintaining balance. This spiritual interpretation of natural ecosystems creates a cultural obligation, not just a practical concern, to maintain environmental protection.


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